Statute Details
- Title: Electric Vehicles Charging (Minimum Electrical Load and Charging Points) Order 2023
- Act Code: EVCA2022-S788-2023
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Enacting Authority: Minister for Transport
- Enacting Formula / Power Source: Sections 64(1)(b) and (2) and 65(1)(b) and (2) of the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Commencement: 8 December 2023
- Legislative Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Primary Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Definitions); Sections 3–4 (minimum electrical load and charging points for specified development scenarios)
- Key Concepts Defined by Reference: “building works”, “development”, “electrical work”, “parking lot”, “parking place” (by reference to section 60 of the Act)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Electric Vehicles Charging (Minimum Electrical Load and Charging Points) Order 2023 (“the Order”) is a technical but practically significant instrument made under the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (“the Act”). In plain terms, it sets out minimum requirements that developers and property owners must meet when they carry out certain types of works in relation to buildings and electrical systems that include parking facilities.
The Order focuses on two linked compliance metrics for EV charging infrastructure in parking places: (1) a minimum “electrical load” that must be provided, and (2) a minimum number of “charging points” that must be installed (or made available) to draw from that electrical capacity. The requirements are expressed using formulas that depend on the total number of parking lots within the relevant parking places of the development.
Importantly, the Order distinguishes between developments where building works are carried out and developments where electrical work is carried out. While the formulas are the same in both cases, the legal hooks differ: the Act’s sections 64 and 65 contemplate minimum requirements tied to the nature of the works. The Order supplies the calculation method that practitioners must apply when advising on compliance and when preparing submissions or meeting statutory conditions.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the legal identity and start date of the instrument. The Order is cited as the Electric Vehicles Charging (Minimum Electrical Load and Charging Points) Order 2023 and comes into operation on 8 December 2023. For practitioners, this matters for determining which projects fall under the regime at the time of application, design approval, or commencement of relevant works.
Section 2 (Definitions) does not create standalone definitions; instead, it imports meanings from section 60 of the Act. The terms “building works”, “development”, “electrical work”, “parking lot” and “parking place” are therefore to be interpreted consistently with the Act’s definitional framework. This cross-referencing approach is common in Singapore subsidiary legislation: it avoids duplication and ensures that the Order’s technical requirements align with the Act’s scope and regulatory intent.
Section 3 (Minimum electrical load and charging points for development with building works) is the first substantive compliance provision. It addresses the situation where building works are carried out in a development that includes parking places. The section is structured in three steps:
(1) Minimum electrical load (Section 3(1)): the minimum electrical load is determined by the formula: 1.3 kVA × TPL, where TPL is the total number of parking lots in the parking places of the development.
(2) Minimum number of charging points (Section 3(2)): the minimum number of charging points, N, is the number of charging points that draws the aggregate amount of electrical load (in kilowatts) determined under the next formula. If the resulting N is not a whole number, it must be rounded up to the next higher whole number.
(3) Aggregate electrical load for charging points (Section 3(3)): the formula to determine the aggregate amount of electrical load (in kilowatts) is: 0.2 × (MEL × PF), where MEL is the minimum electrical load from Section 3(1), and PF is the power factor of 0.85.
Although the Order does not expressly explain the engineering rationale, the legal effect is clear: the charging-point count is derived from a capacity calculation that incorporates a power factor. Practitioners should treat these formulas as mandatory and not as indicative guidance, because they are framed as “determined in accordance with” the specified expressions.
Section 4 (Minimum electrical load and charging points for development with electrical work) mirrors Section 3. It applies where the development involves electrical work rather than building works. The same formulas apply:
(1) Minimum electrical load: 1.3 kVA × TPL.
(2) Minimum number of charging points: compute the aggregate electrical load using 0.2 × (MEL × PF), then determine the number of charging points N that draws that aggregate amount, rounding up if N is not a whole number.
(3) Power factor: PF = 0.85.
From a legal-advisory perspective, the key difference between Sections 3 and 4 is not the calculation method but the statutory trigger. Whether a project is governed by section 64 (building works) or section 65 (electrical work) will depend on how the relevant works are characterised under the Act and the project scope. Lawyers advising developers, consultants, and owners should therefore pay close attention to project documentation and the nature of the works being undertaken.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is concise and formula-driven. It contains:
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) sets the date the Order takes effect.
Section 2 (Definitions) imports key terms from the Act.
Section 3 sets the minimum electrical load and charging-point requirements for developments where building works are carried out, including the two-stage method (electrical load → aggregate load → charging points).
Section 4 repeats the same method for developments where electrical work is carried out.
Notably, the Order does not include additional parts on enforcement, penalties, or administrative processes. Those matters are governed by the Act. The Order’s role is to specify the minimum technical thresholds and the calculation mechanics that the Act requires for compliance.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to persons who undertake “development” in Singapore that includes “parking places” and where the relevant statutory conditions under the Act are met—specifically, where the development involves either “building works” (Section 3) or “electrical work” (Section 4). Because the Order defines key terms by reference to section 60 of the Act, its applicability is best understood by reading the Act’s definitions and the operative provisions in sections 64 and 65.
In practical terms, the compliance burden will typically fall on developers, owners, and their consultants (including electrical engineers and building services designers) who must ensure that the design and installation of EV charging infrastructure meets the statutory minimums. Lawyers advising on project delivery should also consider how these requirements interact with planning approvals, building control submissions, electrical works approvals, and contractual obligations (e.g., who bears the cost and risk of meeting statutory charging-point minima).
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it converts policy intent—expanding EV charging availability—into measurable, enforceable minimum standards. The formulas are straightforward in structure but have real consequences for design capacity, electrical infrastructure planning, and cost. A developer who miscalculates the number of required charging points could face compliance issues, delays, or the need for redesign and additional electrical works.
From an enforcement and risk-management standpoint, the Order’s mandatory language (“determined in accordance with”) and its rounding rule (round up to the next higher whole number) reduce discretion. The rounding-up requirement is particularly significant: even small changes in the computed aggregate electrical load can increase the required number of charging points by one or more units. Practitioners should therefore ensure that calculations are documented and reproducible, and that the inputs—especially TPL (total parking lots)—are correctly identified for the relevant “parking places” within the development.
Finally, the distinction between building works and electrical work matters for project staging. Many developments involve both types of works, and the legal trigger may depend on what is being done at the relevant time or under the relevant approvals. Lawyers should coordinate with technical teams to map the project scope to the correct statutory pathway (section 64 versus section 65 of the Act), and to ensure that contractual deliverables align with the statutory minima set out in this Order.
Related Legislation
- Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (including sections 60, 64, 65 and the enabling provisions for this Order)
- Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (as referenced in the Order’s definitions and operative framework)
- Legislation Timeline (for version control and commencement context)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Electric Vehicles Charging (Minimum Electrical Load and Charging Points) Order 2023 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.