SP Group, ASB link up on electric vehicle charging network

Mr Wong Kim Yin, SP Group chief executive officer, and Mr Manohar Khiatani, deputy group CEO of Ascendas-Singbridge Group, launching a high-speed electric vehicle charging station yesterday that will enable users to charge their electric vehicles at
Mr Wong Kim Yin, SP Group chief executive officer, and Mr Manohar Khiatani, deputy group CEO of Ascendas-Singbridge Group, launching a high-speed electric vehicle charging station yesterday that will enable users to charge their electric vehicles at the Hyflux Innovation Centre in Bendemeer Road. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

Energy provider SP Group has partnered with Ascendas-Singbridge Group (ASB) to install electric vehicle charging points in the latter's buildings, the two companies announced yesterday.

As part of the partnership, 24 high-speed chargers have been installed in six of ASB's buildings - Hyflux Innovation Centre, Corporation Place, Techlink, Techplace I, The Capricorn and The Kendall.

Half of the charging points are 43kW alternate current (AC) chargers and the other half comprises 50kW direct current (DC) chargers.

These can power up a mid-sized electric car within an hour, compared with six to eight hours via household chargers.

At an event announcing the partnership at Hyflux Innovation Centre, SP Group chief executive Wong Kim Yin said: "(The partnership) provides more convenient locations for our charging services, and will accelerate the adoption of green mobility in Singapore.

"We look forward to working with ASB to roll out more high-speed charging points in their properties in the months ahead."

ASB said it has plans to install electric vehicle charging points in more of its buildings, such as at Infinite Studios in Mediapolis and 5 Science Park Drive, by the end of the year.

The chargers on ASB's properties are part of the SP's first batch of 38 charging points, which was announced earlier in January.

The other 14 charging points are located at Singapore Polytechnic and Alexandra Technopark.

They are the first of 1,000 charging points SP aims to launch by 2020.

Users can locate and access available charging points via the SP app, which can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

Currently, rates are 41.4 cents and 47.3 cents per kWh for its AC and DC chargers, respectively.

At these rates, SP has said electric car drivers will see "at least 50 per cent cost savings" compared to those who drive comparable petrol-powered models.

More partnerships are likely to be in the works.

SP Group head of strategic development Goh Chee Kiong said: "We are talking to a big number of premise owners. We are hopeful that more will be signing up soon."

SP's Mr Wong said the partnership could be a step forward in Singapore becoming the first city in the world with predominantly electr ic vehicles.

He said: "We can be very quick in deploying infrastructure that will serve everybody, compared to any other country or city."

He also told The Straits Times: "If there are opportunities to do the same (implement electric vehicle charging solutions) overseas, we would of course take the opportunity."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 22, 2019, with the headline SP Group, ASB link up on electric vehicle charging network. Subscribe