Singapore will launch an electric vehicle car sharing program in collaboration with Bolloré Group
EVs will be deployed in every single Housing & Development Board (HDB) town by 2020, to allow as many residents as possible to enjoy car-sharing facilities.
BlueSG a subsidiary of Bolloré Group, signed an agreement with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Economic Development Board (EDB) to operate BlueSG, a nation-wide car-sharing programme with a fleet of 1,000 EVs.
Bolloré Group is the world’s largest EV car-sharing operator, with operations in Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon in France, Indianapolis in the US and Turin in Italy. Bolloré Group was selected out of 13 participants in a Request for Information (RFI) exercise in December 2014, based on the quality of its proposal and its strong track record.
Under the agreement, BlueSG Pte Ltd will operate the programme for ten years and install an island-wide EV charging infrastructure of 2,000 charging points, of which up to 20 per cent will be available for public use. These charging points will form the foundation for Singapore’s future EV charging infrastructure to support the use of EVs in Singapore. The EV car-sharing programme will be rolled out progressively across Singapore, with the first batch of 125 Bluecars and 250 charging points to be introduced in HDB towns such as Ang Mo Kio, Jurong East and Punggol by mid-2017.
User-centric EV Car-sharing Model for a Car-lite Singapore
BlueSG will be the first large-scale, one-way EV Car-sharing Programme in Singapore. Unlike the more typical two-way model, users can enjoy the flexibility and convenience of picking up cars at the starting point of their journey and returning them at their destinations instead of the conventional model where the user has to return to the original location to return the car.
“The BlueSG programme will provide commuters with an additional form of point-to-point mobility, especially for trips where taking public transport or taxis may not be as convenient. It will play an important role in our efforts to create a car-lite society, as car-sharing enables more people to have occasional access to the use of a car, without having to own one. At the same time, it enables us to move towards a greener and more sustainable transport system, by laying the foundations of a nation-wide EV charging infrastructure to support wider adoption of EVs,” said LTA’s Chief Executive Mr Chew Men Leong.
“We are excited to be able to play an instrumental role in realising the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint as Singapore explores alternative means to complement its public transport ecosystem through high technology and environmentally sustainable solutions. We are eager to share and port over our success stories in Paris, Indianapolis and Turin to Singapore, where BlueSG will provide a compelling transport mode to users that is affordable, convenient and eco-friendly, without any air or noise pollution at the tailpipe,” said Mr Vincent Bolloré, Chairman of Bolloré Group.
Positioning Singapore as a Leader in E-Mobility
In partnership with EDB, BlueSG Pte Ltd will undertake new high-value economic activities and create about 250 jobs in Singapore in the first five years of the programme. In addition, BlueSG Pte Ltd will set up a Global Innovation Centre to undertake R&D work in the areas of mobility and energy management solutions, and establish its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore to oversee its e-mobility, energy management and system integration business for the region. BlueSG Pte Ltd will also position its EV fleet and charging infrastructure as the world’s first Open Innovation Platform that involves a large-scale vehicular fleet, and partner local and foreign companies and research organisations to develop, test and commercialise cutting-edge mobility and energy management solutions such as next-generation charging technologies, intelligent transport systems and self-driving vehicles.
“We are pleased that Bolloré Group, through BlueSG Pte Ltd, is leveraging Singapore as a key reference market in Asia to deploy its EV programme, and will thereafter serve Asia through its Asia Pacific HQ and Global Innovation Centre based here. To position Singapore as the regional leader in electric mobility and energy management technologies, the EV Car-sharing Programme will also serve as a living lab platform to attract new players to develop, test and commercialise innovative urban solutions here before scaling up for the region,” said Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director, EDB.
Laying the Foundation for Wider Use of EVs in Singapore
BlueSG is part of Singapore’s EV Phase 2 Test-bed co-led by LTA and EDB. Compared to privately-owned EVs, EV shared-car fleets have the potential of reaping economies of scale with higher daily mileage and potentially lower running costs. Fleet-based trials involving e-taxis and e-buses will also be conducted. More details on these will be shared in due course.
Singapore will adopt the Type 2 AC and Combo 2 charging systems according to the IEC 61851 series and 62196 series, for new charging stations installed in publicly-accessible premises starting from 1 August 2016. All 2,000 charging points will comply with this standard.
The Type 2 charging standard, which is a European charging interface, is compatible with both single-phase and three-phase power supplies, which allows for normal and semi-fast charging of EVs. For example, when connected to a charging station with three-phase power supply, an EV can be charged in as fast as one to two hours. This standard will therefore strengthen the charging eco-system for EVs. Please refer to the Annex for more information.
About the Land Transport Authority (LTA)
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport. LTA plans the long-term transport needs of and spearheads land transport developments in Singapore. While serving commuters by providing an integrated and user-friendly transport system, LTA addresses wider issues such as sustainable development, economic growth, and community life. LTA looks forward to working with leading companies to develop innovative transport solutions, and making Singapore’s transport system greener, cleaner, and more people-centred.
About the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre. EDB dreams, designs and delivers solutions that create value for investors and companies in Singapore. Our mission is to create for Singapore, sustainable economic growth with vibrant business and good job opportunities.
EDB’s ‘Home’ strategy articulates how we are positioning Singapore for the future. It is about extending Singapore’s value proposition to businesses not just to help them improve their bottom line, but also to help them grow their top line through establishing and deepening strategic activities in Singapore to drive their business, innovation and talent objectives in Asia and globally.
Source: https://www.lta.gov.sg/