Future Urban Mobility Development Framework to Maximise Benefits of Plugin Electric Vehicle Penetration in ASEAN Countries

Abstract

Several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members have recently developed strategies for low carbon-emission mobility to decrease oil import dependency. The strategies emphasise, amongst others, the importance of removing obstacles to electrification of transport and promoting market development of road plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Concerns about the impacts of PEV penetration include how to ensure that (i) electricity used to feed the vehicles will be produced mostly from renewable energy sources to lower carbon emissions, and (ii) additional electricity demand will not put additional stress on urban electricity grid systems. We deduce two recommendations. First, because they use fossil-fuel energyintensive electric power, ASEAN countries need to increase urban density and compactness and stop urban sprawl, which will minimise energy use in transport, including PEVs. Generalised PEV travel cost will continue to decrease as new technology is increasingly adopted and the use of PEVs becomes more widespread. Only when a country develops renewable energy to generate electricity, such as through home-based solar photovoltaic systems, can it relax its policies on urban sprawl. Second, ASEAN countries need to avoid putting stress on the electric power grid and to maximise the use of renewables to generate power. Integrating these objectives will help determine the location of charging facilities and the measures to support mobility