Statute Details
- Title: Fire Safety (Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations — Exemption) Order 2022
- Act Code: FSA1993-S386-2022
- Legislative Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Fire Safety Act 1993
- Enacting Power: Section 103 of the Fire Safety Act 1993
- Citation: SL 386/2022
- Commencement: 19 May 2022
- Key Provisions: Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Exemption)
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Notable Amendment: Amended by S 107/2026 with effect from 16 Mar 2026
What Is This Legislation About?
The Fire Safety (Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations — Exemption) Order 2022 (“EV Charger Exemption Order”) is a targeted regulatory instrument made under the Fire Safety Act 1993. In plain terms, it creates a limited exemption from certain fire-safety requirements that would otherwise apply to the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
The Order responds to a practical regulatory challenge: EV chargers are increasingly installed in various commercial and operational settings, and the full suite of installation-related fire safety provisions under the Fire Safety Act and related regulations may be burdensome or not appropriately calibrated for the risk profile of EV charging equipment. The legislative approach is therefore not to remove fire safety oversight entirely, but to carve out specific exemptions for the installation of EV chargers.
Importantly, the exemption is not blanket. The Order specifies that the exemption does not apply in certain circumstances—most notably where the EV charger is located within a petrol station, or where the EV charger is also a battery swap station. These carve-outs reflect the higher fire-risk context and operational complexity associated with fuel retail environments and battery swapping arrangements.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation and commencement (Section 1)
Section 1 provides the formal citation and states that the Order comes into operation on 19 May 2022. This matters for practitioners assessing whether the exemption applied at a particular time, for example when advising on compliance status for installations completed before or after commencement.
2. The core exemption (Section 2(1))
Section 2(1) is the heart of the Order. It states that Sections 55, 56 and 60 of the Fire Safety Act 1993 and regulation 17 of the Fire Safety (Building and Pipeline Fire Safety) Regulations do not apply “in relation to the installation of any EV charger.” In effect, the installation of EV chargers is carved out from those specific statutory and regulatory requirements.
From a practitioner’s perspective, this is a “negative” legislative mechanism: rather than imposing new duties, the Order removes the applicability of certain provisions. The practical consequence is that, for covered EV charger installations, the relevant procedural or substantive requirements embedded in Sections 55, 56, 60 of the Act and regulation 17 of the Building and Pipeline Fire Safety Regulations will not be triggered.
3. Limits and carve-outs (Section 2(2))
Section 2(2) clarifies that the exemption in Section 2(1) does not apply in relation to two categories of installations:
- (a) EV chargers located within a petrol station
- (b) EV chargers that are also battery swap stations
These carve-outs are legally significant because they preserve the applicability of the otherwise-exempt provisions for higher-risk or more complex operational settings. In advising clients, counsel should therefore conduct a fact-specific assessment of the installation location and the functional configuration of the charging equipment.
4. Definitions (Section 2(3))
Section 2(3) supplies definitions that control the scope of the exemption. The definitions are detailed and operational, and they should be read carefully when determining whether a particular device or site falls within the exemption.
Key defined terms include:
- “electric vehicle”: a motor vehicle propelled wholly or partly by electricity and equipped with a battery.
- “EV charger”: any device used to supply electricity to the battery of an electric vehicle for charging, including wiring, fittings or apparatus connected to the device, but excluding the isolator.
- “battery”: a rechargeable energy storage system that can be recharged externally to derive power to propel the vehicle.
- “swappable battery”: a battery designed to be removed from the vehicle and exchanged for a recharged battery for propulsion.
- “battery swap station”: a device used to store one or more swappable batteries to enable exchange of depleted batteries for fully charged ones, whether or not the device is capable of transferring electricity from a supply source to the stored batteries.
The “battery swap station” definition is particularly broad. It focuses on the storage and exchange function for swappable batteries, and it expressly covers arrangements even where the device is not itself capable of transferring electricity from a supply source to the stored batteries. This breadth can affect whether an installation is treated as a battery swap station for the purpose of the exemption carve-out.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The EV Charger Exemption Order is structured in a short, two-section format:
- Section 1 sets out the citation and commencement.
- Section 2 sets out the exemption, including the scope of what is exempt, the carve-outs where the exemption does not apply, and the definitions that govern interpretation.
There are no additional parts or schedules in the extract provided. The legislative technique is therefore streamlined: it identifies the specific provisions being disapplied and then defines the relevant technology and site categories.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to persons who are concerned with the installation of EV chargers in Singapore. While the text does not expressly list regulated parties (such as building owners, developers, or installers), the practical compliance audience typically includes property owners, facility operators, EV charging service providers, contractors, and any party responsible for ensuring that installations comply with the Fire Safety Act framework.
However, the exemption is not universal. It applies to EV charger installations generally, but it does not apply where the charger is located within a petrol station or where the charger is also part of a battery swap station. Accordingly, the applicability turns on the factual configuration of the installation—location and functional integration—rather than solely on the identity of the installer.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it directly affects the regulatory pathway for EV charger deployments. By disapplying specified provisions of the Fire Safety Act and the Building and Pipeline Fire Safety Regulations, it can reduce compliance friction for many EV charging installations—particularly those in settings that are not petrol stations and not integrated with battery swapping operations.
For practitioners, the key value lies in understanding that the exemption is targeted and conditional. It is not a general “EV chargers are exempt from fire safety” rule. Instead, it is a carefully drawn legislative carve-out that removes the applicability of particular statutory and regulatory requirements for the installation of EV chargers, while preserving those requirements in higher-risk contexts.
From an enforcement and risk-management perspective, the carve-outs reflect legislative judgment about where additional fire safety controls are warranted. Petrol stations involve fuel storage and dispensing, which increases the consequences of ignition events. Battery swap stations involve the handling, storage, and exchange of swappable batteries, which can introduce additional hazards and operational complexity. The Order therefore maintains the applicability of the disapplied provisions in those contexts, ensuring that the regulatory framework remains robust where it matters most.
Finally, the existence of an amendment effective 16 March 2026 (S 107/2026) underscores the need for practitioners to verify the current version when advising clients. Even where the extract shows the operative text, counsel should confirm whether any changes affect interpretation, definitions, or the scope of carve-outs.
Related Legislation
- Fire Safety Act 1993 (authorising Act; specifically Sections 55, 56 and 60 as disapplied by the Order)
- Fire Safety (Building and Pipeline Fire Safety) Regulations (specifically regulation 17 as disapplied by the Order)
- Fire Safety (Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations — Exemption) Order 2022 (SL 386/2022) and its amendment S 107/2026
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Fire Safety (Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations — Exemption) Order 2022 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.