Statute Details
- Title: Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024
- Act Code: EVCA2022-S755-2024
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022
- Commencement: 1 October 2024
- Legislation Number: SL 755/2024 (No. S 755)
- Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Definitions (Section 2): “specified AMV”, “specified premises”, “authorised personnel”, and references to the AV Rules
- Core Exemptions (Sections 3–11): Exemptions relating to supplying, altering, certifying, installing, inspection/records, improper use/charging offences, and regulated activities/duties for fixed chargers
What Is This Legislation About?
The Electric Vehicles Charging (Specified Autonomous Motor Vehicles — Exemption) Order 2024 (“the Order”) is a targeted regulatory exemption instrument made under the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022. In plain terms, it allows a “specified person” involved in an approved autonomous motor vehicle (AMV) activity to use electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for specified autonomous motor vehicles without being subject to certain charging-related statutory requirements and offences that would otherwise apply.
The Order is not a general relaxation of EV charging rules. It is tightly scoped to autonomous motor vehicle use that is already authorised under the autonomous motor vehicle framework—specifically, an “approved special use” or an “approved trial”. The exemptions apply only for the period of the specified person’s authorisation and only in relation to charging a “specified AMV” using compatible charging connectors and, where relevant, chargers installed within “specified premises”.
Practically, the Order recognises that AMV operations (including trials and special uses) may require bespoke charging arrangements—such as modified connectors, dedicated fixed chargers, and certification processes—while still maintaining safety and control through conditions like compatibility and restricted access measures.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Definitions and the scope of “specified” activities (Section 2)
Section 2 sets the architecture for the exemptions. It imports key concepts from the Road Traffic (Autonomous Motor Vehicles) Rules 2017 (“AV Rules”) and from the Road Traffic Act 1961 (definition of “autonomous motor vehicle”). 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 during the period of the specified person’s authorisation.
- “specified premises” as premises owned or occupied by the specified person, parking places within a development where the specified person owns or occupies part of the development, and the geographical area stated in the authorisation conditions where the approved special use or trial may be carried out.
- “authorised personnel” as employees/officers/agents authorised to act on behalf of the specified person and who are also participants in the approved special use or approved trial.
Section 2(2) also clarifies that references to a “vehicle connector” include a connector fitted with an adaptor approved by the EV charger manufacturer—important for interpreting compatibility and modification conditions.
2. Exemption for supplying an EV charger (Section 3)
Section 3 provides that Section 6 of the Act does not apply to a person (A) who supplies an EV charger to the specified person (P), whether the charger is supplied in Singapore or from outside Singapore, if two conditions are met:
- Written undertaking: A obtains, 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 is compatible with the electric vehicle inlet of the specified AMV.
This provision is commercially significant: it reduces friction in procurement and importation of chargers for AMV trials/special uses, while still requiring documentary control (the undertaking) and technical compatibility.
3. Exemption for altering or modifying EV chargers (Section 4)
Section 4 exempts P and P’s authorised personnel from Section 11 of the Act (which, in the Act, relates to restrictions/requirements around alteration/modification of EV chargers). The exemption applies if:
- the charger is solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs;
- the connector of the altered/modified charger remains compatible with the specified AMV inlet; and
- for a fixed EV charger, the charger is installed within specified premises.
Section 4(2) extends the exemption to a third party (A) engaged by P to alter/modify the EV charger, again subject to a written undertaking, compatibility, and (for fixed chargers) installation within specified premises. This is important for contractors and engineering vendors: they can perform modifications without triggering the Act’s alteration controls, provided the conditions are satisfied and documented.
4. Exemption for certification of EV chargers (Section 5)
Certification is a central regulatory control in EV charging regimes. Section 5 provides a structured exemption from Section 23 of the Act for P, authorised personnel, and also for individuals and third parties engaged in certification activities.
For P or authorised personnel certifying an EV charger as fit for charging any electric vehicle in Singapore (Section 5(1)), the exemption applies if:
- the charger is solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs;
- connector compatibility is maintained;
- for fixed chargers, installation is within specified premises; and
- P has put in place measures to ensure the EV charger can only be used by P or P’s authorised personnel.
Section 5(2) similarly exempts P or authorised personnel who causes an individual to certify an EV charger, subject to the same conditions. Section 5(3) extends this to a third party (A) engaged to cause certification, requiring A to obtain a written undertaking from P before certification.
Finally, Section 5(4) addresses the individual certifier: where an individual is engaged by P or A to certify, the individual must obtain a written undertaking from P or A (as applicable) before certification, and the same compatibility, fixed-premises, and restricted-use measures apply.
Key practitioner takeaway: the exemption is not “certification-free”; it is “certification-regime-exempt” for the specified AMV context, but it imposes a compliance-like discipline through written undertakings and restricted access measures.
5. Exemption for installation of fixed EV chargers (Section 6)
Section 6 exempts P and authorised personnel from Section 24(1) of the Act (installation-related duties/requirements) for installing (or causing installation of) a fixed EV charger in any place in Singapore, if:
- the charger is solely for use by P or authorised personnel to charge specified AMVs;
- connector compatibility exists;
- the charger is installed within specified premises; and
- P has put in place measures to ensure the EV charger can only be used by P or authorised personnel.
Note: The extract provided truncates the remainder of Section 6, but the visible conditions align with the pattern in Sections 5 and 7—restricted use, compatibility, and location control for fixed chargers.
6. Exemptions from inspection/records and from improper use/charging offences (Sections 7–9)
Although the extract does not reproduce the full text of Sections 7–9, the enacting formula and headings indicate that the Order provides:
- 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 an EV charger for charging specified AMVs.
- Section 9: exemption from the offence of improper charging using an EV charger for charging specified AMVs.
These exemptions are significant because they reduce compliance burdens and potential criminal exposure for conduct that would otherwise be treated as improper. However, given the Order’s repeated emphasis on “sole use” and restricted access, the practical expectation is that the specified person must implement controls to prevent diversion to unauthorised users or charging outside the specified AMV context.
7. Exemption for undertaking regulated activity and duties of prescribed persons (Sections 10–11)
The Order also covers broader regulatory activity and installation-related duties:
- 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 a fixed EV charger for charging specified AMVs.
These provisions are designed to ensure that the AMV programme can proceed without being blocked by EV charging compliance obligations that are geared toward ordinary public or general-purpose charging scenarios.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured as a short, numbered instrument with an enacting formula and a set of operative sections:
- Section 1: citation and commencement (1 October 2024).
- Section 2: definitions, including cross-references to the AV Rules and key terms that confine the exemptions to authorised AMV activities.
- Sections 3–6: exemptions covering the lifecycle of charging infrastructure—supplying, altering/modifying, certifying, and installing fixed chargers.
- Sections 7–9: exemptions from inspection/records and from improper use/charging offences in the specified AMV context.
- Sections 10–11: exemptions relating to regulated activity and prescribed person duties for installation of fixed chargers.
Overall, the structure reflects a policy approach: allow operational flexibility for AMV trials/special uses while maintaining guardrails through compatibility, restricted use, and written undertakings.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The exemptions apply to a “specified person” (P)—a person who has authorisation to conduct an approved special use or an approved trial involving specified autonomous motor vehicles. The exemptions also extend to P’s authorised personnel (participants authorised to act on behalf of P) and, in certain sections, to third parties (A) engaged by P (e.g., suppliers, installers, modifiers, and certifiers).
Importantly, the exemptions are conditional and activity-specific. They do not apply to any EV charger use generally; they apply only where the charger is solely for charging the specified AMVs, the connector is compatible with the specified AMV inlet, and (for fixed chargers) the charger is installed within specified premises and subject to measures restricting use to P and authorised personnel.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it operationalises a regulatory “pathway” for autonomous vehicle deployment and testing in Singapore. Autonomous motor vehicle programmes often require dedicated charging arrangements—sometimes involving modified connectors, bespoke certification workflows, and controlled installation sites. Without exemptions, ordinary EV charging statutory requirements could create delays, compliance costs, or uncertainty for trial operators and their contractors.
From an enforcement and risk perspective, Sections 7–9 are particularly consequential. By exempting the specified person (and relevant actors) from inspection/record-keeping and from offences relating to improper use/charging, the Order reduces the likelihood that conduct necessary for an AMV trial could be treated as a regulatory breach—provided the conditions are met.
For practitioners, the most actionable compliance points are the recurring conditions: written undertakings (where third parties are involved), connector compatibility, sole-use restrictions, and restricted access measures ensuring only P or authorised personnel can use the charger. These conditions effectively function as the Order’s “safety and control” mechanism, substituting for some of the Act’s standard compliance obligations.
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)
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.