SINGAPORE: Grab has announced plans to expand its electric vehicle (EV) fleet with 50,000 BYD vehicles across Southeast Asia, signalling its intention to lead the region's shift to greener transportation.
“Through this partnership, Grab and BYD look to boost the electrification of the transportation sector in Southeast Asia,” the Singapore-based firm said on Wednesday (Jan 15).
However, challenges remain in the region. Countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam trail behind Singapore and Malaysia in their EV infrastructure development, said one transport analyst.
Other analysts also questioned whether Singapore's charging infrastructure is adequately prepared for the widespread adoption of EVs by ride-hailing platforms.
Grab said the collaboration with the Chinese EV manufacturer will give its drivers access to BYD vehicles at competitive rates and extended battery warranties.
Grab, which operates in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, told CNA it is not providing details on how the 50,000 EVs will be distributed among the eight Southeast countries.
Associate Professor Raymond Ong, a transport analyst from the National University of Singapore (NUS), said Singapore’s EV push likely makes it a lower priority for vehicle allocation compared to larger markets.
“If I look at sheer market size, I don’t think Singapore will be a significant majority (of where the 50,000 cars will be allocated), because the market in Malaysia and Indonesia is quite huge for Grab,” he said.
“Grab will be spreading (the 50,000 EVs) to the entire Southeast Asian market, especially for markets that are growing, as there will be more impetus to purchase EVs over there.”
Grab’s managing director of group business development Chuck Kim highlighted the partnership's potential to overcome financial barriers to EV ownership.
This will be done by lowering the "financial barriers" that are often associated with EVs, and in the long run, this could include fuel cost savings, he said.
The transition to EVs faces hurdles, particularly outside Singapore and Malaysia, where infrastructure for charging remains limited.
“For Singapore, (EV infrastructure) is the least of the concerns, because its infrastructure is developing, and is more or less on track in terms of charging points for passenger use, (and) Malaysia is also investing quite a lot on EV infrastructure,” said Assoc Prof Ong, who is also with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS.
Cities like Jakarta are only just beginning to build their EV infrastructure. “So in terms of whether it will reach a level of maturity compared to Malaysia or Singapore, we have to take a closer look at how the city is developing their EV infrastructure,” he added.
Grab acknowledged these challenges, stating that Southeast Asia is “still in the early stages of its EV journey”.
“While there has been encouraging progress in recent years, developing a robust EV ecosystem in the region requires addressing several challenges, such as the availability of affordable EV models, the need for more extensive charging infrastructure, and the expansion of charging and battery-swapping stations,” its spokesperson said.
The company remains committed to overcoming these limitations by partnering with EV ecosystem players and leveraging its data, technology and network of drivers to trial and scale potential solutions.
An electric vehicle charging point in Singapore. (File photo: iStock/taikrixel)
Even as a regional leader in EV adoption, Singapore faces its own challenges, particularly in providing cost-effective overnight charging for private-hire drivers.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences noted that private-hire drivers, who cover more daily mileage than private EV owners, would need to charge their vehicles daily.
“However, there isn't necessarily home AC charging available at all HDB car parks yet, nor would it be reliably available every day,” he said.
He added that high-power fast-charging options are usually 10 to 20 per cent more expensive than home car park charging, and still take time.
To address this, Grab has partnered with six major EV charging companies in Singapore – including SP Mobility, Charge+, CDG-ENGIE, ChargEco, Shell and Volt – to offer discounts for its EV drivers.
“By leveraging these discounts, our partners can reduce their operational costs while making the shift to greener transport more affordable and accessible,” said the spokesperson.
Passengers in Singapore and Thailand can opt for "eco-friendly rides" by toggling the option, without incurring extra charges, Grab said. This will prioritise the allocation of green vehicles.
Assoc Prof Theseira said passengers are unlikely to pay a premium for EV rides unless they involve luxury vehicles. “I doubt that there would be a price difference except for the premium large EV offering which is meant to compete in the market for large luxury multi-purpose vehicles,” he said.
The partnership also includes Internet of Things (IoT) integration between BYD vehicles and Grab’s platform. With features like Grab’s driver application displayed on vehicle head units, drivers can view jobs, navigation and chats on a larger screen, reducing the need to toggle between devices.
Data like wiper signals and travel speed of BYD vehicles can be fed onto Grab’s platform in real-time, which allows Grab to infer more quickly and accurately external conditions such as weather and traffic, Grab’s spokesperson said.
This information is then used to guide drivers to areas where there is greater demand for rides, ensuring that there are sufficient drivers to meet spikes in passenger bookings.
“This increases the chances of passengers getting a ride quickly, without long waiting times,” said Grab.
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“Through this partnership, Grab and BYD look to boost the electrification of the transportation sector in Southeast Asia,” the Singapore-based firm said on Wednesday (Jan 15).
However, challenges remain in the region. Countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam trail behind Singapore and Malaysia in their EV infrastructure development, said one transport analyst.
Other analysts also questioned whether Singapore's charging infrastructure is adequately prepared for the widespread adoption of EVs by ride-hailing platforms.
Grab said the collaboration with the Chinese EV manufacturer will give its drivers access to BYD vehicles at competitive rates and extended battery warranties.
Grab, which operates in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, told CNA it is not providing details on how the 50,000 EVs will be distributed among the eight Southeast countries.
Associate Professor Raymond Ong, a transport analyst from the National University of Singapore (NUS), said Singapore’s EV push likely makes it a lower priority for vehicle allocation compared to larger markets.
“If I look at sheer market size, I don’t think Singapore will be a significant majority (of where the 50,000 cars will be allocated), because the market in Malaysia and Indonesia is quite huge for Grab,” he said.
“Grab will be spreading (the 50,000 EVs) to the entire Southeast Asian market, especially for markets that are growing, as there will be more impetus to purchase EVs over there.”
Grab’s managing director of group business development Chuck Kim highlighted the partnership's potential to overcome financial barriers to EV ownership.
This will be done by lowering the "financial barriers" that are often associated with EVs, and in the long run, this could include fuel cost savings, he said.
Related:
REGIONAL CHALLENGES TO EV ADOPTION
The transition to EVs faces hurdles, particularly outside Singapore and Malaysia, where infrastructure for charging remains limited.
“For Singapore, (EV infrastructure) is the least of the concerns, because its infrastructure is developing, and is more or less on track in terms of charging points for passenger use, (and) Malaysia is also investing quite a lot on EV infrastructure,” said Assoc Prof Ong, who is also with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS.
Cities like Jakarta are only just beginning to build their EV infrastructure. “So in terms of whether it will reach a level of maturity compared to Malaysia or Singapore, we have to take a closer look at how the city is developing their EV infrastructure,” he added.
Grab acknowledged these challenges, stating that Southeast Asia is “still in the early stages of its EV journey”.
“While there has been encouraging progress in recent years, developing a robust EV ecosystem in the region requires addressing several challenges, such as the availability of affordable EV models, the need for more extensive charging infrastructure, and the expansion of charging and battery-swapping stations,” its spokesperson said.
The company remains committed to overcoming these limitations by partnering with EV ecosystem players and leveraging its data, technology and network of drivers to trial and scale potential solutions.
An electric vehicle charging point in Singapore. (File photo: iStock/taikrixel)
SINGAPORE'S EV CHALLENGES
Even as a regional leader in EV adoption, Singapore faces its own challenges, particularly in providing cost-effective overnight charging for private-hire drivers.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences noted that private-hire drivers, who cover more daily mileage than private EV owners, would need to charge their vehicles daily.
“However, there isn't necessarily home AC charging available at all HDB car parks yet, nor would it be reliably available every day,” he said.
He added that high-power fast-charging options are usually 10 to 20 per cent more expensive than home car park charging, and still take time.
To address this, Grab has partnered with six major EV charging companies in Singapore – including SP Mobility, Charge+, CDG-ENGIE, ChargEco, Shell and Volt – to offer discounts for its EV drivers.
“By leveraging these discounts, our partners can reduce their operational costs while making the shift to greener transport more affordable and accessible,” said the spokesperson.
Related:
WHAT'S IN IT FOR PASSENGERS?
Passengers in Singapore and Thailand can opt for "eco-friendly rides" by toggling the option, without incurring extra charges, Grab said. This will prioritise the allocation of green vehicles.
Assoc Prof Theseira said passengers are unlikely to pay a premium for EV rides unless they involve luxury vehicles. “I doubt that there would be a price difference except for the premium large EV offering which is meant to compete in the market for large luxury multi-purpose vehicles,” he said.
The partnership also includes Internet of Things (IoT) integration between BYD vehicles and Grab’s platform. With features like Grab’s driver application displayed on vehicle head units, drivers can view jobs, navigation and chats on a larger screen, reducing the need to toggle between devices.
Data like wiper signals and travel speed of BYD vehicles can be fed onto Grab’s platform in real-time, which allows Grab to infer more quickly and accurately external conditions such as weather and traffic, Grab’s spokesperson said.
This information is then used to guide drivers to areas where there is greater demand for rides, ensuring that there are sufficient drivers to meet spikes in passenger bookings.
“This increases the chances of passengers getting a ride quickly, without long waiting times,” said Grab.
Continue reading...