COE premiums fall in most categories, with Cat A ending at $130,001

SINGAPORE – The Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) premium dropped slightly to $130,001 in the Oct 7 tender exercise, after reaching an all-time high of $133,009 in early September.

Prices across all the other categories also dropped, except for the Open category (Category E) COE premium, which held steady.

Category A COEs – meant for smaller, less powerful cars and electric vehicles (EVs) – dropped 1.4% from $131,890 in the last exercise to $130,001 in the latest round.

The premium for a Category B COE – used to register larger, more powerful cars and EVs – dipped by 2.2% from $133,000 to $130,100.

The Open category (Category E) COE premium stayed the same at $137,000.

As these certificates are transferrable, motor traders often secure them for the flexibility to register cars without waiting for the next tender exercise.

The price of certificates for commercial vehicles (Category C) was 0.3% lower than the previous $92,144, ending at $91,889.

The motorcycle (Category D) COE premium posted a 9.7% decline from $12,201 to $11,012.

A COE is needed to own and use a vehicle in Singapore.

The authorities are reviewing the COE system to improve the categorisation of cars.

The review will take in views from motorists, dealers, car manufacturers and academics, and is expected to finish by the end of 2026.

Esther Loi is a journalist at The Straits Times, where she covers transport issues.