First charging stations for electric vehicles in Singapore by November

Ronnie Lim, Business Times 27 Apr 10;

THE first charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) will sprout up at users' premises, and also shopping malls and public carparks here by end-November. This will support the first batch of test EVs which are expected to run on Singapore roads by the fourth quarter under a test programme, though no specific numbers were given at this point.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA), which is prepared to fund fully the upfront capital costs for the EV charging infrastructure, has started its search for an experienced charging service provider (CSP) for this.

In a RFP or request for proposals which it has just called, EMA wants a CSP 'to roll out a network of EV charging stations in Singapore at designated locations, in tandem with the delivery of the EVs for the test bed'.

Interested local or overseas companies or consortiums will have to design, develop, deploy and operate the EV charging infrastructure, which should be adapted for Singapore's context, until end-2016. They should also meet the requirements of EV makers, 'including back-end settlement mechanisms for payments to SP Services or electricity suppliers'.

Another objective for the selected CSP will be to provide EV testbed users with a reliable and competitively-priced service for charging their EVs, as well as to obtain data on usage patterns of EV charging stations and other user feedback, 'so as to facilitate policy recommendations on the future deployment of EV charging infrastructure', EMA said.

The selected CSP will have to carry out the project in three phases, starting with design and development of the charging infrastructure, followed by deployment and then operation and maintenance.

It has to deploy up to 20 normal charging stations and one quick-charging station by end-October this year at locations recommended by EMA, followed by one month's testing and trouble-shooting. The EV charging infrastructure, including billing systems, should be operational by end-November to support the first batch of EVs expected to run on Singapore roads in Q4, EMA added.

'As demand for EVs grow, the CSP shall deploy charging stations in quantities and locations... up to a maximum of 60 normal charging stations and three quick-charging stations.'

EMA said that it is prepared to fund fully the upfront capital costs required for the system's successful development and deployment up to that stage, although it added that 'the CSP is encouraged to co-fund part of the capital costs'.

Most of the normal charging stations will be allocated to dedicated EV users on a 1:1 basis and 'the remainder shall be deployed at prominent locations frequented by Singapore residents, such as shopping malls or public carparks at central locations, not just for demonstration purposes but also to test out the necessity for public EV charging'.

EMA added that as the first batch of EVs would most likely be taken up by public and private organisations as company cars, this will generate a need for charging infrastructure to be sited in carparks near the office or home of the users.

Under phase 3, EMA said that the CSP will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the entire EV charging infrastructure - including any upgrading - until end-2016.

At that time, the ownership of all assets associated with the EV charging infrastructure will be transferred to EMA or parties appointed by EMA to divest the assets to.

The regulator, however, said that it has yet to make a firm policy decision on who will be responsible for the continued ownership, operation and maintenance beyond this test-bed period.