The introduction of energy-efficient electric vehicles (EVs) on public roads is in line with the goals of Brunei Vision 2035, said President of the Brunei Darussalam Auto Traders Association Teng Chee Kiong.
In an interview with the Bulletin, Teng said, “Such a move will help to tackle environmental issues such as climate change. In the long term, it will help the government to save money by cutting down subsidies on petrol, which can be channelled to education, health and so on.
We can also sell our fuel to other countries.”
He added, “By 2035, 60 per cent of cars in this country will be EVs, which all auto distributors will work together to introduce. Charging can be done at home, where two types of chargers are available – one that lasts seven to eight hours and the other a fast-charger that lasts for four to five hours. The nation is also considering a superfast charger.
“A fully-charged vehicle can travel up to 400 kilometres at a time, which is more than a return trip to Kota Kinabalu. Normally, a person drives about 80 to 100 kilometres a day, and a fully charged vehicle can run for more than two days.
“But there is a need for incentives to make charging more workable. In Europe and China, the implementation of EVs is heavily subsidised. We are not too late in introducing EVs to this country. We are still quite okay, compared to other ASEAN member countries.”
On December 28, 2020, while delivering the Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Strategic Plan 2025, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof said, “Brunei Darussalam is set to implement the EV pilot project, which will start in the first half of 2021, for the next two years.
“In line with the Brunei Darussalam National Climate Change Policy (BNCCP), the project will pave the way for national resilience in climate change and low carbon emissions.”
He also said the project is one of the four latest initiatives and transportation policies in the country, adding that “similar to the Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Strategic plan, the national climate change policy focusses on the principles of achieving Brunei Vision 2035 and promoting security, resilience and economic prosperity through a low carbon approach in preserving the environment”.
On the implementation of legal requirements covering technical, pricing and infrastructure issues, he said, “other stakeholders such as car dealers will also carry out promotions on EV to expand and increase its distribution. Within five years of the launch of the EV Strategic Plan, policy setting and provision of infrared charging will be targetted for implementation.”
On December 31, 2020, the Brunei Darussalam National Council on Climate Change said that as the Sultanate strives for sustainable economic development, through rapid expansion of the industrial sector in the coming years, the national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are expected to increase to 29.5 Mt CO2e.
However, with mitigation measures identified in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the expected increase can be reduced by 20 per cent by 2030.
The mitigation measures are based on the BNCCP strategies that aim at reducing GHG emissions: Strategy 1 on Industrial Emissions; Strategy 2 on Forest Cover; Strategy 3 on Electric Vehicles; Strategy 4 on Renewable Energy; Strategy 5 on Power Management; Strategy 6 on Carbon Pricing; Strategy 7 on Waste Management; and Strategy 9 on Carbon Inventory.
News Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei
