'El cheapo' driver charges BMW electric car using Boon Lay carpark power outlet

This BMW electric car might have cost more than $450,000 brand new, but its driver has being called out online for being a 'cheapo'.

A Facebook video shared on Friday (Sept 2) showed that the driver had left his car unattended while it looks like it was being charged using a power outlet at a HDB multi-storey carpark. 

According to the accompanying caption of the 50-second clip which was also shared on YouTube, the incident happened the previous day at Block 218, Boon Lay Avenue.

[embed]https://fb.watch/fhiqRKQt2Q/[/embed]

Excluding a Certificate of Entitlement (COE), a brand new BMW iX will set you back around $450,000, according to Sgcarmart.

Despite its eye-watering amount, netizens are less than impressed with the driver for allegedly stealing electrical power. 

"Drive a BMW but actually el cheapo," a netizen wrote while another was bemused that the driver left his car unattended.

AsisOne has contacted the Housing and Development Board (HDB) for comment.

Taking to Facebook in January, Transport Minister S Iswaran shared that the first batch of electric vehicle charging points were installed at five HDB car parks including Jurong West, Yishun and Punggol Central – with 600 more by the third quarter of 2022. 

All HDB carparks will have at least three electric vehicle charging points by 2025,  said Iswaran in Parliament in March, adding that this plan will help reduce carbon emissions from land transport.

This will meet the target of 60,000 charging points islandwide by 2030, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Members of the public are encouraged to report cases of electricity theft by writing to the Energy Market Authority at EMA_ES@ema.gov.sg. 

ALSO READ: Where to charge your electric vehicle in Singapore

chingshijie@asiaone.com