Owning even a small car in Singapore has never cost more in permit terms. The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premium for Category A cars hit a record S$139,001 in the first bidding exercise of November 2026, which closed on Wednesday 4 November, according to the Land Transport Authority results reported by Motorist and Sgcarmart.
A record by nearly S$7,000
Category A, which covers cars up to 1,600cc and 130bhp as well as electric vehicles up to 110kW, received 2,018 bids for 1,189 COEs, and its premium climbed by S$6,997 from the previous exercise, Motorist reports. Sgcarmart notes the new record is S$5,992 higher than the previous record of S$133,009, set on 9 September. Category B, for larger or more powerful cars, rose by S$433 to S$132,334, putting Category A S$6,667 ahead of it — the first time the small-car premium has outstripped the open category.
Why small-car permits are the dearest
The Land Transport Authority said COE prices remained elevated, likely due to strong demand for mass-market electric vehicles that qualify under Category A, BusinessToday reports. A total of 4,722 bids were received against a quota of 3,259 COEs across all categories. Category C, for goods vehicles and buses, eased by S$200 to S$92,000, while Category E, the open category, rose S$208 to S$135,998. Category D, for motorcycles, fell S$89 to S$10,689.
What it means for buyers
In Singapore, the COE is the price of the right to own and use a vehicle for ten years, paid on top of the car’s price, taxes and registration fees — so a record Category A premium pushes the total cost of even a modest car far beyond what buyers elsewhere pay. The next bidding exercise opens at noon on Monday 16 November, with results on 18 November. Anyone shopping for a mass-market car or EV in the city-state will be watching whether this record holds or climbs again.
