SINGAPORE — Some 2,000 charging points for electric vehicles will be installed across the island, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament on Monday (May 9).

He was responding to a question from Nee Soon Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah, who asked about the Government’s plans to encourage motorists to use electric cars.

Mr Khaw added that the Government is in the final stages of evaluating proposals made on the nationwide electric-car-sharing programme, which will see the introduction of up to 1,000 electric vehicles and a trial of electric-car-sharing services.

Asked by Dr Lee if the charging points will be open to car owners not in the car-sharing programme, Mr Khaw said that these details — including whether other car owners would have to pay a fee to use the charging points — are not certain at this point.

The minister also told the House that while the Government encourages the use of more environment-friendly vehicles, he reiterated that the focus is on creating a car-lite society through the use of public transport.

“The greenest form of transport is public transport. Even though electric cars produce no tailpipe emissions, the process of generating the electricity they consume emits carbon,” Mr Khaw said.