E-Mobility is slowly gaining traction in Singapore, as there are now over 2,000 privately own electric vehicles (EV) on our roads, but as this industry sector grows, a host of questions need to be answered, from legislation on charging points, infrastructure for fast charging, and Power Assisted Bicycles (PAB). 
Speaking at the recent German-Singaporean E-Mobility Forum, Guest of Honour Mr S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister of Transport, spoke about the main goals for E-Mobility are laid out in the Greenplan 2030 by the Singapore government, which includes private and public sector initiatives, such as deploying up to 60,000 EV charging points in Singapore by 2030, with 40,000 in public carparks and 20,000 in private premises, as well as electrical power generation and alternate sources of energy. Mr Iswaran noted that Singapore could potentially generate a maximum of around 2 gigawatts of electricity from solar energy, which is insufficient to meet demand, so must look to import green energy from our regional neighbours.
Mr Iswaran was speaking at the German-Singaporean E-Mobility Forum, jointly organised by the German Embassy and the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC), where he viewed E-cars from renowned car manufacturers, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche and an E-bike powered by Bosch. Present at this E-Mobility forum was Mr Jens Rübbert, President, Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, who delivered the welcome address, and H.E. Dr Norbert Riedel, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Singapore. 
Mr Iswaran also held an entertaining dialogue with Mr Martin Hayes, Chairman of the SGC Automotive Committee on some of the issues Singapore is facing, including electrification of heavy transport vehicles and the diversification of energy reliance from fossil fuels to green energy, including green hydrogen.
Two subsequent panel discussions focused on the collaborative opportunities between German and Singaporean companies in automotive technologies, especially in the context of electric vehicles.
“The global mobility ecosystem is evolving, and the future of mobility will evolve into a sustainable, electric, car-lite model revolving around smart polycentric townships urban design. We intend to keep ourselves relevant for every era of change through our vision of being the leading player in the future mobility landscape for smart cities,” said Kelvin Tay, Managing Director of Future Mobility, Goldbell Group. Mr Tay was one of the panellists discussing the topic of Infrastructure.
According to Mr Bernard Sim, Assistant Director for Sustainable Energy Solutions at Singapore Power Group, “Our vision is to support Singapore’s electrification journey by building the largest and most accessible EV charging network in Singapore. Our aim is to create an innovative and collaborative ecosystem with key partners to accelerate the adoption of green mobility, and to deliver a reliable and seamless experience for all EV drivers.”
E-Mobility is a very important aspect of reaching the UN climate goals. Keeping the average rise in temperature below 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels is important to prevent a climate collapse as urged by scientists worldwide. Hence, E-Mobility matters in Singapore, which is at sea level and would be negatively impacted by a further deterioration of the climate situation.
“We all have a role to play to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment. This has to be applied across the value chain globally. The clear signals and commitments made by the Singapore government with the Green Plan 2030 really resonate with our own vision for sustainable mobility. We are encouraged by the developments and believe that the tipping point for Electric Vehicles in Singapore may already come within the next three to five years,” says Markus Schuster, Managing Director of Audi Singapore.
The President and CEO of Daimler South-East Asia Pte Ltd, Mr Claudius Steinhoff shared that “German automobiles occupy a favoured spot in the hearts and minds of Singaporean car owners. Our flair for emotional design and automotive innovation has created a strong sense of desirability around German brands. This is something we will continue building on in this new and exciting era of electric, emissions-free mobility.”
“We are all citizens of this planet, and the battle against climate change is important to us all. Sustainable urban mobility and electrification are key factors in this fight. Forums like this serve as a valuable platform for an open exchange of insights and engagement” said Steve Chan, Head of Regional Government and External Affairs for Southeast Asia (ASEAN) BMW Group Asia.
