August 2025 COE Results 2nd Bidding: COEs continued their NDP flypast at an even higher altitude, with premiums for the car and commercial-vehicle Categories at their highest levels so far this year

In the second COE bidding exercise of August 2025, Cat A closed at $104,524; Cat B closed at $124,400; Cat C closed at $72,190; Cat D closed at $8,809; while Cat E closed at $125,001.

Cat A (car up to 1600cc & 130bhp, and EV with up to 110kW) received 1,922 bids for 1,264 COEs and its premium climbed by $2,515. Category A COE closed at $104,524.

Cat B (car above 1600cc or 130bhp, and EV with more than 110kW) received 1,221 bids for 792 COEs and its premium climbed by $902. Category B COE closed at $124,400.

Cat C (goods vehicle and bus) received 472 bids for 273 COEs and its premium increased by $2,189. Category C COE closed at $72,190.

Cat D (motorcycle) received 654 bids for 540 COEs and its premium decreased by $380. Category D COE closed at $8,809.

Lastly, Cat E (all vehicles except motorcycle) received 491 bids for 257 COEs and climbed by $2,667. Category E COE closed at $125,001.

Corinne Chua, managing director of Volvo Car Singapore, replied: “There are more cars in Cat A now, including the newly launched BYD ATTO 2 as well as the Volvo EX30. With the number of unsuccessful bids going up this round (52%) versus the last (38%), it shows that the newly-launched cars had an impact on the prices. I believe the prices will continue to go up. In fact, the first bid of October will probably see it hit the roof after Car Expo and three weeks’ break. Besides, we are also seeing customers who bought a car in 2017/2018 (the high-registration years) coming back to replace their cars that are close to 10 years old.”

Anthony Teo, managing director of Vantage Automotive which distributes BYD and DENZA in Singapore, responded: “I think Cat A has gone up as there are more offerings and models cluttered in Cat A, which is very, very crowded now. Actually, the COE premium has gone up higher than what we expected. The demand is very strong and may be driven by some of the fleet operators that need to replace some of their fleet. To them, the increase in COE divided by the number of years they can rent out the cars, it’s minute." 

Ng Choon Wee, commercial director of Komoco Motors which represents Hyundai, told Motorist: “It’s irrational bidding. Demand is still high, especially for Cat A, whose number of bids is 35% more than the last round. Cat A is surely overcrowded with many models. The increase in COE supply is insufficient to meet the demand. Cat E’s increase of $2,667 could be due to dealers stocking up for Car Expo, which is happening in end September. In the long run, we don’t expect COE to go down despite the cut-and-fill approach to increase the supply. Customers must be prepared to buy when they are ready, rather than waiting for COE prices to drop.”

Nicholas Wong, chief executive officer of Honda authorised agent Kah Motor, told Motorist: “The COE is relentless. Nobody knows when it’s coming down and what policies are made.”

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