ComfortDelGro to roll out 'fastest' DC fast charger for EVs in Singapore from July 1

COMFORTDELGRO on Monday said it will roll out what it claims to be Singapore's fastest public commercial direct current (DC) charger for its cabbies and electric vehicle (EV) owners from July 1.

At 100 kilowatt (kW) power output, the Delta Ultra Fast Charger will have double the power output of all other commercial DC charging stations in the market, and be able to shave close to 10 minutes off the time it takes to fully charge a vehicle, the transport company said.

The charging station, which is located in ComfortDelGro Engineering's Loyang branch, can charge up to two vehicles at any one time. If two EVs are being charged simultaneously, the charging station's power output is at least 50kW, enabling each EV to be fully charged in 30 minutes, the company said.

Tammy Tan, group chief corporate communications officer for ComfortDelGro, told The Business Times on Monday that the company is currently trialling four fully electric taxis.

The new service will be made available through global EV charging software and solutions provider Greenlots.

Greenlots users who own EVs equipped with the Combined Charging System such as the BMW i3, fully-electric Hyundai Ioniqs and Konas, Jaguar iPace, as well as the Porsche Taycan, will be able to recharge at the charging station through the Greenlots app.

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EV owners can check the availability of the charger through this app, where payments can also be made. According to ComfortDelGro, the price of 40 Singapore cents per kilowatt hour is the lowest in the market.

The existing DC fast charging station in ComfortDelGro's Braddell premises currently clocks an average of 130 charging sessions every month, the company said.

To gain entry into ComfortDelGro's premises at Braddell and Loyang, drivers will need to apply for a special access pass directly with ComfortDelGro Engineering via email at evcharging@cdge.com.sg. ComfortDelGro cabbies driving the fully-electric Hyundai Ioniq and Kona taxis do not require the access pass.

Ang Soo Hock, CEO of ComfortDelGro Engineering, said: "While the interest in EVs continues to grow as more are looking to switch to greener options, charging time of EVs is still a key consideration. We hope that the introduction of faster charging solutions can help to alleviate those concerns and contribute to the development of a robust EV ecosystem in Singapore."

In a regulatory filing last Friday, the transport company said it expects to report a net loss for the first half this year. This is mainly attributed to the significant impact of Covid-19 on the company's operating regions, as well as the possibility of impairment of the company's investments in certain local and overseas subsidiaries.

As at 2.07pm on Monday, ComfortDelGro shares were trading at S$1.49, down S$0.03 or 2 per cent. Some 20 million shares changed hands, making it one of the most active counters by volume among the index securities.