With more than 15,300 EV charging points around Singapore, you don’t have to worry.

Thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle?

If one of your concerns is how practical it is to own an EV in Singapore and the ease of finding available charging points, hear from seasoned EV car owner Brandon McHenry, a 44-year-old IT engineer on his experience.

1. Tell us the details! What car are you currently driving and how long have you had it? What was your previous car and why did you switch to an EV?
   
   I drive a BYD E6, which I’ve had for almost four years now. For a long time I’ve been fascinated by EVs and when I noticed a BYD car on the road back in 2020, I got curious and booked a test drive at the showroom.
   
   At that time, the BYD E6 was the only EV car model that I could buy as a non-business owner, to the best of my knowledge. Before this I owned a Toyota Prius hybrid, which around 10 years ago was the closest I could get to owning an electric car.
   
   
2. What did you want to research on before making the EV purchase?
   
   One key factor was the availability of charging points. I think that's everybody's biggest concern. How easy is it to find charging points? Even though there were no charging points in my carpark, there are several others near my house that I didn’t mind driving to.
   
   Another concern I had was about engine idling and whether the battery would plummet very fast if I’m stuck in traffic for hours. Thankfully that’s not the case because EVs don’t drain much power whilst idling.
   
   
3. In one week, how often do you charge your car?
   
   About once a week. Generally, I take opportunities wherever I go. If you want to adopt an EV, you must learn not to treat it like a petrol car. Don’t keep running it down to zero then charging it all at once to full. What’s more practical is to plug in when you find the opportunity. For example, if you’re lunching at a mall, plug it in. If you’re at a hawker centre and the nearby carpark has a charger, use it. Don’t wait until your battery is low.
   
   That’s why in one week I’ll only have one planned charge where I intentionally drive to an EV charger. The other two to four times is me charging in small bits when I can. I like to start my week with at least 80% charge on Monday morning.
   
   
4. Is it possible to plan your charging around your lifestyle instead of the other way around?
   
   Yes, this is also called “destination charging”. It’s a common practice by EV owners because it makes the most sense. Repeatedly going somewhere and sitting there just to charge your car after driving your battery down to say, 20%, is a painful practice to keep up.
   
   
5. Did you have to make any significant lifestyle changes after getting an EV?
   
   Other than changing the way I approached “refuelling” my car, no. Even servicing the car is about the same as an ICE car – I can still send my car to my dealer for routine servicing and maintenance checks.  In fact, EVs require less frequent maintenance since there’s fewer moving parts such as engines, transmissions, fuel and exhaust systems. There’s also less fluids to replace and less components that wear out and need replacement.
   
   
6. Do you have to charge your car overnight?
   
   You can for slow charging. My carpark doesn’t have any chargers, so I usually use chargers that are 5-10 minutes away from home. One of them is near a café where I can enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting, so that’s a plus.
   
   
7. How do you search for charging points and how do you decide which one to use?
   
   When choosing a charger, I generally look at the service provider. For convenience, I go with the ones whose apps I already have downloaded on my phone. Their apps will tell me where to find their nearest chargers. There are also online maps which consolidate charger locations across all providers, such as MyTransport.SG and PlugShare.
   
   
8. What’s next for you in your EV journey?
   
   Now that there are more EV car models on the market, I’d love to try different ones instead of petrol cars. I’m happy with the EV lifestyle.

Inspired and ready to switch to an EV?

Check out this below infographic or download this Benefits of EVs and Charging Tips poster (JPEG, 3.3MB) for more helpful tips!

Just as you would look up petrol stations near your destinations, looking for nearby EV chargers is as easy as ABC! With just a little planning around your journeys and where you can charge your EV as you go about your day, owning an EV in Singapore is practical, sustainable, and easy to adapt to.

Visit Power Every Move to learn more about switching to an EV.