We thank Mr Syed Fauzi Syed Mohthar for sharing his interest and concerns on the availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging points in Housing Board (HDB) carparks (Charging electric car can be frustrating experience, April 4).

To ensure that charging points are widely available ahead of demand, every HDB town will be EV-Ready by 2025. Close to 2,000 HDB carparks will be equipped with an additional 12,000 charging points.

These will contribute to the 60,000 charging points we aim to deploy islandwide by 2030, based on the projected EV population, including at private condominiums, retails malls and office buildings besides the HDB estates. These would comprise both slow and fast chargers. If the demand turns out to be higher, we can increase the number of charging points per HDB carpark. This is to strike a balance between the needs of EV drivers and those who are still using their internal combustion engine vehicles, since the same carpark is shared by both groups.

Most drivers would require a full charge only once every five to seven days. Even so, there may be instances when a driver cannot find an available charging point in his usual carpark, as Mr Syed shared. In such a situation, the driver can use the new “EV Charging” module under the Land Transport Authority’s MyTransport.sg app to locate a charger at or near his workplace for daytime charging, or a fast charger near his residence. He could also go to a nearby HDB carpark and do a short charge, sufficient for him to drive out the next day. Hence, there would not be a need to seek out a charging point in the middle of the night.

More broadly, the transition to EVs will involve adjustments to parking and charging behaviour and etiquette in the coming years. LTA is working with charging operators on solutions to encourage the efficient and considerate use of EV charging lots, including disincentives for users who hog charging points.

LTA will also work with operators to include more features in the MyTransport.sg app, such as real-time charger availability, to complement information already available today, such as location, pricing, power rating and plug type.

Mark Tan
Head, National Electric Vehicle Centre
Land Transport Authority