Bill passed to mandate electric vehicle chargers at new buildings; MPs raise concerns about hogging of charging lots

SINGAPORE — Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 30) passed a Bill mandating a minimum number of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at new buildings but not before various concerns were raised in the House over the usage, availability and prices of shared EV charging points.

Questions raised by 12 Members of Parliament (MPs) included: Will the Government waive parking fees for EV owners who travel to an adjacent precinct to use the public charger in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) car park?

Another question posed was: Given that some chargers will be misused by hoggers, will the number of new chargers planned be enough?

The questions were raised during a debate lasting about two hours on the EV Charging Bill before it was passed with a majority vote.

The new law regulates the safe charging of EVs, ensures reliable charging services are available and expands the network of accessible charging infrastructure in Singapore.

Under the Bill, all developments that involve building and electrical works beyond a prescribed criteria must install a minimum number of charging points equivalent to around one for every 25 parking lots.

ACCESS TO CHARGERS

Although the requirement for a minimum number of chargers will not apply to HDB blocks, several questions were raised over the accessibility of charging points at HDB car parks, which the Government has said it will build 12,000 of by end-2025.

Many MPs flagged that they had received complaints of car owners — including owners of non-electric vehicles — who hog parking lots with charging points. 

Addressing their concerns in his closing speech, Transport Minister S Iswaran said that the Government has formed a committee comprising the Land Transport Authority, HDB and other agencies to look into “teething issues” in the rolling out of chargers in HDB car parks.

“We do not want these kinds of regulatory hurdles to get in the way of quick deployment of the chargers that we wish to achieve,” he said.

Mr Iswaran added that it is already an offence for a non-electric vehicle to park in an EV charging lot. 

As for lot hoggers, he said that charging operators will be commercially driven to tackle this issue because if a car is occupying a lot but not charging, that would lead to a loss in revenue, he said. 

ADOPTION OF CHARGERS, EVS

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency (GRC)) asked why the Government developments are exempt from having to install a minimum number of chargers under the Bill. 

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang Single Member Constitutency (SMC)) asked whether the mandated number of chargers was too conservative, given that Singapore plans to phase out petrol vehicles from 2030.

A suggestion to give EV buyers a 10 per cent discount on the cost of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) was raised by Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast GRC) and the Workers’ Party’s (WP) Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC).

Mr Dennis Tan (Hougang SMC) from the WP added that by his calculations, the 12,000 by end-2025 target may not be enough.

In reply, Mr Iswaran said that the COE system was designed solely to limit the vehicle population in Singapore. To add other objectives to that would not be good policy.

As for the target number of chargers to be installed in HDB car parks, he said that the Government will collect data as it rolls the chargers out and adjust its plans where necessary.

The Government will also consider whether the mandate for a minimum number of chargers to be installed should be extended to all developments in future, he added.

But the Government is exempt from the requirements in the Bill because “government-owned developments will take reference from our general policy and abide by relevant internal circulars”, Mr Iswaran said.

To encourage adoption at condominiums, the Government also has an EV Common Charger Grant that has co-funded the installation of more than 200 chargers at more than 80 developments, with 30 applications pending review, Mr Iswaran said.

REGULATING THE MARKET

Several MPs, including Mr Ang, Mr Saktiandi and Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), also asked how the Government will ensure that charging services are priced fairly.

Mr Yip drew comparisons with the electricity market here, where at least five electricity retailers exited the market in the space of three weeks in November last year, and asked how the Government can prevent a similar situation in the EV charging market.

Mr Iswaran said that leaving operators to compete on prices is the most effective means to keep prices fair, but added that the Government will monitor the price differences among firms.

TRAINING AND MANPOWER

Mr Ang, Mr Saktiandi and Mr Edward Chia (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) asked about the manpower needed to support the adoption of EVs and the new regulations surrounding their charging.

In particular, Mr Chia asked how the Government will ensure that vehicle technicians and mechanics do not lose their jobs as the country shifts to EVs.

Mr Iswaran said that a study by government agencies last year found that the number of licensed electrical workers is expected to be sufficient to meet the increased demand over the next 15 years. 

Courses and certification programmes have also been launched to equip vehicle maintenance workers with the skills required to work on EVs, he added.

Nevertheless, Mr Iswaran said that the Government is working closely with the industry and institutes of higher learning to grow the talent pool.