Borneo Motors and SP Group to develop EV sharing programme in Tengah

SINGAPORE - Borneo Motors Singapore (BMS), the authorised distributor for Toyota cars in Singapore, has announced a partnership with SP Group to develop an electric vehicle (EV) sharing programme in the upcoming Tengah New Town. The two companies signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) at an event held at the Toyota showroom in Leng Kee, and the programme is expected to be rolled out in June 2023. 

The initial phase of the programme will see BMS provide eight hybrid and electric cars for the programme, including one unit of Toyota’s first battery electric vehicle (BEV), the bZ4x, which was previewed at the event. BMS shared though that they may scale up and add more cars to the programme in the future depending on user demand in the estate.

Both BMS and SP Group will use the programme to collect and analyse data on a range of factors such as driving patterns, electrified vehicle consumption patterns and electrified vehicle preferences. This will enable them to better understand user behaviour and anticipate evolving demands to optimise future e-mobility programmes for residents, and potentially expand it to other towns in Singapore.

Jasmmine Wong, CEO of Inchcape Singapore and Greater China, the parent company of BMS, said, “The ideal scenario will hopefully see us grow this partnership together, and this Tengah pilot will help us gauge how users in Singapore take to this kind of EV sharing programme, and how we can further expand on it in the future.”

On SP Group’s end, the company plans to have EV charging points in 10 percent of all parking lots in three Tengah districts by 2030, in line with the Singapore Government’s plans to have 60,000 charging points islandwide by then as well. Tengah has been earmarked as Singapore’s first smart energy town, and with the new programme, it is expected that EV take up rates in the town will be 30 percent above the national average by 2025.

Under the programme, users can access the service via SP Group’s app, which will be integrated with Kinto Share, BMS’ very own on-demand car-sharing service. This will mean a fully seamless experience, from booking the car to accessing charging facilities and making payment. Tengah residents will also enjoy preferential rental and charging rates to encourage the trial and adoption of electrified vehicles.

Both companies will also develop an Innovation and Experience Centre within Tengah town to provide education and awareness on the future of mobility to encourage adoption of electrified vehicles. The centre will be family-oriented, and feature games and activities to enable visitors to experience the different pathways to decarbonisation through electrification, as well as promote safer driving habits and cost-saving through energy efficiency.

“Our collaboration with SP Group aligns with the Singapore government’s Singapore Green Plan 2030 and demonstrates our commitment to contributing to Singapore’s net zero future,” said Wong, who added, “With this initiative, we combine our expertise in electrified vehicles with SP Group’s eco-charging solutions to embark on a significant step in steering the nation towards a more responsible and sustainable way of living.

This is a giant leap not only for the industry but for the entire ecosystem which we are honoured to be leading.” 

Toyota bZ4x photo gallery

At the event, Toyota also previewed the bZ4X, the brand’s first BEV, which you can read all about in our detailed news story last year. BMS stated that the car will be first offered for the car sharing programme next year, but did not commit to a firm launch date for the car to go on general sale here.

Pricing is said to be around $280,000 or so based on current COE premiums, but final pricing may be subject to change depending on any upcoming changes to the rebates of the Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES).

This article was first published in CarBuyer.