- Kyle Chua
There May Not Be Enough EV Charging Stations for People Staying in Yishun, Woodlands
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption has been steadily on the rise in Singapore, with the segment taking up around 8.1% of new car registrations in the country for the first quarter of 2022.
Now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased up and people are more free to travel, EV owners will likely take their new purchases for a spin. The concern however is: Are there enough charging stations across the island nation to make EV travel as smooth as possible?
Singapore has over 2,500 EV charging stations as of March this year, but the distribution of these stations between the different parts of the country seem unbalanced. According to maps provided by Here Technologies, a location data platform, the northern part of the country has the lowest number of stations at 14. This means there may not be enough stations for EV owners living in Yishun or Woodlands, for example, to juice up their cars. The number in the west, the east and the north-east aren't far apart from each other at 28, 29 and 30 EV stations respectively. Central, meanwhile, has the highest number with a whopping 89 EV stations.
With a total population of 820,814, as recorded in 2021, the availability of EV stations for people in the north can also pose a problem. The data says there are only 1.7 EV stations per 100,000 people in this divide of Singapore. This is pretty low compared to other parts of the country, which have at least two EV stations per 100,000 people.
While EV adoption has recently been high, this data seemingly reinforces existing range-related concerns when it comes to the practicality and use of these cars. Then again, having this data can also be helpful in pinpointing locations where more EV stations need to be built. This can, of course, help alleviate range concerns, make charging more convenient and improve mobility of EVs.
“Electric vehicles are on the rise in Singapore and location intelligence is key in encouraging further EV adoption," said Abhijit Sengupta, Senior Director and Head of Business at HERE Technologies. "Through visualisation tools created using location data, we can assist urban planners with maps as to where they ought to build EV charging stations."
"At the same time, location data can also transform EV range anxiety to delight by helping drivers better plan their journeys and road trips," he added.
Here Technologies also came out with an interactive map that users can use to see how far they could go with their EVs on a single charge. Users will simply have to choose their EV type and choose a starting point between Singapore and Malaysia. The map will then create a range of how far their chosen vehicle can travel before needing to recharge.
"This map uses the isoline capability of the Here mapping API, which takes into account actual distance travelled on known roads, rather than a simple radius," wrote Here Technologies. "The data is compiled from actual EPA range data for 241 car models."
The three vehicle types are: Compact, Mid Size and Pick Up and SUV. Compact vehicles have a median range of 301km, the lowest among the three. Mid size vehicles have a median range of 448km, while pick ups and SUVs have a range of 426km.
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption has been steadily on the rise in Singapore, but the concern remains: Are there enough charging stations across the island nation to make EV travel as smooth as possible?
The country has over 2,500 EV charging stations as of March this year, but the distribution of these stations between the different parts of the country seem unbalanced.
According to maps provided by Here Technologies, a location data platform, the northern part of the country has the lowest number of stations at 14.
Central, meanwhile, has the highest number with a whopping 89 EV stations.