DIGITALISATION
PUSHING PAST THE TIPPING POINT: HOW SINGAPORE IS LEADING THE CHARGE IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES by Kumail Rashid, EV Charging Solutions Lead, Asia Pacific, ABB The technologies deployed highlight the economic, social and environmental gains possible. Global take-up of electric vehicles (EVs) is on track to reach the tipping point of swift mass adoption, with BloombergNEF predicting that more than half of new cars sold in 2040 will be electric. The Asia Pacific Region, in particular, will be a fascinating landscape to watch, with the region expected to see the highest EV growth.
needed peace of mind, accelerating the adoption of personal and commercial EVs in Singapore.
Finding new synergies between EVs and autonomous technology
Mr Kumail Rashid
As the global race to electrify transport heats up, Singapore is charging ahead with its recent announcement of a SGD 30 million investment for EVrelated initiatives. Bolstered by supportive regulations and a bold vision for EVs, the city-state offers an ideal microcosm of the future of EVs and what the path towards mainstream adoption will look like.
Unlocking consumer demand with fast-charging networks Consumer concerns still remain one of the most critical barriers to EV adoption. According to a 2021 Deloitte study, range anxiety (the fear that one’s EV will not have enough charge to reach the destination) was one of the top concerns for consumers in most countries. Fast-charging stations, which make a quick recharge enroute possible and convenient, will therefore be key to addressing such worries. To this end, Singapore is scaling up the deployment of fast-charging stations island-wide, setting an ambitious goal of 60,000 EV charging points by 2030. Some recent initiatives include SP Group’s partnership with ABB to build a target of 1,000 DC fast-charging stations across Singapore, or the delivery of 50 kW Terra 54 DC fast-chargers at 10 Shell stations, which will allow consumers to charge their vehicle’s battery from zero to 80% in around 30 minutes. EV charging solutions have developed rapidly in the past few years, going beyond mere battery charging to offer a seamless and truly integrated transport solution. Technology has enabled EV chargers to connect to back offices, payment platforms and smart grid systems. To further minimise downtime, some EV chargers also include remote charger status monitoring, diagnostics, repair and over-the-air software updates. This fast scaling up of infrastructure and technological developments will be key in offering consumers a much
The EV revolution has been developing in tandem with another critical shift in the automotive and transport sector - autonomous vehicles. With self-driving cars and robotaxis still in the nascent stages, we have a huge opportunity to accelerate our transition to zero-emission electric transport by electrifying autonomous vehicles right from the start. Leading the way in electric autonomous vehicles, Singapore recently launched the world’s first, 12 m, fully electric autonomous bus - a collaboration by the Nanyang Technological University, the Land Transport Authority, and Volvo Buses. Using ABB’s HVC 300P fastcharging system, the 40-seater bus can be recharged quickly in 3 minutes to 6 minutes, at the end of the line, without impacting the normal operation of the route. With industrial emissions being one of the key polluters in Singapore and across the world, Singapore’s new automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are another exciting development. Electric AGVs, powered by ABB’s smartcharging ports, will be deployed at Singapore’s new Tuas port facility which is expected to be the largest in the world by 2040, with an annual capacity of 65 million containers. A stellar example of the merging of autonomous technology and electric vehicle technology, this is a great stride towards the industrial application of electric AVs.
The ABB DC fast charging stations can recharge EV batteries in about 30 minutes, while offering convenience to users with an experience akin to a fuel station. Over 100 EV charging points were deployed across Singapore in 2020, creating the largest DC charging network in the country. Image by ABB. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER June 2021
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