Singapore’s largest taxi operator, ComfortDelGro Taxi, announced today (January 5) that it will be rolling out up to 400 electric taxis this year — this number is dependent on the status of the EV charger roll-out in Singapore.
However, by 2023, ComfortDelGro expects its electric vehicle (EV) fleet to be increased to up to 1,000 electric taxis.
This means that about 10 per cent of 10,000 taxis will be fully electric in the next two years. Another 70 per cent will be hybrid cars, which the company has been transitioning towards in recent years as part of its sustainable efforts.
Currently, the company only has four electric taxis plying Singapore roads as part of its first trial back in 2018.
Jackson Chia, CEO of ComfortDelGro Taxi, expressed that the “time is now right” for the company to start ramping up its EV fleet.
“We have been closely monitoring the evolution and advancement of EV technology and vehicles. One major concern has been the lack of infrastructure necessary to ensure the successful roll-out of an EV taxi fleet,” he added.
Currently, ComfortDelGro only has four EV charging stations on its premises, though this will be increased to 20 by the end of 2022.
Additionally, it is also working together with French energy giant Engie to install and operate almost 500 EV chargers at 155 public carparks in Singapore by this year.
Beyond Singapore, ComfortDelGro already has a fleet of 2,200 electric taxis across China. Its subsidiaries in Australia and Britain also operate hybrid and electric buses, just like it does in Singapore.
Featured Image Credit: ComfortDelGro
