Guy abandoned electric car he drove from the Netherlands as he couldn't afford entry permit into S'pore

Welcome to Singapore

Fasiha Nazren | September 25, 2017, 04:29 PM

Meet Wiebe Wakker, a Dutchman who aims to drive from the Netherlands to Australia in his electric car and with no money in his pockets.

This is part of his Plug Me In project, where he aims to promote sustainability in daily life and electric mobility globally.

Since the start of his travel on March 15, 2016, the self-appointed "social straveller" has driven through 28 different countries including Iran, Malaysia and Thailand.

He showcases his adventures on social media and YouTube channel, which has amassed about 1,200 subscribers.

Car denied entry into Singapore

While his travels have been pretty smooth sailing so far, he has hit a major road bump.

He was en route to Singapore from Malaysia when he had to leave his car in Johor Bahru, since he does not have enough funds to pay for the vehicle entry permit and insurance.

Instead, he just took his luggage and camera equipment with him and journeyed on to Singapore by bus.

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Arrived in Singapore today! 
Unfortunately I had to leave the car behind in Malaysia as it's damn expensive to drive around here. I only brought my suitcase and camera gear with me and as you can see I'm struggling to get around 😂 I came to Singapore in hopes to find help to reach Australia and visit sustainable and EV projects. If you know any of these 3 feel free to drop in the comments! #PlugMeIn #CelebrateLife #Singapore #Sinjapoerrrr #Travel#LonelyPlanet #wanderlust#travelphotography #travelpic#travel_captures #Roadtrip #worldcaptures#ig_travel #TravelGram #InstaTravel#overland #backpacking #natgeotravelpic##Overlandtravel #ElectricRoadtrip#beautifuldestinations #Sustainability#EVroadtrip #Temple #MarinaBay #EV

A post shared by Wiebe Wakker / Plug Me In (@plugmeintravel) on

The vehicle entry permit currently costs S$35 per day.

Social dependence

Here's the catch: Wakker is totally dependent on others throughout this global trip.

As part of Plug Me In, he is travelling with empty pockets.

This project is supposed to encourage Good Samaritans around the world to help him when it comes to food, accommodation and electricity for his car.

Most of his project is sponsored by companies like Canon, Adobe and Bundles, a Dutch company that sponsored the electric car.

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Goodwill is not enough

Since it is costly enough to pay for his vehicle entry permit, he intends to ship his car directly to Australia from Malaysia.

This time, Wiebe is not just going to depend on the goodwill of Singaporeans.

True to his mission, he is looking for companies who are willing to hire him as a speaker so he can share the challenges faced during his trip and shed light on electric mobility and sustainability.

We don't know if any local company has engaged his services yet, but we hope he gets to be reunited with his car soon.

Top photo via Wiebe Wakker's Facebook page