If you caught my last post, you now know roughly how much it costs to buy your BYD Atto 3 or similar CAT A EV.
But owning a car also means monthly bills and for EV Cars mostly charging and upkeep.
Let us break down what goes into these costs so you don’t kena surprise later.
Charging Costs at HDB Public Chargers
Most Singaporeans living in HDB flats use public AC chargers. With recent hikes and ChargePlus pricing, expect to pay about 58 cents per kWh for slow AC charging.
For the Atto 3, which consumes approximately 15 kWh to cover 100 km, here’s what your monthly charging bill looks like depending on how much you drive:
- Drive 600 km a month → About 90 kWh → $52 monthly charging cost
- Drive 1,200 km a month → About 180 kWh → $104 monthly charging cost
- Drive 1,800 km a month → About 270 kWh → $157 monthly charging cost
If you can install a home charger, charging at home can cost about half of this. But if you stay landed, you just buy EV car already lah. Why would you research so much on the charging cost right?
The landed property charging cost is the same as home electricity. Around 27c++ / kwh compared what commericials are charging at HDB 58c.
Maintenance Costs: Simple and Cheaper
EVs are simpler animals.
No engine oil to change, no spark plugs to fuss over, no gearbox to service. Maintenance basically means checking the wheels, brakes, and software updates.
The major wallet factor is tyres. EV tyres come bigger than your regular car : mostly 18 inches minimum and cost around S$150 or more per wheel.
Tyres wear faster too, lasting about 20,000 to 30,000 km before needing replacement.
Your insurance is usually $1,000++ onwards. No more those $600 - $800 kind of insurnace.
This is a lot less stressful than petrol car servicing.
Charging Times: What to Expect
Charging speed depends on charger type:
- 3.7 kW AC (slowest): Full Atto 3 charge takes about 16 hours. Best for overnight charging or long mall visits.
- 7.4 kW AC: Charges the car fully in roughly 7-8 hours. Good for overnight charging with faster finish.
- 22 kW AC: Full charge in 3 to 4 hours but more expensive, less common than 7.4 kW.
Best to plan your charging overnight or during work hours for convenience and savings.
DC Fast Charging: The Quick Fix but Pricey
DC chargers are like the express lanes. They can juice your battery for 200 km range in 30 to 45 minutes.
Pricing ranges from S$0.70 to $0.90 per kWh, with ChargePlus’s 120 kW DC charger at $0.78 per kWh.
Ultra-fast DC chargers (480 kW) can add 200 km in 5 minutes but cost more than regular DC.
A full DC charge of 60 kWh costs about $42 to $54 compared to $35 for AC slow charge.
If you rely heavily on DC chargers, monthly bills will be higher, expect around $77 per month for 600 km driving.
Fuel Savings Compared to Petrol Cars
Assuming petrol at about $2.60 per litre and average 13 km per litre fuel consumption, your monthly fuel bill would be:
| Monthly Distance | Petrol Cost ($) | EV Charging Cost ($) | Monthly Savings ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 km | 120 | 52 | 68 |
| 1,200 km | 240 | 104 | 136 |
| 1,800 km | 360 | 157 | 203 |
Cheaper electricity bills are just the start of your EV savings story.
Summary of Monthly Costs
| Distance Driven | Charging ($) | Maintenance & Insurance ($) | Total Monthly Cost ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 km | 52 | 40 | 92 |
| 1,200 km | 104 | 50 | 154 |
| 1,800 km | 157 | 60 | 217 |
That’s the real talk on running a Singaporean EV.
Simple maintenance and affordable charging make a huge difference over petrol.
Next post, we will talk about the small blind spots most buyers miss: battery care, resale, software quirks, all the honest stuff you need to know before committing.
And of course, the myth of the battery catch fire.