Singapore’s eHVs face a depot grid-capacity bottleneck

By Daniel Okafor

Electric heavy vehicles made up 30% of Singapore’s newly registered heavy vehicles as of July, per LTA; only 154 of 298 heavy-vehicle charging points were publicly accessible in March, according to the Ministry of Transport.

LHN Energy Senior Manager Jeremy Ong said operators have shifted from buying eHVs to securing charging without delaying deliveries. He added that passenger-EV incentives do not resolve depot power, layout and charging-window constraints.

What binds first?

Ong said one DC fast charger for an eHV can draw as much power as a small building, making several chargers effectively a new utility connection. Applications, design, approvals, cabling and substation work can outlast vehicle deliveries.

Next comes layout. Ong said heavy vehicles need turning radius, queueing space and dedicated bays, while chargers, cables and switchrooms must fit around traffic. His LHN Parking work shows how misplaced bays create bottlenecks. Hardware rarely binds because it is easiest to procure and install.

How should fleets size power?

Ong said to start with operations, not charger specifications. Calculate daily energy from route distance, payload and duty cycle, then establish parking and charging availability. These inputs show energy demand and simultaneous charger use.

Peak load matters more than total consumption: 20 vehicles charging together need far more capacity than 20 charging in a staggered pattern. LHN Energy assesses planned deployment, charging demand, electricity use, solar potential and electrical capacity. Its built Singapore portfolio spans about 9,900 kWp.

For phased rollouts, Ong recommends sizing incoming supply, ducting, switchgear and transformer space for the end state, while adding chargers as vehicles arrive. Headroom allows for changing battery sizes and utilization.

What can solar do?

Ong framed solar’s role narrowly: “Solar is best understood as a way to lower energy costs, not to remove the need for grid capacity.”

Ong said solar fits daylight charging, including day-shift fleets and vehicles returning at midday. Depot roofs and carpark shelters suit it. LHN Energy and LHN Parking completed a solar carport at Goldhill Plaza in August 2025, turning an open-air carpark into a power asset. LHN Energy’s portfolio generates about 15,855 MWh annually.

Ong described the limits as physical: roof area is finite, and a heavy fleet can consume more daily than its roof generates. Overnight charging has no sun. Without storage or daylight scheduling, solar cannot cut peak connection demand. Ong tests roof capacity, structure and charging profile together.

In September, LHN Energy rolled out an integrated solar PPA, DC fast-charging and delivery plan. LHN Energy finances, installs and maintains the solar system, then sells the business its electricity at a pre-agreed rate, typically below grid tariffs, for 10–25 years. LHN Energy retains ownership.

Which costs are underestimated?

Electrical work is the common cost surprise. Ong said vehicle and charger budgets can overlook cabling, switchgear, transformer upgrades, civil works and reinstatement. LHN also costs approvals, design and project management upfront, with Licensed Electrical Worker sign-off and BCA and SCDF approval.

Ong said recurring costs operators often underestimate include:

• Electricity tariffs, especially peak-demand charges, which can exceed the energy cost when charging is unmanaged.
• Charger maintenance, software and network fees, plus downtime after failures.
• The cost of vehicles waiting to charge and bays removed from normal use.

Ong said the Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant (EHVCG) co-funds up to 50% of eligible charger installation costs, capped at $30,000 per charger, for the first 500 approved chargers through 2028. Eligible items include the charger system, Licensed Electrical Worker fees, cabling and installation. Reimbursement follows approval and claims, creating cash-flow strain.

LHN can combine EHVCG support, the solar PPA, charger supply, electrical works and commissioning. Subject to eligibility, site assessment, approval and final terms, some projects can carry zero upfront infrastructure cost. Ong still recommends testing the business case without the grant.

Can scheduling defer upgrades?

Ong said smart charging can defer major grid upgrades, often at lower cost. Connected chargers can share a limited connection and prioritize vehicles that must leave first. Off-peak scheduling lowers demand charges. Matching charger power to dwell time avoids unnecessary speed for overnight vehicles.

Predictable routes and return times improve the result. Ong linked fleet charging to LHN Parking’s management of dwell time, bay allocation, access control and site-use data. Near-continuous, multi-shift fleets have little slack and need more capacity. EHVCG’s smart-charger requirement makes the capability increasingly standard.

Retrofit, relocate or share?

Ong weighs retrofit against relocation through four factors: the cost of adding power, remaining site tenure, whether the layout works and tolerable business disruption.

Ong said retrofit fits when supply upgrades are reasonable, space exists for bays and queueing, and the lease supports payback. It can proceed in stages. LHN Parking helps property owners upgrade existing carparks for ERP 2.0; LHN Energy installs solar across metal-deck, reinforced-concrete and tiled roofs and carpark structures.

Ong said relocation or a purpose-built facility becomes more attractive when safe vehicle movement, equipment support or lease duration cannot justify the existing site.

Shared charging can bridge the gap. LHN Energy operates public EV charging with partners at 202 Kallang Bahru and 1557 Keppel Road, giving Ong direct experience with interim, shared use.

What policy changes matter?

Ong identified three policy changes for scaled fleet adoption: faster, predictable grid connections and clearer visibility of industrial-area capacity; tariffs that visibly reward managed, off-peak charging; and one coordination process for charger, electrical-work and solar approvals.

He also wants clearer support after the EHVCG’s first 500 approvals and beyond 2028. Faster reimbursements would ease cash flow, while industrial lease tenures matching infrastructure payback would improve investment confidence.

Ong has more than a decade of carpark-management experience, previously worked as a mechanical engineer at Hewlett-Packard Singapore and holds a Bachelor of Engineering in mechanical engineering.

His conclusion was direct: “Overall, the technology certainly exists. What operators really need is clarity on timelines and costs, so that they can plan ahead with confidence.”

Under Ong’s framework, grid connection timing, reimbursement speed and lease duration are the practical gates on Singapore’s next depot-electrification wave.