The explanation offered was that the Tesla Model S it tested had a high electrical consumption of 444 Wh/km as it was a used vehicle. Hence, it fell into the CEVS C3 band.

LTA has confirmed that if the car was brand new and fell into the CEVS A1 band, it would have enjoyed a S$15,000 rebate with the energy consumption rating of 181Wh/km.

This statement comes just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, a conversation that has been confirmed by a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to have happened. Musk said that PM Lee told him that "he would investigate the situation".

Separately, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has said that the LTA appears to have applied their emissions testing method correctly.

This is so as LTA appears to be the only national regulator to have included power grid emission into the evaluation of electric vehicles’ carbon footprint

This was after a 0.5g CO2/Wh grid emission factor was applied by the regulator, a point that was disputed by the Tesla car owner, Joe Nguyen.

Nguyen's rationale was that there is a double taxation issue at hand, as the regulator compelled him to declare that he will only charge his car at home and not at a public charging infrastructure.

Such a restriction becomes counter-intuitive as a person who charges their iPhone at home is not be subjected to a taxation for CO2 emissions for owning an iPhone.

LTA had earlier clarified that the grid emission factor was to account for CO2 emissions during the electricity generation process in Singapore, which is mostly generated by gas-powered plants, even if there are no tail-pipe emissions from the electric vehicle.

Related articles:

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Elon Musk responds to situation where Tesla car owner paid $15k LTA surcharge

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