August 2025 COE Results 1st Bidding: No SGD60k COEs for SG60, with all the car Categories still in the prohibitive six-digit price range and Cat B hitting a new high this year

In the first COE bidding exercise of August 2025, Cat A closed at $102,009; Cat B closed at $123,498; Cat C closed at $70,001; Cat D closed at $9,189; while Cat E closed at $122,334.

Cat A (car up to 1600cc & 130bhp, and EV with up to 110kW) received 1,755 bids for 1,268 COEs and its premium climbed by $907. Category A COE closed at $102,009.

Cat B (car above 1600cc or 130bhp, and EV with more than 110kW) received 1,271 bids for 789 COEs and its premium climbed by $4,397. Category B COE closed at $123,498.

Cat C (goods vehicle and bus) received 422 bids for 290 COEs and its premium increased by $1,401. Category C COE closed at $70,001.

Cat D (motorcycle) received 633 bids for 533 COEs and its premium decreased by $322. Category D COE closed at $9,189.

Lastly, Cat E (all vehicles except motorcycle) received 511 bids for 261 COEs and climbed by $2,334. Category E COE closed at $122,334.

Anthony Teo, managing director of Vantage Automotive which distributes BYD and DENZA in Singapore, told Motorist: “I didn’t expect Cat B to go up by over $4,000. There’s still a strong demand for Cat B in terms of the bids received, even with the increase in the quota. Cat A is usually for the more affordable cars, so I think this $100k and above for Cat A COE is a psychological barrier already. Hopefully, that amount won’t go further up anymore.”

Nicholas Wong, chief executive officer of Honda authorised agent Kah Motor, told Motorist: “This is the result of the low COE quota that LTA released. There hasn’t been a steady progression of COE quota increase, with only 1 percent more for the current quota. This is not in line with market expectations. We are still looking forward to the 20,000 extra COEs that Government promised.” 

Corinne Chua, managing director of Volvo Car Singapore which now also competes in Category A with its EX30, told Motorist: “Some may have held back from the last bidding, thinking there will be more quota from this month onwards, so the unsuccessful bids from the last bidding exercise in July may not reflect the total orders out there. For those who held back in the last round, they are coming back to secure COEs now, plus some may be securing COEs for the three weeks between September’s second bid and October’s first bid. The Car Expo is also happening at the end of September, so COE prices are expected to go up with the car show and three-week break.”

Continuing her prediction, Ms Chua added: “There are a lot of new Chinese EV brands entering the market with aggressive pricing. In addition, customers with cars close to 10 years old are back to change their cars, so I expect prices to continue to climb. This may not be the all-time high for Cat B this year.”

Jason Lim, managing director of BMW authorised dealer Eurokars Auto, told Motorist: “Even with the increase in quota, Cat B still hit a new high. New models in the market could fuel aggressive bids in order to deliver the cars and have presence on the roads.”

Here is a summary of the first COE bidding exercise for August 2025: