By 2020, SP Group will carry out the installation of 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points, which is twice the original number anticipated in June.
In its press release on Thursday (25 Oct), the energy utilities corporation, which is wholly owned by Temasek, announced that 250 of the 1,000 charging points will be high-powered direct current (DC) chargers that will charge at a rate of up to 350kW, while the rest will run on alternating current (AC) chargers.
This means that the new chargers can fully charge a car in as fast as 10 minutes or gain a range of about 200km, depending on the model of the car.
Additionally, the new extra high-powered chargers will accommodate upcoming electric vehicle models with bigger battery capacities and longer driving ranges.
Group chief executive officer of SP Group Wong Kim Yin elaborated on the move: “By developing Singapore’s largest and fastest electric vehicle charging network, it will enable greater adoption of electric vehicles, helping our customers to go green, while saving energy and cost. The significant reduction in carbon emissions will also support Singapore’s Climate Action Plan.”
According to the utilities corporation, its EV charging points will be installed at “convenient locations nationwide, such as shopping malls, residential areas, business parks and industrial sites, as well as close to coffee shops and food outlets.”
EV charging services to “a wider range of vehicular types” will also be rolled out in the future, which will encompass “larger commercial vehicles, such as buses and other heavy-duty vehicles,” according to SP Group.
Currently, SP Group provides charging services for EVs under HDT Singapore Taxi, Singapore’s largest electric taxi operator, and ride-hailing platform Grab.
HDT has more than 100 cabs under its wing, and plans to increase its number of cabs 800 by 2022, having successfully acquired a taxi service operator licence starting August this year.
Managing director of HDT James Ng said: “(The charging network) will provide our drivers with greater convenience and flexibility as they plan their driving routes, enabling them to stay longer on the roads to serve Singaporean customers.”
“(Our drivers) can drive with better peace of mind, knowing that these charging points are within easy reach islandwide, when it is time to charge their EVs,” he added.
On Grab’s end, the company will be introducing 200 new electric vehicles.
SP Group’s upcoming EV charging points will greatly contribute to the expansion of the EV charging network in Singapore as it joins Greenlots and Red Dot Power’s networks.
