A grant to co-fund the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at private homes such as condominiums has been extended by another year, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor announced on Wednesday (Mar 5). 

The EV common charger grant will also be expanded to co-fund 3,500 chargers, up from the previous limit of 2,000, said Dr Khor as she laid out the Transport Ministry's spending plans for the year in parliament. 

The grant, which was introduced in 2021 to encourage the installation of chargers at condominiums, has co-funded the installation of about 1,700 chargers in more than 500 residential developments to date, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a statement. 

With the extension, the grant will continue to cover 50 per cent of the cost components of smart chargers, though at a reduced cap of S$3,000 (US$2,230) per charger for the additional 1,500 chargers, down from S$4,000. Condos can apply for funding for up to 1 per cent of their total car park lots.

The grant, which was supposed to end on Dec 31 this year, will now be available until the end of 2026, or until 3,500 chargers have been approved for co-funding, whichever comes first. 

The extension comes amid a significant rise in EV adoption. In 2024, EVs accounted for about one-third of all new cars registered, up from 18 per cent in 2023. About half of new light goods vehicle registrations were also EVs.

As of end-2024, electric cars and light goods vehicles made up 4 per cent and 4.7 per cent of their respective total vehicle populations. 

The EV charging network has also continued to expand, said Dr Khor, with more than 19,000 charging points islandwide, close to half of which are publicly accessible.

More than 60 per cent of HDB car parks are equipped with EV chargers, she added. 

"We have made good progress, and will ensure all HDB residents who own or wish to own an EV have convenient access to a charger near their homes," she said. 

As part of Singapore's long-term green transport goals, all new car registrations must be for cleaner-energy models from 2030.

NEW SCHEMES TO SUPPORT DECARBONISATION OF HEAVY VEHICLES

Dr Khor noted that there are commercially-ready electric models for some lorries and buses. 

"This is an area where we can do more to catalyse adoption in the next bound of land transport decarbonisation," she said. 

To accelerate the transition to EVs, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will roll out two new schemes to narrow the gap in ownership cost between electric and internal combustion engine heavy vehicles. 

Under the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emission Scheme, owners who register a zero-tailpipe emission heavy vehicle or bus – which includes goods or passenger vehicles with a maximum laden weight above 3,500kg – will receive a S$40,000 incentive. 

A vehicle’s maximum laden weight refers to the total weight of a vehicle and its load when it is ready to move. 

The incentive will be automatically disbursed over three years – S$13,000 upon vehicle registration, S$13,000 on the first anniversary and S$14,000 on the second anniversary. 

The second scheme, the Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant, seeks to improve the electric heavy vehicle charging network. 

The grant will co-fund up to 50 per cent of installation costs, capped at S$30,000 per charger. It applies to the first 500 chargers, with a limit of up to three chargers per site. 

Companies must purchase at least one electric heavy vehicle per charger, and the charger must have a minimum power rating of 50kW and be installed at the owner’s place of business in designated lorry or coach lots.

The two schemes will start on Jan 1, 2026, and be available for three years until Dec 31, 2028. 

"These measures will narrow the lifecycle cost gap between an electric and internal combustion engine heavy vehicle and spur adoption of electric heavy vehicles," said Dr Khor.