Electric vehicles yet to win hearts in Singapore

Straits Times 22 Apr 09;

SALES of the first commercially available electric vehicle here have not been exactly electrifying.

The E-Max scooter was approved by the Land Transport Authority last month. But so far, only one has been registered although distributor Zeco says it has received 10 orders.

Sources blame its low speed - it struggles to hit 50kmh - and its exclusion from the expressways.

The Straits Times understands the Government is not convinced that such vehicles are feasible yet.

A key reason is range anxiety - worry over running out of power.

An electric car being developed by Nissan Motor, for instance, can do 150km between charges. But in a jam on a hot day, with the aircon blasting, the range may plunge.

Electric cars take several hours to recharge from a home power socket. Quick charges require heavy-duty infrastructure, which is not readily available.

Battery lifespan and safety are also concerns. Finally, the carbon footprint of electric cars may be substantial if they are recharged by coal-fired power stations.

But proponents say they are ideal for a small city state like Singapore, where drivers clock an average of only 50km a day.

CHRISTOPHER TAN

Electric cars to cruise on Singapore roads
Govt to test the green vehicles which are set to arrive by early next year
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 22 Apr 09;

MOTORISTS could start breaking free of the tyranny of the pump as soon as early next year, when the first all-electric cars are set to arrive.

The Straits Times understands the Government will launch a new initiative soon to test these high-tech, environmentally-sound vehicles to see how they perform under local conditions.

The first all-electric cars are expected to be brought in by Acceleron EDS, a Sydney-based manufacturer of electric vehicles that is majority owned by Singapore brothers Irving and Ivan Yuen.

It will be followed by major manufacturers, starting with Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen.

Owners of all-electric cars will not need to visit petrol stations - the cars are fully battery-powered and are recharged via a normal household electric socket.

The cars will produce no tailpipe emissions, offer near silent operation and will be far cheaper to maintain than conventional cars: Power is cheaper than petrol, and there is no need to replace engine oil, spark plugs or filters, for instance.

A Toyota Corolla-sized electric car will cost around five cents per km to run based on today's electricity tariff - one-third that of an equivalent petrol car.

The downside is electric cars will cost more upfront: Acceleron expects its cars to retail at $20,000 to $25,000 more than a petrol model of the same size.

This is after the current green vehicle rebate, which grants a 40 per cent reduction on the additional registration fee, the main car tax.

Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen do not have price details.

But the Japanese company indicated that its electric car would cost 'at least 1.5 times' as much as a conventional model. As a result, the company is hoping to get a leg-up via bigger tax breaks. It has been in talks with various government agencies on this, sources said.

Renault and Nissan, for example, have already secured governmental support in various countries, including Ireland, Monaco and China.

Singapore's Economic Development Board, which has been trying to encourage the use of electric vehicles here because they could form the basis of a new high-tech industry, is expected to help defray the cost of the initial batch of 'test-bed' cars.

The EDB may place these cars under its Transport Technology Innovation and Development Scheme, which would exempt them from car taxes. It is unclear whether more grants would be given to cars that arrive at showrooms.

The board would only say it 'has been working with partner agencies to develop Singapore as a 'living laboratory' to develop, test, and implement innnovative solutions here for global markets'.

Acceleron's Mr Irving Yuen is all ears. The brothers, he said, chose to set up operations in Australia because 'it has a 20-year history in electric vehicles and it has automotive engineers with extensive knowledge on electric vehicles'.

But if given a boost by the Government, it is willing to set up operations in Singapore and use it as a springboard to enter other markets in the region.

Acceleron does not make its cars from scratch. Rather, it takes a conventional car and replaces its internal combustion system with an electric drive one.

This, explained Mr Yuen, is faster and cheaper than designing and making a car from scratch. It also allows customers a wide choice of models.

The race to get alternative fuel vehicles on roads throughout the world is heating up. Among the early leaders are small companies like Tesla, whose all-electric Roadster is already on American roads. Chevrolet's Volt will hit US showrooms next year.

The latest incarnation of Toyota's hybrid Prius is also due out in Singapore later this year.