POSSIBILITY Nissan could probably bring in the EV-02 which is based on the Cube compact hatchback

ELECTRIC DREAMS Keppel Energy will use the Mitsubishi i-MiEV as its test mule on the road

By Derryn Wong

A CONCRETE STEP towards a greener motoring future for Singapore was taken earlier this month.

The Renault-Nissan alliance and Keppel Energy both signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a multi-agency task force made up of various governmental entities here, as part of a programme designed to study the feasibility of electric vehicles (EVs) and infrastructure in Singapore.

At the signing was (picture, from left to right): Mr. Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive of Land Transport Authority (LTA), Dr. Ong Tiong Guan, Managing Director of Keppel Energy, Mr. Thierry Koskas, Program Director of Renault EVs, Mr. Lawrence Wong, Chief Executive of Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Dr. Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director of EDB (Economic Development Board).

Under the MOU, Renault-Nissan will supply EVs to the Singapore market and help develop common standards while Keppel Energy will concentrate on support infrastructure such as charging stations.

Renault-Nissan is the first major automotive entity to sign up here, no surprise given it has extensive existing EV programs in many other countries like Japan, the UK, United States and China. Keppel Energy is a subsidiary of the Keppel Corporation, specialising in energy and utilities.

While there is no word on what EVs Renault-Nissan will field, it is understood from local Mitsubishi representatives that Keppel will use the i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) as its test mule on the road.

The task force is a multi-agency cooperative effort chaired by the EMA and
LTA, with members and contributions from Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the Economic Development Board (EDB), and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Singapore’s existing urban landscape and relatively minute size make it a perfect spot for testing such vehicles: “EV development is an exciting new area particularly relevant to the Singapore context. Singapore is well-positioned for the deployment of EVs due to our relative small size, urban environment, robust electrical grid and IT infrastructure,” said Mr Wong.

Test-bedding basically means investigating requirements and feasibility for running electric vehicles here in Singapore. This is not just practical or technical in nature, as the business models and financial requirements will also be explored.

As such the test-bed is open to all auto manufacturers and technology companies ‘interested in shaping the future of electric transport’, according to the taskforce’s official statement. To this end, $20 million has been set aside for the programme.

“Renault and Nissan aim to become leading brands in zero emission vehicles. Singapore is for us a key priority, as the geography of the country and the focus on environment issues make fast and strong development of electric cars,” said Thierry Koskas Renault electric vehicles programme director.

Other similar initiatives overseas include an electric version of the Mini, the Mini-E, currently testing in cities in Europe, and Honda’s FCX hydrogen fuel cell/electric car in the United States.

While this is a step towards EVs being a regular sight on Singapore roads, the commercial realities will still take some time.

Ron Lim, general manager for sales and marketing for official Nissan dealer Tan Chong Motors said, “We are excited by Nissan’s plan to produce and introduce electric vehicle globally, including Singapore, in a big way. If everything goes as planned, Singaporeans might be able to see the first Nissan electric vehicle on sale here as early as 2012.”