Last updated 8 October 2026 — by Adrian Tan, SDM. Marketing guidance, not legal advice. Section numbers refer to the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 and its 2023 regulations as currently shown on Singapore Statutes Online; check with LTA or a lawyer before relying on any point for a campaign.
Electric vehicle charging is one of the fastest-growing product categories in Singapore. MOT told Parliament in May 2026 that the country had about 30,500 charging points by March 2026, against a 2030 target of 60,000. Car dealers bundle home chargers with new EVs. Electrical contractors advertise “supply and install” packages for landed homes and condominiums. Marketplaces list wallbox chargers and portable cables. Charging operators compete on per-kWh rates, apps and coverage.
Most product categories in Singapore are advertised under general consumer protection law. EV chargers are different. The Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 contains its own advertising offence: publishing an advertisement that encourages people to buy a charger of a model the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has not approved is a crime, with a fine of up to S$10,000, up to 12 months’ jail, or both. The same Act controls who may install a charger and who may sell charging as a service.
This guide explains what the Act says about advertising, who it catches (including agencies and overseas sellers), what installers and charging operators must get right, and how to build an EV charging campaign that will not need to be taken down.
The rules at a glance
| Activity | Rule | Maximum penalty (individual) |
|---|---|---|
| Supplying an EV charger that is not of an LTA-approved model | EVCA s 6 | S$20,000 and/or 24 months |
| Publishing an ad that induces people to acquire a non-approved charger, or lets them buy one online | EVCA s 15(1) | S$10,000 and/or 12 months, plus up to S$250 a day if it continues |
| Displaying a non-approved charger where you sell | EVCA s 15(3) | S$10,000 and/or 12 months |
| Ignoring an LTA order to stop or correct an ad | EVCA s 17(3) | S$10,000 and/or 12 months, plus up to S$250 a day |
| Installing a non-approved model | EVCA s 24(1) | S$20,000 and/or 24 months |
| Installing a fixed charger without being a licensed electrical worker (or under one’s direct supervision) | EVCA s 24(3)-(4); Chargers Regs reg 18 | S$10,000 and/or 12 months |
| Running a regulated charging business without an LTA licence | EVCA s 41 | S$10,000 and/or 6 months; S$30,000 for a company |
Companies face higher maximums for several of these offences (S$40,000 for supplying or installing a non-approved model, for example), repeat offenders face double, and under section 81 many offences can be compounded for the lower of half the maximum fine or S$5,000.
Why EV chargers have their own advertising offence
The Act is built on a simple safety idea. A charger connects a large battery to the electrical grid for hours at a time, often unattended in a car park or a home garage. So Singapore requires every charger model to be checked against a technical standard before it can be sold or installed. LTA calls this approval process “homologation” in its guidance; the Act refers to an approved model.
The standard is Enterprise Singapore’s Technical Reference 25 (TR 25). Under the Chargers Regulations, model applications made after 8 June 2024 must meet TR25:2022 or TR25:2022+A1:2025, and installation must follow TR25:2022+A1:2025. LTA says the Act came into force on 8 December 2023, with the offence of supplying a non-approved model applying from 8 June 2024.
A supply ban on its own leaves an obvious gap: online sellers, including overseas ones, can still advertise to Singapore buyers and ship the product. Section 15 closes that gap by making the advertisement itself the offence. That is why it matters to marketers, and not only to importers.
“Supply” is defined widely
Section 3 defines supply to include selling, bartering, hiring or leasing, and giving away a charger “as a free sample or for the purpose of advertising”. Acting as an agent or broker counts, and so does taking any step in the process. Only providing finance does not. In practice this means:
- A car dealer that throws in a “free home charger” with a new EV is supplying that charger.
- A brand that hands out chargers as prizes in a social media giveaway is supplying them for the purpose of advertising.
In each case, the model must be approved, and the advertising that promotes the offer must not promote a non-approved model.
Section 15: what the advertising offence actually says
The offence
Section 15(1) says a person must not publish, cause to be published, or take part in publishing an advertisement that contains “any express or implied inducement, suggestion or request to acquire” an EV charger that is not of an approved model. It also covers an advertisement that lets people buy such a charger online.
Three parts of that wording do most of the work:
- “Take part in publishing” reaches beyond the seller. An agency that writes, designs, schedules or boosts the ad is plausibly taking part. So is an influencer who posts a sponsored review with a buy link.
- “Express or implied inducement” means the ad does not need a hard sell. A product listing with a price and a cart button is an inducement. So is a “best portable EV charger for Singapore” comparison post with affiliate links.
- “Lets people buy online” captures e-commerce listings, social shop tabs and marketplace pages directly.
Online ads and overseas sellers
Section 15(2) settles when an online ad counts as published in Singapore. It does if it originates in Singapore. It also does if it is put out by a “Singapore-connected person” (which includes Singapore citizens, permanent residents and Singapore companies) and can be reached by people in Singapore.
The practical effect: a Singapore company cannot avoid the rule by running ads from an overseas server, an offshore storefront or a regional ad account. If the advertiser is Singapore-connected and the ad is visible here, it is published here.
Displays in shops and showrooms
Section 15(3) adds a physical-retail offence. A business selling chargers must not display a non-approved charger where it sells, if it knows or is reckless about the fact that the model is not approved. That covers car showrooms, electrical shops, roadshow booths and pop-up stands at motor shows.
Defences for publishers
Section 16 protects a publisher that took the ad in the ordinary course of business and had no reason to suspect it breached the Act. That defence was written for media owners and platforms, not for the advertiser or for an agency that built the campaign. It also covers ads whose sole purpose is supplying chargers for destruction or export.
Corrective orders
Section 17 gives LTA’s authorised officers a tool most advertising rules in Singapore do not have. They can order the advertiser to stop publishing immediately, to disable access for users in Singapore, or to publish a corrective advertisement in a form LTA specifies, at the advertiser’s own cost. Ignoring the order is a separate offence with the same penalty as the original breach.
Who carries the risk in a typical campaign
| Party | Main exposure | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Charger brand or importer | s 6 supply, s 8 labels, s 15 advertising | Every model and variant advertised is approved; labels fixed before first supply |
| Car dealer bundling a charger | s 3 supply (free gift counts), s 15 | The bundled model is approved; installation by a licensed electrical worker |
| Electrical contractor selling “supply and install” | s 24 installation, s 15 | Licensed electrical worker on the job; only approved models offered |
| Marketplace seller (local or overseas) | s 15(1) online purchase, s 15(2) reach | Listings for unapproved cables and wallboxes are not shown to Singapore buyers |
| Agency or influencer | s 15(1) “take part in publishing” | Written confirmation of approval before any creative goes live |
| Charging operator | s 41 licence, s 45 conditions, consumer law on price claims | Licence in force; price and fee claims match the app and the charger screen |
Approval labels and what to put in the ad
Section 8 requires the person who obtained approval for a model to take all reasonably practicable steps to fix an LTA approval label to each unit before it is first supplied, installed or certified. Failing to do so is a smaller offence (up to S$1,000 and/or three months for an individual), but the label is also the simplest proof for everyone else in the chain.
For marketing, the label suggests a practical habit:
- Keep the approval evidence on file for each model and variant you advertise: the approval document from the supplier, the model number exactly as approved, and a photo of the label on the unit.
- Match the model number in the ad to the approved model. A brand’s approved 7 kW wallbox does not make its 22 kW three-phase variant approved. Treat each variant as a separate check.
- Say “LTA-approved model” only when it is true, and only for the specific model shown. That claim is also a trade description, so a false one is a problem under consumer protection law as well as under the Act. Our guide to the Trade Descriptions Act for marketers covers that side.
Portable chargers and cables
The riskiest listings are portable “granny” chargers and adaptor cables sold through marketplaces and social shops. They are cheap, they are often sold by overseas sellers, and buyers search for them with phrases such as “portable EV charger Singapore”. Before you advertise one, confirm whether the specific item is an EV charger under the Act and, if so, whether its model is approved. If you cannot get a clear answer from the supplier, do not advertise it.
Installation claims: licensed electrical workers only
Section 24(1) bans installing a charger of a non-approved model. Section 24(3) then says only a “prescribed person” may install a fixed charger, or someone working under that person’s direct supervision. Regulation 18 of the Chargers Regulations names the prescribed person: a licensed electrical worker. An unqualified installer faces up to S$10,000 and/or 12 months.
That affects common offers such as:
- “Free installation with every charger.” Fine, if the installation is done or directly supervised by a licensed electrical worker and the charger is an approved model.
- “DIY wallbox kit, install it yourself.” For a fixed charger, this invites the buyer to commit an offence. Do not run it.
- “Install in one day, any condo.” Installation in strata developments also involves the management corporation’s approval and the building’s electrical capacity. Promise a timeline only for the part you control.
If you are an electrical contractor, your own licensing claims are governed separately by the Energy Market Authority’s rules on electrical workers; keep them accurate in the same way.
Our guide to electrician, plumber and gas worker advertising rules explains what an electrical business may claim about its licences.
Charging operators: licensing, conditions and price claims
The licence
Section 41 makes it an offence to carry on a regulated charging activity without an LTA licence. It is strict liability. LTA gave existing operators until 7 December 2024 to get licensed, and licences last three years. Under the Licensing Regulations, the application fee is S$1,500 and the three-year licence fee is S$15,000. Operating without a licence carries a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or six months for an individual, and up to S$30,000 for a company, plus daily fines while it continues.
Conditions that shape what you can promise
Section 45 lists conditions LTA may attach to a licence. Several are consumer-facing and affect marketing claims directly:
- no collecting of deposits;
- accepting specified payment methods, which the Act names as including credit cards and SGQR;
- a way to pay without registering an account;
- indicators showing that the vehicle is charging;
- fixing downtime within set times;
- third-party liability insurance.
The specific conditions on each licence are not published, so treat this list as what LTA can require, not proof of what your licence says. Check your own licence before you advertise anything that depends on it, such as “no app needed” or “pay by card at every charger”.
Section 51 also lets LTA issue standards of performance, including on the quality of the charging service, and licensees must comply. Breaches can lead to a regulatory penalty of up to S$100,000 per contravention, suspension for up to 12 months, or revocation under section 53.
Prices: what the law requires, and what it does not
This is where many operators assume there is a rule that does not exist. I found no provision in the Act or the regulations that requires operators to display a price, a per-kWh rate or an estimated session cost to drivers. What does exist:
- Regulation 6 of the Licensing Regulations requires licensees to send LTA real-time data through the OCPI protocol, including “the rates charged” at each charging point and whether they are per kWh or per hour.
- Section 50 lets LTA publish licensees’ retail prices, locations, availability and utilisation on a government platform.
- MOT’s position (November 2025) is that charging prices are commercial decisions, and that LTA monitors public charging prices.
- Competition law has already reached pricing. On 28 May 2026 the competition regulator cleared SP Mobility’s acquisition of ChargEco after accepting commitments that prices at the affected East-region HDB car parks would not rise above pre-merger levels for three years, and that discounts would not discriminate against East-region drivers.
So the data you report to LTA may end up public, next to your competitors’ prices. Any rate you advertise should match what you report and what the charger screen and app actually charge. A headline per-kWh rate that leaves out idle fees, parking or a session fee is the kind of claim consumer protection law treats as misleading. The CCCS price transparency rules in our guide to website legal requirements in Singapore apply to charging apps as much as to e-commerce checkouts.
Accuracy claims
MOT said in May 2026 that international standards for verifying the accuracy of EV charging are still being developed, and Singapore will study them when they are ready. So there is no Singapore accuracy standard for charger kWh meters yet. Avoid claims such as “certified accurate metering” unless you can say who certified it and against what. Our guide to weights and measures rules for marketers explains how measurement claims are treated in other categories.
The market you are advertising into
- Charging points: about 30,500 by March 2026. The 2030 target is 60,000: 40,000 in public car parks and 20,000 on private premises (MOT, 6 May 2026).
- Incentives: the EV Early Adoption Incentive gives 45% off the Additional Registration Fee, now capped at S$7,500 (down from S$15,000), and ends on 31 December 2026 (NEA and LTA, September 2025). Ads that mention it should carry the end date and the cap, and should come down or be updated in January 2027.
Green claims are another trap in this category. “Zero-emission charging” or “100% green energy” needs evidence about the electricity supply, not just the car. Our guide to green claims in Singapore marketing sets out what CCCS expects.
Worked example: rewriting an EV charger campaign
Consider a fictional Singapore electrical retailer planning a year-end campaign. The draft brief reads:
“Black Friday EV charger sale! 7 kW and 22 kW wallboxes from S$599, portable chargers from S$199. Free installation. Cheapest charging in Singapore. Order on our Shopee store or website.”
Here is how we would rework it:
| Draft element | Problem | Revised approach |
|---|---|---|
| “7 kW and 22 kW wallboxes” | Each model and variant must be approved; the 22 kW variant is often a separate model | List only the exact approved model numbers; keep approval evidence on file |
| “Portable chargers from S$199” | Highest-risk item; overseas-sourced stock may not be approved | Remove unless the supplier provides approval documentation for that model |
| “Free installation” | Must be by or under a licensed electrical worker; strata approvals are outside your control | “Installation by a licensed electrical worker included. Condo installations subject to MCST approval.” |
| “Cheapest charging in Singapore” | An unsupported superlative, and a retailer does not control charging tariffs | Drop it, or make a specific, dated comparison you can prove |
| “From S$599” | Must reflect a genuine price at which a meaningful number of units are sold | Show what the starting price includes and excludes |
| Shopee store and website | Both are “allowing purchase online” under s 15(1) | Audit every listing, not just the campaign landing page |
The revised campaign makes fewer claims, but every one can be defended.
Channel notes
- Google Ads and Shopping. Product feeds pull every variant you stock. Exclude non-approved models from the feed itself, not just from the ad copy, or the Shopping ad becomes the inducement.
- Meta and TikTok. Sponsored reviews and giveaways count. Brief creators in writing on which models they may feature and require the approved model number in the caption or on screen.
- Marketplaces. If you sell regionally, set listings for non-approved models so they are not visible or purchasable in Singapore. A Singapore company running a regional store is “Singapore-connected” under s 15(2).
Car dealers will find the vehicle-side rules in our guide to car advertising rules in Singapore. Sellers of other regulated equipment face a similar registration-before-advertising pattern, covered in our guides to selling telecom equipment online and energy label advertising rules.
How the rules are enforced
I found no published prosecution under the EV Charging Act as of October 2026. That is not a reason to relax. The Act is less than three years old, the supply offence has applied only since June 2024, and LTA has a cheaper tool than prosecution: the section 17 order to stop, disable or correct an ad. The competition regulator’s May 2026 decision also shows that charging prices are already being watched closely by more than one regulator.
Conclusion
EV charging is one of the few categories in Singapore where the advertisement itself is a specific offence, not just a consumer protection risk. The rules are clear once you know them: only advertise approved models, keep the evidence, use licensed electrical workers for installation, and make sure every rate and incentive claim matches what the customer will actually pay. Brands that build those checks into the campaign workflow can market hard in a fast-growing category without the risk of a corrective ad.
If you sell EV chargers, install them, or run a charging network and want campaigns built on claims that hold up, that is the kind of work our performance marketing team in Singapore does; see our client case studies for results. For the bigger picture, start with our complete guide to performance marketing in Singapore.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to advertise an EV charger in Singapore without LTA approval?
Yes. Section 15 of the Electric Vehicles Charging Act 2022 makes it an offence to publish, cause to be published, or take part in publishing an ad that induces people to acquire a charger of a non-approved model, or lets them buy one online. The maximum is S$10,000 and/or 12 months, plus up to S$250 a day if the offence continues.
Does the rule apply to overseas online sellers?
An online ad counts as published in Singapore if it originates here, or if it is put out by a Singapore-connected person (such as a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or company) and can be reached by people in Singapore.
Can an agency be liable for an EV charger ad?
The offence covers anyone who takes part in publishing the ad. The section 16 defence protects publishers that took an ad in the ordinary course of business without reason to suspect a breach; it was not written for the agency that built the campaign. Get written approval evidence before creative goes live.
Who can install an EV charger in Singapore?
A fixed charger must be installed by a licensed electrical worker, or someone under their direct supervision, under section 24 of the Act and regulation 18 of the Chargers Regulations. The model must also be approved. “Install it yourself” offers for fixed chargers should not be run.
Must charging operators display their prices?
I found no rule in the Act or regulations that requires operators to show a price or per-kWh rate to drivers. Licensees must report their rates to LTA in real time, and LTA may publish them. Any price you advertise must match what drivers are actually charged, including idle or session fees.
What can LTA do about a non-compliant ad?
Under section 17, an authorised officer can order the advertiser to stop publishing immediately, disable access for users in Singapore, or publish a corrective ad in a form LTA specifies at the advertiser’s cost. Ignoring the order is a separate offence.
