Last year, the Financial Times listed a local solar energy company Sunseap, Which is responsible for installing HDB rooftop solar panels, as one of The 50 fastest growing Asia Pacific companies.
As the largest renewable energy company here, Sunseap felt that green mobility is a natural extension of its offerings and later launched a green mobility business arm called The official +.
Although established in 2018, Charge + was in “research and development mode” until its official launch in September last year, said CEO Goh Chee Kiong.
At launch, Charge + announced that it plans to Set up 10,000 electric vehicle charging points Via Singapore by 2030 with the hope that it will be a “change factor” in stimulating the adoption of electric vehicles in Singapore.
The move is also in line with Singapore’s goal Phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles For 100 percent clean energy vehicles by 2040.
Previously, the government said it would significantly expand Singapore’s EV charging infrastructure from 1,600 charging points currently to 28,000 by 2030.
This makes Charge + ‘goal of charging 10,000 electric points more than a third of the government, which may make the company the largest provider of electric vehicle charging in Singapore.
Shipping in three different markets
Charge + currently focuses on three market segments: residential, commercial and industrial, in addition to fleets.
It aims to install charging points in public housing complexes and private developments, especially condominiums, so that residents can feel peace of mind when being able to charge their electric cars overnight.
In addition to residential spaces, Charge + is also looking to install charging points in commercial and industrial buildings to serve the workplace market.
By doing this, Charge + also indirectly draws more visitors to the building, which benefits tenants, as well as boosting the building’s environmental sustainability.
Finally, Charge + will also service companies that operate fleets of electric vehicles so they can lower total cost of ownership.
As the leading electric vehicle charging company in Singapore, Charge + aims to make a convenient, enjoyable and affordable charging experience for residents and businesses.
– Goh Che Kyung, CEO of Charge +
It is set to begin installing its charging points at First quarter of 2021 In commercial, industrial and residential buildings.
They have developed the world’s thinnest EV charger
One of the common challenges that electric vehicle charging providers in Singapore face is size.
Electric vehicle chargers are usually bulky, which means they won’t fit in Singapore’s cramped car parks.
This is why Charge + has designed and developed a proprietary ultra-thin charger. At around 150 mm – which is less than half the thickness of other chargers – it allows plug-and-play in many Singapore car parks.
This form factor, which makes it the thinnest charger in the world, allows Charge + to have maximum freedom in installing chargers in parking lots of many Asian cities of high density.
– Goh Che Kyung, CEO of Charge +
Since many Singapore car parks have a limited local power supply, Charge + will implement its smart charging solution to allow more chargers to be installed, thereby serving more drivers.
This solution forms part of the Charge + cloud-based management system to remotely control and monitor all EV chargers nationwide.
Its 7.4 kW chargers can charge two vehicles simultaneously, and they can also adjust the available power supply according to the number of vehicles being charged.
Additionally, electric vehicle drivers can use the Charge + mobile app to find available chargers, activate charging, and make payment.
Solve the “chicken and egg puzzle”
In line with its ambition for 10,000 EV charging points, Charge + recently announced that it is aiming to install 4,000 EV charging points across 1,200 units in Singapore.
According to Che Kyung, they received a “very positive response” from management and residents of many of the housing units.
Its first partnership is with Sky @ Eleven Condominium, with six charging points slated to be installed inside the terminal.
“This underlines the strong demand for electric vehicle purchase among residential residents who have so far been discouraged by the lack of charging infrastructure in apartment buildings,” said Chi Kyung.
He added that Charge + ‘core business model is “charging as a service”, as it will invest in, install, and operate EV charging points.
“This means no cost and no hassle for the owner partners we work with,” Chi Kyung said.
With this model, he has gained strong interest from many condominiums because initial capital expenditures, operating expenses and risks are borne by Charge +.
But why choose Charge + create EV charging points for free?
Traditionally, condominiums with residents interested in electric vehicles would consider investing in their charging station, but most condominiums have not yet succeeded in securing the support of the majority of their residents to make such huge investments.
– Goh Che Kyung, CEO of Charge +
Toll providers wishing to build stations in residential units must first obtain approval from the majority of residents.
This is a daunting task, given that many do not own electric cars and therefore do not want to pay maintenance fees or give up their parking spaces.
By providing these stations for free, they are essentially an attempt to get residents to support such investments.
Moreover, the developers also said that it is more efficient to build condominiums with EV parking lots rather than to place them at a later time.
Chi Kyung went on to talk about the “chicken-and-egg puzzle” among potential buyers of electric vehicles and infrastructure investments.
Once apartment residents see a charging station on their doorstep, they will be more inclined to consider purchasing EVs.
Until the investment occurs, the psychological barrier to electric vehicle adoption remains high.
– Goh Che Kyung, CEO of Charge +
In other words, drivers will be reluctant to adopt electric vehicles until they see charging infrastructure spread.
Therefore, Charge + aims to address this pain point, and “provide comfort and peace of mind for electric vehicle drivers” with its solutions.
Pay about half of what you would normally pay for gasoline
EV drivers who live in condominiums that choose to use the Charge + service will pay a fixed monthly fee on a subscription basis, the “first of its kind” to charge EVs in Singapore.
Under this subscription model, users will be given a certain power limit per month for a monthly fee – this is similar to a communications package that has a set number of mobile data capacity per month.
They will benefit from the cost savings from using this service because the monthly freight fee will be about half of what a driver who drives a conventional car spends on petrol on a monthly basis.
– Goh Che Kyung, CEO of Charge +
Based on average driving distance data from Singapore’s national statistics, Singaporean drivers spend nearly S $ 300 a month on petrol.
This could mean Charge + may charge users a flat fee of around SGD 150 per month.
Chee Kiong is still silent about the exact numbers, but he revealed that Charge + will be expiring and announcing the shipping fee soon.
When asked to comment on the current scene of electric vehicles in Singapore, Chi Kyung said that the number of electric vehicles “remains insignificant,” which means there is a massive upward trend for growth.
Just like cars that decisively replaced horses nearly 100 years ago, we believe the transmission of electric vehicles in Singapore is irreversible and will have a profound impact on our road transport landscape.
This transition will also generate synergies with neighboring aspects such as self-driving vehicles and car sharing.
– Goh Che Kyung, CEO of Charge +
The government already has it Singapore’s EV infrastructure reviewed (which lacks) And put forward several incentives to push for the adoption of electric vehicles.
Charge + wants to contribute to this ambition by building the comprehensive EV charging infrastructure in Singapore and reducing the EV to charging point ratio.
Chi Kyung noted that Singapore is already leading the way in Southeast Asia by becoming the first country in the region to announce a phase-out of conventional vehicles.
“With Singapore as our bridgehead, Charge + is now planning to enter the regional markets and become an Asian player in electric vehicle charging solutions.”
Featured Image Credit: Charge +
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