Homegrown Greenlots, global provider of open-standard technology solutions for electric vehicle networks, has just announced that it is working with BMW Group Asia to provide Singapore’s first electric vehicle (EV) network. This comes following BMW’s recent official launch of their i-series which debuted the BMW i3 and BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports cars in Singapore at last month’s BMW World 2014.
Greenlots was selected as BMW’s exclusive manager and operator in Singapore and will provide BMW i customers with installation of the BMW i Wallbox Pure to ensure safe and reliable charging at their homes.
Greenlots will also administer ChargeNow, BMW i’s public charging programme, in Singapore that enables public charging via BMW’s ChargeNow card and Greenlots mobile app. Real-time information about the availability and location of these stations is provided to BMW i drivers via the car’s navigation system to assist them in locating the nearest available charging point. Greenlots expects to rollout up to 30 L2 (AC) chargers across 20 strategic public locations within 2014.
Electric Vehicles To Roam The Streets Of Singapore, And Malaysia
Started in late 2008, Greenlots is a North American based company with offices in Singapore that designs and delivers hardware and software to enable EV manufacturers and distributors, utilities, municipalities and other businesses to set up their own EV charging network.
Greenlots’ Managing Director and Co-founder, Oliver Risse, told Green Business Times earlier in 2011 that Singapore is the ideal place for EVs as Singapore has a reliable electricity supply that is relatively clean, and vehicles do not travel long distances here. It took the company more than 3 years to finally ink a partnership with BMW for Singapore’s first Electric Vehicle Network.
With Greenlots and BMW powering the first electric vehicle network in Singapore, we will soon seen more EVs roaming the streets. The trend is not new though, even in Singapore’s neighbour Malaysia. The idea of electric cars taking over the place of traditional cars in the Malaysian market has been toyed around for a couple of years.
Coincidentally, the nation’s first electric car sharing programme called “Cohesive Mobility Solution” (COMOS), is scheduled to commence this month in selected Klang Valley hot spots with 30 to 40 EV made available. An additional 20 to 30 electric cars will be placed in Langkawi Islands in November once the first phase has proven to be in full operation. Then, the cities of Penang, Malacca, and Johor Bahru will be introduced with more of such vehicles.
