Electric Vehicles | The Journey in Singapore
Singapore's Electric Vehicle Journey from 2009 and beyond
Reading time: 3 mins
The electric vehicle (EV) came into existence in the 19th century. Before that, there was no market for the EV because of its high cost and low speed. However, as the concern for environmental sustainability increased in the 21st century, the interest in electric vehicles increased too. As conventional gas-powered vehicles emit a lot of smoke and are incredibly harmful to the atmosphere, electric cars are cleaner for the environment and cause less pollution.
Now, EVs have become especially popular with city dwellers. This is because EVs are ideal for short distance driving due to battery charge time and its regenerative braking system that conserves energy in stop-and-go traffic within the city. Another reason the EV is popular amongst drivers today is that there is no need to change gears while on the road, making it easy to drive.
In view of this, Singapore has also adopted the EV policy in its bid to decrease air and sound pollution on the island. But do you know the journey it took to get here?
Source: Mothership
Singapore’s Electric Vehicle Journey Over the Past Decade:
The Road Ahead
According to statistics by the Land Transport Authority, electric cars more than doubled from 1,217 in 2020 to 2,942 last year. So, if you think you’ve seen more Teslas and other electric cars on the road, you’re right. However, it’s still a small number amongst the more than 600,000 cars currently on Singapore roads.
No doubt more Singaporeans are opting for an electric car as an alternative to a petrol-powered vehicle, but it will certainly take time for a full switch-over.
