Photo credit: Blue Solutions, Bolloré Group
Singapore is preparing for its first large-scale electric vehicle (EV) car-sharing programme, in preparation for which BlueSG Pte. Ltd. (a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group) announced the locations of its first 30 charging stations, which will offer a total of 120 charging points. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been working closely with to identify and secure suitable parking lots across Singapore for the vehicle charging stations.
Of these first 30 stations, 18 stations will be located across public housing estates, 10 stations within the city centre and its fringes and two locations within industrial and commercial estates, in one-north and Science Park.
The programme is scheduled to roll out progressively from December 2017. It will provide users with the convenience and flexibility of returning the EV at locations different from their point of pick-up.
An agreement was signed in June 2016 between BlueSG, LTA and the Economic Development Board (EDB), under which BlueSG will roll out a total of 500 charging stations equipped with 2,000 charging points nation-wide. Of these, 400 charging points will be opened for public use. In addition, the first batch of Bluecars is being commissioned in Singapore and will form part of a 1,000-strong EV fleet in the future.
Apart from BlueSG, the Bolloré Group runs the world’s largest EV car-sharing programme in several major cities around the world, including Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon in France, Indianapolis and Los Angeles in the US, Torino in Italy and London.
According to the press release from LTA the Bluecar features the unique LMP® (Lithium Metal Polymer) battery developed by Blue Solutions (a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group), which gives them a very high level of range and safety.
LTA’s Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Lam Wee Shann said, “The opening of BlueSG’s regional headquarters in Singapore marks an important milestone, bringing us one step closer to a more sustainable and efficient transport system. When launched in December, BlueSG’s one-way car-sharing service will play an integral part in achieving our car-lite vision, providing the public with another convenient option for point-to-point transport, and reducing reliance on private vehicles. The network of 2,000 charging points that BlueSG will install island-wide will lay the foundation for a national EV charging network to support EV proliferation moving forward.”
BlueSG Pte Ltd today also officially unveiled their Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, which will oversee its e-mobility, energy management and system integration business for the region. The hub will house over 30 employees by the end of the year, including a local customer resource centre, and teams comprising technical staff, on-field technicians, EV workshop and IT support specialists.
“Blue Solutions’ establishment in Singapore is testament to Singapore’s attractiveness as a regional hub for companies to capture business opportunities in Asia. We welcome BlueSG to tap on our vibrant ecosystem to co-create and export innovative urban mobility solutions for the world,” said Mr Kelvin Wong, Assistant Managing Director, Cluster Group Enterprise, Economic Development Board.