Statute Details
- Title: Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024
- Act Code: EVCA2022-S755-2024
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Enacting power: Section 92 of the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Commencement: 1 October 2024
- Legislation number (as shown in the extract): SL 755/2024
- Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026 (per the platform timeline)
- Key definitions: “specified AMV”, “specified premises”, “specified person”, and cross-references to the AV Rules
- Core exemptions: for supplying, altering, certifying, installing, inspection/record-keeping, and certain EV charger offences—where charging is for “specified AMVs” used in an “approved special use” or “approved trial”
What Is This Legislation About?
The Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024 (“the Order”) creates a targeted regulatory carve-out from parts of the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 (“EVCA 2022”) for a narrow class of electric vehicle (EV) charging activities. In essence, the Order allows a “specified person” involved in an approved autonomous vehicle programme to supply, modify, certify, and install EV charging equipment—without being subject to certain EVCA 2022 requirements and offences—so long as the charging equipment is used only to charge “specified autonomous motor vehicles” (“specified AMVs”).
The Order is designed to facilitate autonomous motor vehicle (AMV) trials and special uses in Singapore. Autonomous vehicle deployments often require bespoke integration between the vehicle and the charging interface, including compatibility of vehicle connectors and controls. Rather than applying the full EVCA 2022 compliance regime to these bespoke setups, the Order provides exemptions that reduce friction while still imposing safeguards (notably, compatibility requirements and “sole use” restrictions, plus measures to ensure the charger cannot be used by unauthorised parties).
Although the Order is an exemption instrument, it is not a blanket deregulation. It is conditional and structured around defined terms that tie the exemption to the approved autonomous vehicle framework under the Road Traffic (Autonomous Motor Vehicles) Rules 2017 (“AV Rules”). This linkage is central: the exemptions only apply for the period and scope of the “authorisation” granted to the specified person for an “approved special use” or “approved trial”.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions and the scope of “specified” charging
Section 2 sets the architecture for the exemptions. It imports key meanings from the AV Rules and defines the operational boundaries. The Order defines “specified AMV” as an autonomous motor vehicle used (or to be used) by the specified person to carry out the approved special use or undertake the approved trial for the period of the specified person’s authorisation. It also defines “specified premises” to include: (a) premises owned or occupied by the specified person; (b) parking places within a development where the specified person owns or occupies part of the development; and (c) the geographical area stated in the conditions of the specified person’s authorisation where the approved special use may be carried out or the approved trial may be undertaken.
Section 2 also clarifies that references to a “vehicle connector” of an EV charger include a connector where an adaptor approved by the manufacturer of the EV charger is fitted. This matters for practical compliance: it allows the exemption to cover connector configurations that are manufacturer-approved, even if an adaptor is used to achieve compatibility with the AMV’s electric vehicle inlet.
2. Exemption for supplying EV chargers (Section 3)
Section 3 provides that Section 6 of the EVCA 2022 does not apply to a person (A) who supplies an EV charger to the specified person (P) for charging specified AMVs. The exemption is conditional on two requirements:
- Written undertaking: 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.
- Connector compatibility: the vehicle connector of the EV charger must be compatible with the electric vehicle inlet of the specified AMV.
For practitioners, the “written undertaking” requirement is a key evidentiary and compliance step. It also implies that the exemption is not merely about technical compatibility; it is about controlling the end-use of the charger.
3. Exemption for altering or modifying EV chargers (Section 4)
Section 4 exempts the specified person (P) and P’s authorised personnel from Section 11 of the EVCA 2022 when they alter or modify an EV charger (or allow it to be altered or modified) to charge specified AMVs. The conditions mirror those in Section 3, with an additional location requirement for fixed chargers:
- The charger must be solely for use by P or P’s authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs.
- The connector of the altered/modified charger must be compatible with the AMV’s electric vehicle inlet.
- Fixed charger location: if the charger is fixed, it must be installed within any specified premises.
Section 4(2) extends the exemption to another person (A) engaged by P to alter or modify the EV charger. Here, A must obtain a written undertaking from P before the alteration/modification, and the same “sole use”, compatibility, and fixed-premises conditions apply.
4. Exemption for certification of EV chargers (Section 5)
Section 5 is one of the most practically important provisions because EVCA 2022 certification regimes are often central to safety and regulatory assurance. The Order exempts P and authorised personnel from certain EVCA 2022 certification requirements (Section 23(1), (4) and (6)) when certifying an EV charger as fit for charging any electric vehicle in Singapore—again, subject to conditions:
- Sole use by P or authorised personnel for charging specified AMVs.
- Connector compatibility with the specified AMV inlet.
- If fixed: installation within specified premises.
- Control measures: P must put in place measures to ensure the EV charger can only be used by P or P’s authorised personnel.
Section 5 also addresses certification conducted by individuals and by third parties. It provides exemptions where P causes an individual to certify (Section 23(2) exemption), where P engages another person (A) to cause certification, and where an individual is engaged by P or A to certify. In each case, the same core conditions apply, including the written undertaking and P’s measures to ensure restricted use.
For lawyers advising on compliance, Section 5 effectively creates a controlled “internal certification” pathway for the specified AMV context, but only if the specified person can demonstrate (i) connector compatibility, (ii) restricted use, and (iii) that fixed chargers are located within the authorised premises.
5. Exemption for installation of fixed EV chargers (Section 6)
Section 6 exempts P and authorised personnel from Section 24(1) of the EVCA 2022 for installing (or causing installation of) a fixed EV charger anywhere in Singapore, provided the charger is solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs, the connector is compatible, and the fixed charger is installed within specified premises. The extract truncates the remainder of Section 6, but based on the structure of Sections 3–5, it is likely to include additional conditions consistent with the Order’s overall safeguards (particularly restricted use and compatibility).
6. Exemptions from inspection/record-keeping and from certain offences (Sections 7–9)
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 offence of improper use of EV charger for charging specified AMVs), and Section 9 (exemption from offence of improper charging using EV charger for charging specified AMVs). While the extract does not reproduce the full text of these provisions, their titles indicate that the Order removes certain compliance burdens and criminal liability exposure for the specified AMV charging context.
In practice, these exemptions matter because EV charger offences and inspection obligations can create operational risk for trial operators. The Order’s conditional framework suggests that the exemptions are intended to apply only where the charger is restricted to the specified AMVs and where the specified person has implemented appropriate controls.
7. Exemption for undertaking regulated activity and duties of prescribed persons (Sections 10–11)
Section 10 provides an exemption for undertaking a “regulated activity” using an EV charger for charging specified AMVs. Section 11 provides an exemption from duties of a “prescribed person” for installation of fixed EV chargers for charging specified AMVs. These provisions reinforce that the Order is not limited to technical steps (supply/modification/certification/installation) but also extends to the regulatory roles and obligations that would otherwise apply to other categories of persons involved in regulated EV charging activities.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured as a short, numbered instrument with a definitions section followed by a sequence of exemption provisions. It begins with:
- Section 1: citation and commencement (1 October 2024).
- Section 2: definitions and interpretive rules, including cross-references to the AV Rules and the Road Traffic Act 1961.
- Sections 3–6: exemptions relating to the lifecycle of EV charging equipment—supply, alteration/modification, certification, and installation (notably fixed chargers).
- Sections 7–9: exemptions relating to ongoing compliance and offences—periodic inspection/record-keeping and improper use/improper charging offences.
- Sections 10–11: exemptions relating to regulated activities and duties of prescribed persons.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the structure is “step-by-step”: it tracks the typical regulatory touchpoints in EV charger governance and then exempts them in a controlled autonomous vehicle context.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to a “specified person” (P) who has an authorisation under the autonomous motor vehicle framework for an “approved special use” or an “approved trial”. The exemptions are available to P, P’s “authorised personnel”, and in some cases to third parties (A) engaged by P (for supply, alteration/modification, or certification-related activities).
Crucially, the exemptions are limited to charging activities involving “specified AMVs” and “specified premises” for the period of P’s authorisation. The Order therefore does not create a general exemption for all EV charging equipment or all autonomous vehicles; it is tethered to the specific approved programme and the geographic/operational conditions of that authorisation.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it operationalises how Singapore can support autonomous vehicle trials while maintaining a safety and compliance framework for EV charging infrastructure. By carving out specified EV charger regulatory requirements, it reduces administrative and legal friction for trial operators who need to integrate charging equipment with AMV connectors and charging interfaces.
At the same time, the Order is careful to preserve control and safety through conditions that are legally meaningful: written undertakings restricting “sole use” to P and authorised personnel; technical compatibility requirements between the charger connector and the AMV inlet; location constraints for fixed chargers; and measures to ensure chargers cannot be used by unauthorised persons. These conditions provide a compliance pathway that can be documented and audited.
For enforcement and risk management, the exemptions from inspection/record-keeping and from improper use/improper charging offences are particularly significant. They can change the liability landscape for trial participants and contractors. Lawyers advising on autonomous vehicle deployments should therefore treat the Order as a compliance checklist: ensure that the charger is within the defined scope (specified AMVs and premises), that undertakings are properly obtained and retained, and that restricted-use controls are implemented and evidencable.
Related Legislation
- Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Road Traffic Act 1961
- Parking Places Act 1974
- 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.