Singapore vehicle emission test lab revs up

South-east Asia's first such lab, in Bukit Batok, set to test first vehicle on Oct 23
Christopher Tan, Straits Times 6 Oct 09;

JUST eight months after the word go, South-east Asia's first and only vehicle emission testing laboratory is up and almost ready for business.

The $5.8 million centre, built by vehicle inspection company Vicom and half-financed by the Government, is slated to test its first vehicle on Oct 23.

Vicom chief executive Heng Chye Kiou told The Straits Times the 6,000 sq ft facility at Vicom Bukit Batok is now undergoing final tests before accreditation by German standards body TUV.

The centre will be a boon especially to parallel importers, many of which have had difficulty meeting a new fuel-efficiency labelling scheme that became mandatory in April.

Parallel importers do not have access to certification from vehicle manufacturers. Testing must be done at independent labs in Japan or Hong Kong, the nearest places with such testing facilities.

Vicom's state-of-the-art facility will be able to measure the emission level as well as the energy efficiency of cars, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles - regardless of engine type.

Mr Heng said besides petrol and diesel cars, the lab can test vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and even electricity. 'For electric cars, we can measure the amount of power they consume per km,' he noted.

He added that the centre, which can test four to six cars a day, will cater to a wide clientele. Besides parallel importers, they include motor traders wanting to verify a competitor's claims, oil companies studying fuel qualities, car accessory suppliers and car re-exporters.

'For instance, cars going to New Zealand need to meet Euro III emission standards, and cars going to Thailand have to meet Euro IV,' Mr Heng said.

In Singapore, petrol cars have to meet Euro II standards, while diesel vehicles have to be Euro IV. The higher the number, the cleaner the engine.

Vicom, a subsidiary of transport giant ComfortDelGro, has not yet confirmed testing fees, but Mr Heng said they will have to be competitive.

'A parallel importer spends around $4,000 to send a car to Hong Kong for certification,' he said.

Fees for diesel models are likely to be higher than those for petrol ones due to the extra steps required, such as testing the amount of soot emitted. Vicom's centre is among the few worldwide equipped to measure PM2.5, a health hazard.

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter of no more than 2.5 microns each. The air in Singapore has more PM2.5 than recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Government says diesel vehicles are the single biggest culprit.

Mr Heng expects the centre to contribute to Vicom's revenue, but is not able to say by how much: 'We are targeting the international market. We cannot survive by just serving local clients.'

New cars imported into Singapore have had to display a fuel economy label since April. Parallel imports were given up to Oct 1 to meet the ruling.

But the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association, which represents used car dealers and parallel importers, has appealed for the reprieve to be extended by two more months.

Test your car at a state-of-the-art lab
Esther Ng, Today Online 9 Oct 09;

Singapore's first state-of-the-art vehicle emission and fuel efficiency test laboratory opened yesterday in Bukit Batok.

The $5.8-million Vicom Emission Test Laboratory is equipped to test vehicles according to stringent Euro V exhaust emission standards or better. Car owners and traders can now have their vehicles tested at the 6,000-sq-ft facility instead of having to send them to test centres overseas. These include passenger cars, light goods vehicles as well as motorcycles running on diesel, petrol and compressed natural gas. The centre is also able to test hybrid and electric vehicles. "We believe that in the not-so-distant future, car owners and dealers will submit their cars for the tests not just because they have to, but because they want to," said Vicom's chief, Mr Heng Chye Kiou. ESTHER NG