Singapore's electric vehicle revolution is coming - does this spell the end for petrol stations?
With Singapore aiming to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, CNA looks at what this means for the nearly 200 petrol stations here and what will become of them.
Already, Singapore has seen a surge in take-up for electric cars, with new registrations this year more than double the rate for all of 2021. In the first five months of this year, electric cars made up 8.4 per cent of all new car registrations. Consequently, the demand for gasoline and diesel fuel will decrease. This, in turn, forces to explore ways to convert gas stations into charging stations for electric vehicles.
Today, there are around 180 petrol stations in Singapore, according to estimates by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). These are mainly operated by Shell, Exxonmobil, Chevron and SPC.
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Experiencing Rwanda's plastic bag ban, and whether Singapore could adopt a similar approach
Rwanda's approach of banning plastic bags with stiff penalties in 2008 has reaped environmental rewards. What lessons could Singapore learn in its own push to cut its massive amounts of plastic waste?
In Rwanda, the system has been in place for a long time: there is a sign at the entrance "Use of non-biodegradable polythene bags is prohibited", and owners of factories caught producing non-authorised plastic bags face up to a year in prison, while those who sell them could be fined a maximum of 300,000 Rwandan francs (S$408).
Singaporean authorities speculate whether the country can apply Rwanda's experience. In Singapore, large supermarkets will have to charge at least 5 cents for each disposable carrier bag from mid-2023. The Government has stopped short of a full ban, citing how bags are used to dispose of trash and then incinerated, instead of taking years to degrade in a landfill.
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Singapore beats Malaysia to take women's table tennis team gold at Commonwealth Games
Singapore clinched the women's table tennis team gold at the Commonwealth Games on Monday (Aug 1) after beating Malaysia 3-0 in the final.
This is Singapore’s first gold medal of the 2022 Games and Singapore’s second medal of this edition of the Games after swimmer Teong Tzen Wei clinched a silver in the men’s 50m butterfly final.
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Singapore to set aside another S$66 million for studies into ageing infrastructure and other urban challenges
The S$66 million will support solutions that can help upgrade Singapore's ageing infrastructure and create more space for the city's needs, says Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
Speaking at this year's World Cities Summit, Mr Lee said the programme has seen "good progress".
"We will also develop solutions that use the latest technology, like data analytics and AI (artificial intelligence), to enable more effective urban planning that can cope with more complexity", said Mr Lee.
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Earlier measures have ensured energy supply and stabilised wholesale electricity prices
Measures taken by the authorities so far have helped to ensure uninterrupted energy supply and stabilised wholesale electricity prices here, said Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng in Parliament on Tuesday (Aug 2).
This means there is no need to bring the electricity market under state control within the short to medium term, he added.
The measures include setting up standby fuel facilities, which generation companies, or gencos, can draw from to generate electricity when their natural gas supplies are disrupted.
Dr Tan said the Energy Market Authority (EMA) will continue to monitor the situation closely and "will not hesitate to introduce new measures if necessary".
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