Impact of Decarbonization Policies on Electric Vehicle Integration and Carbon Emission: A Singapore Case Study

This paper examines the potential impact of decarbonization policies of Singapore on electric vehicles (EV) integration and carbon emission. The study focuses on understanding the key drivers, challenges, and opportunities associated with the integration of EVs into Singapore's transportation system and evaluates their potential contribution in reducing greenhouse gas emissions when coupled with different decarbonatization policies. As Singapore confronts unique challenges in reducing emissions, the study explores three energy trends: Clean Energy Renaissance (CER), Climate Action Bloc (CAB), and Emergent Technology Trailblazer (ETT). Using an open-source Energy Transition Model, the research analyzes various factors such as EV adoption rates, energy demand implications, supply technologies and policy frameworks on grid development to assess the impact of EV penetration on carbon emission. Results shows that the transport sector emission in 2050 drops by 43.75% due to the full electrification of the land vehicle population. The CAB energy policy which performed best among the three energy trends with a 62.8% reduction in carbon emission from 2019 level is unable to achieve net zero even with full transport electrification. Therefore, a system's perspective is important in net zero policy development as both clean electricity production and electric vehicle integration are intertwined. With these insights, Singapore can strategically integrate EVs into its decarbonization journey, fostering a sustainable, low-carbon future while mitigating climate change impacts.