Statute Details
- Title: Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024
- Act Code: EVCA2022-S755-2024
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (Order)
- Authorising Act: Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (power under section 92)
- Commencement: 1 October 2024
- Legislative Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Primary Subject Matter: Exemptions from specified Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 requirements for EV charging used to support specified autonomous motor vehicles (AMVs)
- Key Defined Terms (high level): “specified person”, “specified AMV”, “specified premises”, “authorised personnel”, and references to the AV Rules (Road Traffic (Autonomous Motor Vehicles) Rules 2017)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024 (“the Order”) creates a targeted regulatory carve-out within Singapore’s broader electric vehicle charging framework. In essence, it allows a “specified person” involved in an approved autonomous vehicle activity to use EV chargers—without fully complying with certain licensing, certification, inspection, record-keeping, and offence provisions that would otherwise apply under the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (“the EVCA”).
The Order is designed for a specific operational reality: autonomous motor vehicles (AMVs) are often deployed in controlled environments (for example, trials or special uses) and may require EV charging arrangements that differ from ordinary public or general-purpose charging. Rather than requiring the same compliance pathway for every EV charger used in such trials or special uses, the Order permits exemptions where strict conditions are met—particularly that the charger is used solely for the specified AMVs and that the charger’s connector is compatible with the AMV’s electric vehicle inlet.
While the EVCA establishes a comprehensive regime for EV charging safety, certification, and proper use, the Order ensures that exemptions do not create a regulatory vacuum. It does so by tying the exemptions to (i) the scope of the “specified person’s” authorisation under the autonomous vehicle regulatory framework, (ii) the location of charging (within “specified premises” or other defined areas), and (iii) controls to ensure the charger cannot be used by unauthorised parties.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions and the “specified” framework (Section 2)
The Order’s exemptions operate only within a defined ecosystem. Section 2 imports key meanings from the autonomous vehicle regulatory rules (the “AV Rules”) and the Road Traffic Act 1961 for “autonomous motor vehicle”. It also defines the scope of the exemption through three central concepts:
- “specified person” (P): the person authorised to carry out an “approved special use” or an “approved trial” under the AV Rules.
- “specified AMV”: the autonomous motor vehicle used (or to be used) by P to carry out the approved special use or undertake the approved trial during the period of P’s authorisation.
- “specified premises”: premises owned or occupied by P; parking places of a development where P owns or occupies part of the development; and the geographical area stated in P’s authorisation conditions where the approved special use may be carried out or the approved trial may be undertaken.
Section 2(2) also clarifies that a reference to a “vehicle connector” of an EV charger includes a connector fitted with an adaptor approved by the EV charger manufacturer. This matters in practice because connector compatibility is a recurring condition for each exemption.
2. Exemption for supplying EV chargers (Section 3)
Section 3 provides that section 6 of the EVCA does not apply to a person (A) who supplies an EV charger to P in Singapore (whether the supply is in or outside Singapore). The exemption is conditional:
- A must obtain, before supply, a written undertaking from P that the EV charger is solely for use by P or P’s authorised personnel to charge any specified AMV; and
- the EV charger’s vehicle connector must be compatible with the specified AMV’s electric vehicle inlet.
For practitioners, this is a procurement and compliance pivot point. Suppliers can rely on the exemption only if they document the undertaking and ensure connector compatibility.
3. Exemption for alteration/modification of EV chargers (Section 4)
Section 4 exempts P and P’s authorised personnel from section 11 of the EVCA when they alter or modify an EV charger (or allow it to be altered/modified). The conditions mirror the Section 3 logic, but with additional location constraints for fixed chargers:
- The charger must be solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs;
- The connector of the altered/modified charger must be compatible with the AMV inlet;
- If the charger is a fixed EV charger, it must be installed within specified premises.
Section 4(2) extends the exemption to a third party (A) engaged by P to alter/modify the charger, again requiring a written undertaking from P and the same compatibility and (for fixed chargers) location conditions.
4. Exemption for certification of EV chargers (Section 5)
Certification is a core compliance pillar under the EVCA. Section 5 creates multiple exemption pathways, covering:
- P or authorised personnel who certify an EV charger as fit for charging any electric vehicle in Singapore;
- P or authorised personnel who cause an individual to certify;
- third parties engaged to cause certification; and
- individual certifiers engaged by P or a third party.
Across these scenarios, the exemption is available only if the same strict conditions are satisfied:
- The EV charger is solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs;
- Connector compatibility is maintained;
- For fixed chargers, installation occurs within specified premises;
- P has put in place measures to ensure the charger can only be used by P or authorised personnel.
Practically, this means P must implement operational controls (for example, access control, lock-and-key arrangements, user authentication, or physical/administrative measures) to prevent “scope creep” into general public use.
5. Exemption for installation of fixed EV chargers (Section 6)
Section 6 exempts P and authorised personnel from section 24(1) of the EVCA for installing (or causing installation of) a fixed EV charger in any place in Singapore, provided that:
- The charger is solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs;
- Connector compatibility is satisfied;
- The charger is installed within specified premises; and
- P has (in the truncated extract) additional requirements that typically align with ensuring proper control and compliance with the EVCA’s safety intent.
Note: The provided extract truncates the remainder of Section 6. However, the structure of the Order indicates that the remaining conditions likely continue the pattern of (i) sole-use restriction, (ii) compatibility, (iii) location within specified premises, and (iv) control measures to ensure restricted use.
6. Exemptions relating to inspection, record-keeping, and offences (Sections 7 to 9)
The enacting formula lists further exemptions:
- Section 7: exemption from periodic inspection and keeping of records of EV chargers for charging specified AMVs.
- Section 8: exemption from the offence of improper use of EV chargers for charging specified AMVs.
- Section 9: exemption from the offence of improper charging using EV chargers for charging specified AMVs.
For counsel, these provisions are significant because they reduce exposure to EVCA offences and administrative burdens where the charger is being used within the authorised autonomous vehicle context. However, the exemptions are not unconditional; they are part of a scheme that depends on the “specified” limitations and the controls described in earlier sections (especially sole-use and restricted access).
7. Exemption for undertaking regulated activity and duties of prescribed persons (Sections 10 and 11)
Finally, the Order also provides:
- Section 10: exemption for undertaking a regulated activity using an EV charger for charging specified AMVs.
- Section 11: exemption from duties of a prescribed person for installation of fixed EV chargers for charging specified AMVs.
These provisions indicate that the EVCA’s compliance architecture includes roles for prescribed persons (for example, persons responsible for certain installation or compliance steps). The Order allows those duties to be relaxed where the autonomous vehicle authorisation framework already provides an alternative regulatory basis and where the charger is restricted to the specified AMVs.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is short and operationally focused. It follows a standard subsidiary legislation structure:
- Section 1 sets out the citation and commencement date (1 October 2024).
- Section 2 provides definitions and clarifies how connector references work (including approved adaptors).
- Sections 3 to 6 create exemptions for key lifecycle stages of EV chargers: supplying, altering/modifying, certifying, and installing fixed chargers.
- Sections 7 to 9 address ongoing compliance and potential criminal/penal exposure: inspection and records, and offences relating to improper use and improper charging.
- Sections 10 and 11 extend the exemption to broader regulated activities and to duties of prescribed persons.
Overall, the Order is best understood as a “bundle” of exemptions that apply only when the charger is tightly linked to P’s approved autonomous vehicle authorisation and when connector compatibility and restricted use are maintained.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The exemptions primarily apply to a specified person (P)—the entity authorised under the autonomous motor vehicle regulatory framework to conduct an approved special use or approved trial. The Order also extends to P’s authorised personnel (employees/officers/agents authorised to act on behalf of P and who are participants in the approved special use or trial).
In addition, the Order covers certain third parties involved in the charger lifecycle—such as suppliers (Section 3), installers/modifiers (Section 4), and certifiers (Section 5)—but only to the extent they obtain the required written undertakings from P and satisfy the compatibility and specified premises conditions. In other words, the Order is not a general exemption for the EV charging industry; it is a conditional exemption tied to an autonomous vehicle authorisation.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it enables Singapore’s autonomous vehicle ecosystem to deploy EV charging infrastructure without duplicating the full EVCA compliance pathway designed for general EV charging contexts. For practitioners advising autonomous vehicle operators, it reduces friction in trial operations and helps ensure that charging arrangements can be adapted to the technical requirements of specific AMVs.
At the same time, the Order is structured to preserve safety and accountability. The repeated conditions—sole-use, connector compatibility, installation within specified premises for fixed chargers, and measures to prevent unauthorised use—function as safeguards. They also create clear compliance checkpoints for counsel: undertakings must be obtained and retained; technical compatibility must be verified; and access controls must be implemented and documented.
Finally, the offence-related exemptions (Sections 8 and 9) and the exemptions from inspection/record-keeping (Section 7) have practical enforcement implications. Operators and their contractors should not assume that “exemption” means “no compliance”. Instead, the exemption should be treated as conditional relief that depends on staying within the defined scope of the approved trial/special use and maintaining the operational controls that justify the carve-out.
Related Legislation
- Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Road Traffic Act 1961 (definition of “autonomous motor vehicle”)
- Parking Places Act 1974 (definition of “parking place”)
- Road Traffic (Autonomous Motor Vehicles) Rules 2017 (G.N. No. S 464/2017) — “AV Rules”
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.