Starting off with a disclaimer that these observations are only found in Singapore. With that being said, the biggest consideration every electric car / vehicle owner should have is charging plug types.
With Singapore trying to build electric chargers, there is a need to understand what kind of chargers are being build. Apparently with me owning the Nissan Leaf, there isn’t much options other than the Type 2 Plug that is available to me.
Most stations in Singapore are build with Type 2 + CSS plugs which means that if you like to take advantage of the fast charging capability in public charging stations, you will need a car that is compatible with CSS Plug.
CCS compatible models include the BMW i3, Kia e-Niro, and Jaguar I-Pace. Which means that it will now limit your options if you like to take advantage of this fast charging network in Singapore. I would say type 2 charging speed isn’t that bad because I don’t need my car to be full everytime I plug it in, I would need to be able to charge a significant amount every hour for the charging to be worth my time that would do.
Currently I’ll roughly take 3 hours to charge my Nissan Leaf from 11 to 59% and with a charger nearby my home. I basically park at the charging station, cycle / walk back home and come back to collect my car to head out for lunch.
Ofcourse, an electric vehicle / car is not for everyone and I would not be forcing anyone to purchase a EV because there isn’t a choice anymore. I think it is ridiculous that we need to be pushed to purchase an electric car in Singapore. I would think that the infrastructure needs to be built but the choice should ultimately be up to the consumer.
To educate yourself with the kinds of electric car connector types I’ve linked a article below which helps us understand these types of connector.
