SMRT subsidiary Strides Transportation has signed an agreement with utilities provider SP Group to offer its electric vehicle (EV) drivers and fleet customers access to SP’s high-speed chargers across the island.

This will provide greater convenience and a quicker turnaround time for Strides’ drivers, the two firms said.

Strides, a wholly owned subsidiary of transport operator SMRT, provides vehicle leasing, chauffeur services and sustainable urban mobility services.

SP Group subsidiary SP Mobility currently has 340 charging points at 71 locations, including shopping malls and business parks and industrial sites islandwide, one-third of which comprise high-speed DC chargers.

In a joint release, both companies said they had agreed to launch an “electrification-as-a-service” offering, which they described as a “suite of end-to-end solutions that include the provision and maintenance of a wide range of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and a digital management platform”.

“Strides will leverage SP’s high-speed public EV charging network, which is the largest of its kind in Singapore, to provide the service.

“Both parties also agreed on a strategic collaboration to explore various technological solutions to enhance the ‘electrification-as-a-service’ offering for EV customers, including the provision and operation of charging points at customer premises,” they said in the release.

The two firms will together develop solutions aimed at helping firms and fleet owners accelerate their sustainability plans, they added.

“We are committed to accelerating Singapore’s green mobility transition and enabling large-scale adoption through accessibility, convenience and affordability,” said SP Group CEO Stanley Huang.

“In addition to building the most pervasive network infrastructure in Singapore, we will be drawing on our technology to find new ways to meet Stride’s business needs, and the differentiated charging needs of the EV ecosystem.”

SMRT Road Holdings president Tan Kian Heong said: “As a player in the EV ecosystem, we want to assure all our partners that Strides’ ‘electrification-as-a-service’ has a suite of solutions to meet their needs.

“We look forward to our collaboration with SP Group, which will go a long way towards powering our fleet of EVs, which include the electric taxis that are coming our way.”

SMRT recently announced its plans to convert its entire taxi fleet – currently comprising 1,796 cabs – to fully electric vehicles within the next five years, with the first batch of 300 electric taxis slated to arrive in Singapore progressively from July this year.

“The electrification of the entire taxi fleet is part of SMRT’s growth strategy in green businesses under its urban mobility services arm, Strides Mobility,” it said.

Last month Strides also announced plans to partner with electric motorcycle manufacturer EuroSports Technologies to develop, market and supply smart electric motorcycles for commercial and corporate clients.

Separately, SP had earlier signed agreements with the Goldbell Group, Grab and Schneider Electric to support the charging needs of their EV fleet, and had also announced a partnership with energy corporation Chevron to install chargers at four Caltex service stations.

The Government will set aside S$30 million over the next five years for electric vehicle-related initiatives, which includes improving Singapore’s charging infrastructure.

The country aims to have 60,000 charging points at public car parks and private premises by 2030, more than double its initial target of 28,000.