MNL Solutions on CNA938: Bringing EV Charging to Singapore’s Older Condominiums
Co-founders Lai Yuan Weng and Sathiyamoorthy Nagarajan discuss installation costs, electrical capacity and practical ways to prepare older estates for growing EV demand.
How can older condominiums introduce electric vehicle charging when their infrastructure was designed long before EVs became a consideration?
MNL Solutions’ Directors and Co-Founders, Lai Yuan Weng and Sathiyamoorthy Nagarajan, explored this question with host Cheryl Goh on CNA938’s Mind Your Money. The episode, Future-proofing Singapore’s legacy estates for EVs, examined the challenges facing homeowners and condominium management councils as they consider adding charging facilities.
Throughout the conversation, the founders emphasised that older estates can explore practical routes to EV readiness through site-specific planning, flexible funding arrangements and infrastructure designed to expand with demand.
Why home charging matters
For residents, access to charging within their condominium offers everyday convenience. Without it, EV owners may need to make separate trips to public charging locations, spend time looking for available chargers and incur additional parking charges. Charging at home can make EV ownership easier to fit into daily life.
Introducing that convenience, however, requires management corporations (MCSTs) to balance the needs of the whole estate. Residents may have questions about installation costs, the allocation of parking spaces and the use of shared resources, particularly when EV drivers remain a minority.
Lowering the upfront cost
The founders discussed MNL’s capital expenditure-light and zero-capital-expenditure approaches, which are designed to reduce or remove upfront installation expenditure for MCSTs. The appropriate arrangement depends on the estate’s infrastructure, project requirements and commercial terms. They also highlighted the role of government grants in making deployment more financially workable.
For eligible developments, the Land Transport Authority’s Electric Vehicle Common Charger Grant supports the installation of shared charging infrastructure in non-landed private residences. Estates considering a project should assess the applicable eligibility requirements and grant availability alongside their installation plans.
Making the most of existing power
Electrical capacity was another central topic. Older buildings may have limited spare power, and some installations require changes to existing infrastructure. The founders explained how dynamic load balancing can help distribute available electrical power across charging points, allowing estates to make better use of their existing capacity. The extent of any required upgrades still depends on the individual site.
In suitable residential settings, this approach can support a greater number of AC charging points within the available power supply. The discussion highlighted charger availability as an important consideration alongside charging speed, particularly as more residents switch to EVs.
Planning for growth
Planning for expansion is equally important. An estate may initially require only a small number of chargers, but demand can grow. MNL’s approach considers scalability from the outset, helping management councils plan how additional charging points could be introduced as residents’ needs change.
Each development also brings its own requirements. Car park layout, available electrical supply, future building works and access arrangements all influence the proposal. Whether charging is intended for residents only or also for visitors can affect where chargers are positioned and how they are used.
Bringing residents along
The conversation underscored the importance of resident engagement throughout this process. The founders described participating in estate discussions, including annual general meetings, to explain proposals and address concerns. Clear information about costs, parking arrangements and future demand helps management councils and residents evaluate their options.
MNL supports this process through services spanning site assessment, installation, maintenance and ongoing operations, with charging solutions tailored to residential and commercial properties.
Listen to the full CNA938 interview.
Considering EV charging for your condominium? Contact MNL Solutions to discuss your estate’s requirements and explore a suitable installation plan.
