Electric Vehicle Development in Singapore and Technical Considerations for Charging Infrastructure

Abstract

In line with the strategy to position Singapore as a “ Living Laboratory” to trial new technologies for a more livable and sustainable Singapore, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has embarked on an electromobility journey since 2011 to explore the feasibility of adopting electric vehicles (EV) for local use as a key strategy to mitigate carbon emissions from the transportation sector.The paper starts with an introduction on the EV Phase 1 test-bedding which was co-led by the LTA and the Energy Market Authority (EMA). The Phase 1 test bed, which started in 2011 and completed in 2013, concluded that EVs are technically feasible in Singapore but their near-term opportunity lies in fleet electrification. Built on the findings from Phase 1, Phase 2 test-bedding, which started in 2014 and co-led by the LTA and the Economic Development Board (EDB), focuses on fleet electrification. This paper details the various pilot projects under Phase 2 including the adoption of a national public charging standard to increase the inter-operability for EV proliferation. A comparison assessment between two prevailing charging standards, namely International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Type 1 and Type 2, incorporating supporting literature research, is given. Local implementation needs and technical considerations, which have led to the adoption of Type 2 AC and Combo 2 charging systems as the national standard for public charging infrastructure in Singapore, are analysed. The paper concludes with some prospects for EV proliferation in Singapore’s electromobility journey.