Question
Mr Yee Jenn Jong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) when will electric vehicles (EVs) be made available to the public under the Electric Vehicle Phase 2 car-sharing programme; (b) what is the rationale for Phase 2 to have a much longer duration of up to 10 years compared to Phase 1; (c) whether ownership of EVs, other than the car-sharing programme, will be encouraged under Phase 2; and (d) if so, whether the Ministry will work with the Ministry of Transport to look at varying the vehicle's Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and giving COE rebates to make the cost of EVs comparable to that of non-electric vehicles.
Oral answer by Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State for Trade and Industry:
LTA and EDB had issued a Request for Information (RFI) in December 2014 to invite proposals for the trial of an Electric Vehicle (EV) car-sharing programme in Singapore under Phase 2 of the EV test bed. The submission period has ended, and the proposals are currently being evaluated by LTA and EDB. The results of the RFI will be announced by the end of 2015.
EV Phase 2 will explore fleet-based, shared car operations with the potential to reap economies of scale through higher daily mileage and potentially lower running costs. Operators under Phase 2 will have to incur significant upfront cost of investments in EVs and a network of charging infrastructure. The 10-year period will allow adequate time for the companies to recover their investment.
Our broader transport goal is to encourage the use of public transport and reduce reliance on private vehicle ownership, whether they are EVs or not. Those who wish to purchase EVs can benefit from the recently enhanced Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS), under which low carbon emission vehicles stand to enjoy significant rebates of up to $30,000 off the Additional Registration Fee (ARF).