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Ascendas-Singbridge partners SP Group to launch high-speed charging points for electric vehicles

SINGAPORE — Ascendas-Singbridge (ASB) group, an urban and business space solutions provider, is partnering utility provider SP Group (SP) to officially launch several high-speed charging stations for electric vehicles at six of its properties on Monday (Jan 21).

Mr Wong Kim Yin, Group chief executive officer of SP Group (left), and Mr Manohar Khiatani, Deputy Group CEO of Ascendas-Singbridge Group (right), at the demonstration of the high-speed electric vehicle charging points at the Hyflux Innovation Centre on Jan 21.

Mr Wong Kim Yin, Group chief executive officer of SP Group (left), and Mr Manohar Khiatani, Deputy Group CEO of Ascendas-Singbridge Group (right), at the demonstration of the high-speed electric vehicle charging points at the Hyflux Innovation Centre on Jan 21.

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SINGAPORE — Ascendas-Singbridge (ASB) group, an urban and business space solutions provider, is partnering utility provider SP Group (SP) to officially launch several high-speed charging stations for electric vehicles at six of its properties on Monday (Jan 21).

The 24 charging points, located in industrial and commercial areas, are at the Hyflux Innovation Center in Bendemeer, Corporation Place in Jurong West, Techlink in Kaki Bukit, Techplace I in Ang Mo Kio, as well as The Capricorn and The Kendall, both on Science Park Road.

This is part of the first wave of the roll-out of 38 charging stations by SP across Singapore, following the announcement in October last year that it plans to have 1,000 charging points island-wide by 2020.

ASB, a subsidiary of state investor Temasek Holdings, said that with charging points available in its buildings through this partnership, these could cater to the mobility needs of its tech-focused and business tenants.

Half of the 24 chargers at ASB properties run with direct current (DC), able to fully charge a car in just 30 minutes. The other 12 run with alternating current (AC), taking about two to three hours to charge a vehicle depending on the in-car unit’s capabilities. These chargers are significantly faster than older charging points, which take eight to 10 hours to charge a car.

Apart from these 24 charging stations, SP Group has recently put out 14 others in non-ASB properties such as Singapore Polytechnic and Alexandra Technopark.

SP’s network is by far the largest public charging network for electric vehicles in Singapore.

Mr Wong Kim Yin, SP Group’s chief executive officer, said at the launch event: “We are confident that we will be the most pervasive and largest network. Electric-vehicle charging infrastructure shall not be the constraint for the electric-vehicle market in Singapore, and we are making sure of that.”

SP’s head of strategic development Goh Chee Kiong told TODAY that it is targeting to set up about 100 points in each quarter of the year.

Of the 1,000 in its target, at least 250 will be DC chargers. “(To have these many DC chargers) will be a game-changer,” Mr Goh said.

Figures from the Land Transport Authority show that there were 466 fully electric and 356 plug-in petrol-electric vehicles on the roads as of November last year.

The numbers are expected to rise in the future and SP aims to keep pace with the demand. Mr Goh said: “The 1,000 points by 2020 is sufficient for what we see in the near term. More critically, it is to catalyse electric-vehicle adoption.”

The main problem is that there are now not enough charging opportunities, he added. “We are hoping to plug that critical gap, and change the perception that there are insufficient charging points in Singapore.”

One driver who is glad that there are new charging points is Mr James Hiah, chief executive officer of a human resource management start-up.

The 40-year-old has been driving an electric vehicle for a year and he used to leave his car to charge overnight for eight to 10 hours at a station that is more than 2km away from his home. “I had to either go for a run or take a Grab there (to get the car),” he said.

Now, he uses the new charging points at Techplace I, where his office is located. “With the charging stations right at my doorstep, it’s so much easier,” he said.

SP Group estimates that it costs about S$30 to charge a Hyundai Kona electric car for 400km to 450km, while it costs about S$70 for the fuel equivalent.

Grab driver Paul Poh, 54, who started using Grab’s new electric rental cars two weeks ago, said: “With the new car, every day, I save about S$20 to S$25.”

Grab launched its new fleet of electric rental cars tapping SP’s network on Jan 10.

Mr Manohar Khiatani, ASB’s deputy group chief executive officer, said that the partnership with SP Group will not end here. “We will continue to see which other buildings in Singapore are suitable, and champion a green liveable environment here.”

Buildings will be assessed based on certain criteria, he said, such as the location’s convenience and proximity to amenities. Charging stations are located in the buildings’ car parks, so the car parks must be accessible to the public as well.

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