We thank Mr Ee Teck Siew (Use public funds to wean people off cars instead of promoting EVs, 5 Mar) and Mr Matthew Tay (Not a viable option for now given charging constraints, 5 Mar) for their feedback.

We have been investing heavily in public transport, which remains the most sustainable way to move. We will be spending some $60 billion to expand the MRT network to bring better connectivity to Singaporeans, and have been devoting $2 billion of public funds yearly to subsidise the operating costs of public bus and train services. 

At the same time, we are encouraging the transition to cleaner vehicles. Schemes like the Electric Vehicle (EV) Early Adoption Incentive are time-bound and seek to narrow the cost gap with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the early years before cost parity is reached. They are therefore not a subsidy, but to reduce the amount of taxes we collect from EVs, to be more on par with ICE vehicles.

We agree with Mr Tay that an extensive network of slow chargers near homes is crucial for EV adoption. Hence, we are progressively deploying chargers in HDB estates and targeting 60,000 charging points nationwide by 2030. Encouraging early EV adoption is key to spurring investment in the supporting infrastructure for EV charging, which will in turn facilitate the growth of the new EV ecosystem. The process will take time but the direction is clear.

Most charging points at public carparks will be low-powered chargers that support overnight charging. There is a role for fast chargers, which are available in many commercial developments today. We will facilitate their installation where suitable.

Lam Wee Shann
Chief Innovation & Transport Technology Officer
Land Transport Authority