Commencement Of The Regulations On Charging Electric Vehicles In Singapore

• Published date: 05 February 2024
• Subject Matter: Transport, Energy and Natural Resources, Energy Law, Rail, Road & Cycling, Renewables
• Law Firm: Dentons Rodyk & Davidson
• Author: Ms Marian Ho and Wei En Tan

I. Introduction

To meet its goals on the phasing out of internal combustion engine vehicles from its vehicle population by 2040 and building a low-carbon future, Singapore has rolled out several initiatives to accelerate the transition from traditional gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles (EVs). Such initiatives range from tax concessions to providing 60,000 charging infrastructure for EVs in Singapore. More recently, new EV fast chargers began public operation on 19 January 2024 at the Housing Development Hub in Toa Payoh and the Oasis Terraces integrated development in Punggol. The acceleration of the electrification of Singapore's vehicle population is evidenced by the near fivefold increase in electric car registrations in Singapore from 2021, with new electric car registrations reaching 18.2% of all new car registrations in 2023.

As part of Singapore's multi-pronged approach on the seamless transition towards the adoption of EVs and renewable energy in general, the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (EVCA) has commenced on 8 December 2023 to regulate devices intended for charging EVs, operators of charging stations and providers of charging services for EVs. This article aims to provide an overview on the licensing regime for EV charging operators (EVCOs) and certification requirements that EV chargers would have to meet under the EVCA.

II. Approval for supply of EV charger models

Under the EVCA, approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is required to supply EV chargers and only homologated models of EV charger can be supplied. An application for homologation of a model of EV charger must be made to the LTA, and the LTA may approve a model of EV charger if it is satisfied that the model of EV charger satisfies the safety and performance standards prescribed to be a homologated model. Further to the Electric Vehicles Charging (Electric Vehicle Chargers) Regulations 2023, the prescribed safety and performance standards for a model of EV charger to be a homologated model are those safety and performance standards set out in Technical Reference 25 (TR25).

An application made to the LTA for the homologation of an EV charger model should be accompanied by:

1. any test report issued by an accredited laboratory on any test carried out on an EV charger of that model, for the purpose of ascertaining whether that model of EV charger complies with TR25 and
2. any certificate of conformity issued by an accredited certification body on the compliance of...