It's official. Only three electric cars were registered in Singapore as of last month, despite the extensive publicity for them.
Out of Singapore's total passenger car population of 618,000, the three electric cars were namely a retrofitted BMW, a Tesla Roadster Sport and an unusual Corbin Sparrow.
Electric vehicles (or EVs) arrived in Singapore two years ago, but high initial costs and the unavailability of charging infrastructure were cited as the main reasons for the near zero take up by consumers.
To date, four manufacturers have brought in several electric models for a test bedding exercise led by the Energy Market Authority (EMA). The exercise will log data such as daily mileage, destinations and charging patterns.
The EMA said the average daily distance clocked by the test fleet was 41km, which is 14km shorter than the average distance clocked by motorists in fuel-powered cars.
"There are no mechanical or electrical issues, but you must plan your trips," said trial participant Eu Pui San, who has clocked 19,000km on an Mitsubishi i-MiEV and found it dependable.
Like many others, Mr Eu said electric cars are still too expensive for most consumers. For instance, the Renault Fluence Z.E. costs almost $200,000 if registered as a normal car and only around $89,000 under the test-bed scheme. The estimated price includes COE and carbon rebates. The i-MiEV and Nissan Leaf are also expected to cost around $200,000 if registered outside the scheme.
Under the new Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme, electric cars qualify for the maximum $20,000 rebate due to their zero emissions. But Mr Eu, a Senior Vice President of Senoko Energy, said this is insufficient to make electric vehicles affordable for ordinary consumers. "Perhaps the batteries, which account for more than half the cost of an electric car, can be excluded in our tax computation," he said.
