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Title : Singapore Power undertakes study on electric cars

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Date : 01 March 2012 1748 hrs (SST)

URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1186314/1/.html

SINGAPORE: Singapore Power is undertaking a one- to two-year study on the impact of electric vehicles on the national grid. It is using three electric vans to simulate larger-scale adoption of eco-friendly transport. Based on the findings, authorities will take steps to ensure the power supply can cope with thousands of such vehicles charging simultaneously. How much power is needed to charge 25,000 electric cars? There are currently some 630,000 cars on Singapore's roads today. Wong Kim Yin, Group Chief Executive of Singapore Power, said: "If they are all charged at the same time, the amount of power required would be the same as that required to power the whole of Ang Mo Kio. And these vehicles could be charged from anywhere on the island other than its home base. "So as a result, the energy flows through the electricity grid will become more dynamic. Such dynamic flows of electricity could affect the operation of the grid, and if not managed properly, will impact reliability." With computer simulations, authorities are studying how vehicle-charging affects power supply and its reliability. Singapore Power will use five charging stations to test the impact of electric vehicles. They are sited in places like Jurong, Kallang and Telok Blangah. Hopefully, these vehicles will be as friendly to the national grid as they are to the wallet. Arnaud Mourgue, Area Operations Manager of renault, said: "To run an electric vehicle, costs four cents per kilometre to run. Petrol or diesel engine cost 20 cents per kilometre to run. On top of this, you've got a discount for servicing, which is 50 per cent compared to a petrol or diesel vehicle due to less fluid and less parts to change." It costs $6 dollars to charge an electric car, which can then run for 185 kilometres. Renault is selling electric vehicles in Singapore at between the S$120,000 to S$170,000 price range - with Green Vehicle Rebates. And besides these, there are more exotic options, including a half-a-million-dollar electric supercar. - CNA/cc/de

Copyright © 2012 MediaCorp Pte Ltd

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