Are you tired of high, unpredictable gas prices? Are you looking for ways to save money and increase the comfort of your ride as you spend many hours driving daily? If yes, then you might want to consider switching to an electric taxi.test
Boasting a range of benefits such as better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and time, charging convenience and strong environmental credentials, electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular around the globe. In fact, EV sales increased by over 50% last year alone. And according to the International Energy Agency, electric vehicles will account for nearly 20% of global car sales by 2030.
In Singapore, having completed the switch to a full hybrid vehicle fleet in 2020, Strides pioneered the electric taxi trend with an introduction of 300 MG5 taxis last year, with a long term plan to switch the entire fleet to 100% electric vehicles within 5 years (read more here – Strides Taxi targets a complete changeout of its entire taxi fleet to electric taxis within five years – Strides Mobility). With this move, Strides consolidated its status as an environmental champion among taxi operators in Singapore. To facilitate the transition, Strides also introduced a range of great incentives for early adopter drivers, including at least 12 guaranteed jobs a day, islandwide charging locations with discounted rates and free parking and other perks.
If you’ve been considering jumping on the opportunity and making the switch to an electric taxi, now it’s a great time to do it. Read on to learn more about some of the benefits that driving an electric taxi could bring.
1. Save money on fuel
One of the most immediate perks of driving an electric vehicle is that it is cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car. Not only is the cost of electricity lower than that of fuel but electric engines tend to be more energy efficient as well.
There are a lot of variables at play including the model of the car, the traffic conditions and the difference in prices between petrol and electricity so to get a clear idea of the kind of cost savings you could be looking at let us make some base assumptions and do the math.
Start by assuming you drive 40,000 km per year (estimated based on private hire bus mileage data in Singapore taken from https://data.gov.sg/dataset/annual-mileage-for-private-motor-vehicles).
According to the manufacturer website, MG5, which is the EV model in the Strides Taxi Fleet, consumes 11.8 kWh/100km in city driving conditions (source: https://www.mg.co.uk/new-cars/mg5-ev), whereas the equivalent MG ZS petrol model consumes a combined 7.2l/100km (source: https://www.mg.co.uk/new-cars/mg-zs).
The fuel prices at the time or writing are $0.4153 per kWh (fast charge AC charger at SP Power – source: https://www.motorist.sg/article/1214/singapore-ev-parking-and-charging-guide-2022-costs-and-accessibility) and SGD 3.031/l of petrol (source https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Singapore/gasoline_prices/) respectively. The table below shows the annual fuel costs based on this data.
| Car Model | MG5 (Electric) | MG ZS (Petrol) |
| Annual fuel cost (40,000KM) | SGD 1,960 | SGD 8,729 |
| Fuel cost savings | SGD 6,766 |
The numbers are an approximation of course, but that is a saving of almost 7,000 SGD per year on fuel cost alone! Besides, as we have seen recently, petrol prices can be unpredictable so it’s perfectly possible that we will see further price hikes in the future, making EVs even cheaper to run by comparison.
If that’s not enough, Strides Taxi is rewarding the early adopters of its electric taxi fleet with exclusive partner discounts at all SP and Shell chargers islandwide, with more charging providers expected to be added soon. This means you can expect even greater fuel savings, in addition to the convenience of being able charge your EV pretty much anywhere at a preferential rate.
2. Charge conveniently at a car park near your home
It is now easier than ever to charge your EV, with a whopping 60,000 EV charging points being installed across Singapore’s public carparks and private premises by 2030. This is part of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) ongoing efforts to electrify our vehicle population because the government is aware that charging infrastructure needs to be more accessible.
Let’s break down the numbers to see exactly how fast our EV charger network is growing:
- As of March 2023, there are over 3,800 charging points island-wide, up from 1,500 in 2019.
- By April 2023, more than 600 charging points would have been installed in over 200 public car parks.
- By end 2023, some 2,000 EV charging points are set to be installed in more than 700 HDB carparks.
- By 2025, 12,000 more EV charging points will be deployed at around 2,000 HDB car parks.
In other words, you will be able to find EV chargers near your home, your work place, and everywhere around Singapore very soon!
Besides the ease and convenience of charging EVs right at your doorstep, having a nationwide network of safe and reliable charging points also helps eliminates range anxiety. Non-EV drivers often worry that the EV’s battery might run out halfway while driving. However, the growing community of EV drivers in Singapore would tell you that this is a common misconception.
A quick search on your mobile phone will tell you where the nearest available charging point is. For example, at a nearby HDB, commercial building, mall, or industrial park. Some drivers prefer to charge their EVs overnight at home, while others choose to do quick recharge sessions throughout the day, such as when they are having meals or running errands.
Simply choose a charging style that best fits your daily routine and enjoy the perks of an EV-friendly lifestyle, without worrying about your next charge!
Tip: We heard that one of the cheapest EV charging rates in Singapore can be enjoyed at SMRT Woodlands Depot – exclusively for Strides Taxi partners!
3. Low maintenance and fast servicing time
Electric cars tend to be less prone to breakdowns than gas-powered ones because they have fewer moving parts. With no valves, cylinders and gasket to worry about you will see your servicing time drop to as low as 30 minutes down from approximately 3h which is what would be required for a petrol powered car.
But it’s not just the number of components that makes an electric car different from a conventional one. It’s also how those components interact with each other and with the environment around them. For example, in a gas-powered car, the engine has to work harder to keep up with the demands placed upon it by the internal combustion process. This means that the engine needs to be larger and heavier than it would otherwise need to be. And when you add all these extra weighty components together, it can lead to premature wear and tear.
In contrast, electric vehicles don’t have any moving parts that require lubrication or regular service. They also use regenerative braking systems that recover kinetic energy from deceleration and convert it back into electrical power for recharging the battery. This means that there is no need for a separate brake system, which saves space and weight.
This means that your taxi will last longer and requires less maintenance overall.
4. Electric cars drive like a dream
The experience behind the wheel of an EV is refreshingly different from driving an internal combustion engine (ICE) car. With no gears to progress through, the acceleration is responsive, swift and smooth even from a standstill. Also, EVs tend to have a low centre of gravity because of the battery placement, reducing body roll and improving the handling experience and safety of the vehicle.
Your passengers will appreciate it too – the ride is extremely quiet and the increased comfort ensures a premium experience.
5. Electric cars are greener than petrol-powered vehicles
Although a topic of some debate as electric vehicles started gaining in popularity, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that the environmental impact of EVs is significantly lower than that of conventional cars.
There are several aspects to consider related to this topic, including energy efficiency, exhaust emissions, source of energy and manufacturing process. With the exception of the latter, electric cars are environmentally superior in every way.
Fuel efficiency
With no combustion engine, fewer mechanical parts and much less opportunity for energy loss, electrical engines have a fuel efficiency of around 85-90% which is far greater than the estimated 17-21% efficiency of a modern petrol engine. Less electricity consumed means EVs are greener in addition to being cheaper to run as explained above.
Exhaust emissions
Here the EVs are a clear winner with 0 emissions. Emissions standards are rising for petrol and diesel powered cars as well, but they’re always going to be greater than 0. In a densely populated city like Singapore this is particularly important. With more zero emissions vehicles on the roads we will most certainly see the air quality improve.
Energy Supply
Some might argue that while electric vehicles have zero emissions, it is nothing more than a shift of the problem of energy creation. The electricity in an EV charging station has to come from somewhere as well and it could well be from fossil fuels, just like with a petrol engine.
While that is indeed possible, a charging point is very likely to be a lot more efficient at converting the fuel into energy than a car engine. Moreover, as sustainable energy production gains momentum worldwide as well as in Singapore, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that all the electricity in a charging station has fossil fuel origins.
Manufacturing Process
This is one area in which EVs lose out to conventional cars in terms of sustainability. It is true that building an electric car currently is more carbon intensive than building a traditional car, mainly because the process of making lithium ion batteries is very energy demanding. But the technology is constantly improving and the lifecycle and capacity of batteries is increasing, meaning the weight of this aspect on the overall environmental impact of the vehicles is constantly decreasing.
6. Increased appeal for environmentally conscious customers
Overall, electric vehicles are at present a clear winner in the green race. Their adoption is moving into the mainstream at a rapid pace worldwide, as well as in Singapore, as recent government subsidies for private purchases of electric cars show. Furthermore the long term vision for Singapore’s transportation network as outlined in LTA’s Land Transport Masterplan 2040 includes a full shift to electric vehicles so the trend is here to stay.
What this means in the short term is that more and more Singaporeans are now looking to adopt a green lifestyle. Electric taxis are therefore likely to become more appealing to an increasing number of passengers in the near future. Early adopter drivers would be able to capitalise on this trend and gain an edge in the competitive private transportation market.
Bonus – Great incentives with Strides EV Taxis
So are you ready to take the plunge and become one of the pioneer ev taxi drivers in Singapore? If the benefits above are not enough, Strides is now offering a range of incentives to reward early adopters. These include:
- Up to $3000 cash bonus
- A guarantee of at least 12 jobs a day
- Island-wide charging with exclusive discount for strides’ taxi partners at locations with free parking and makan places nearby
- and many more attractive incentives
To find out more, give us a call at 8113 4498 | 8182 9628 | 9144 5716 | 9863 4388 or register your interest by filling up the form at https://bit.ly/stridesmobility. Let’s bring the future of transportation to Singapore together!