18-5-2023 (Singapore) By the end of 2024, electric vehicle (EV) users in South-east Asia will have the potential to travel approximately 5,000km across five countries, thanks to a network of charging stations accessible through a single smartphone app. Singapore-based company Charge+ has revealed its ambitious plan to establish 45 high-speed charging stations that will connect Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. These stations will be strategically located along highways and in cities to ensure convenient access for EV drivers.
The initial phase of the project will see the deployment of 18 charging stations, all owned and operated by Charge+, which will be operational by the end of 2024. These stations will be situated in key locations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi. The remaining 27 stations will be a mix of Charge+-owned stations and those operated by their partners, with a targeted completion date of end-2025.
To facilitate seamless charging across the five countries, drivers will be able to use the Charge+ smartphone app to pay for the EV charging service at any of the stations. The app will support multiple currencies and will be fully functional when the first wave of charging stations becomes operational.
The announcement of this extensive EV charging network was made during the annual Future Mobility Asia summit, a three-day event that commenced on Wednesday in Bangkok.
Charge+ aims to provide fast charging capabilities through this network. While most chargers will have a rating of 120 kilowatts, some stations will offer even faster charging speeds, reaching nearly 300kW. For example, connecting a Tesla Model 3 EV to a 120kW fast-charging station for just 30 minutes is expected to provide an additional operating range of approximately 250km to 300km.
Mr. Ong Tze Boon, Chairman of Charge+, described this ambitious plan as “another strategic milestone in the journey of Charge+ to be a truly impactful EV charging player for this region.”
The EV charging network will consist of four main legs. The first leg covers approximately 700km, connecting stations in Singapore, Yong Peng, Ayer Keroh, Simpang Ampat, Bangi, and Kuala Lumpur.
The second leg spans 1,500km, linking Penang to Bangkok, with stations in Juru, Phuket, Thap Sakae, and Bangkok.
The third leg, known as the Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City Link, stretches over 1,100km and includes stations in Pattaya, Rayong, Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The final leg, named the Vietnam North-South Coastal Expressway, extends 1,700km and features stations in Phan Thiet, Da Nang, and Hanoi.
Charge+ aims to maintain an approximate distance of 120km between consecutive charging stations to ensure reliable coverage for EV drivers.
Other EV charging service providers have also made efforts to establish cross-border networks between Singapore and Malaysia. In April 2022, City Energy, a town gas provider in Singapore, launched “Go,” a cross-border EV charging service with a single smartphone app, which now offers 118 charging points across more than 50 locations in Malaysia. In March 2023, Malaysian company Yinson Green Technologies and a subsidiary of Singapore’s LHN Group partnered to provide EV drivers with access to over 300 charging points in both countries via a single smartphone app.
