【By Observer Net, Ruan Jiaqi】

According to a report from the People's Daily, the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first half of this year, China's total import and export value of goods reached 21.79 trillion yuan, setting a new record for the same period in history. "New Three" products such as electrically powered vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and solar cells have become the new calling card for China's foreign trade exports, with an extremely rapid growth trend.

Amid the significant increase in external uncertainties, China's new energy vehicles have accelerated their "surge" into the Southeast Asian market, showing outstanding performance in Singapore, which has long been dominated by Japanese, South Korean, European, and American automakers.

According to the latest data released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore's Ministry of Transport this week, BYD became the best-selling car brand in Singapore during the first half of 2025, with 4,667 new registered vehicles, more than three times the number of the sixth-ranked electric vehicle competitor Tesla (1,419 vehicles), and accounting for 19.5% of the total new car market during the same period.

A new media outlet pointed out that in the first half of the year, the total number of new car registrations in Singapore was 23,957, an increase of 29% compared to 18,576 in the same period in 2024. This growth stems from fierce competition among more brands, almost all of which are Chinese automakers focusing on electric vehicles, such as the brands Shenlan and Dongfeng, which entered the market last year.

There were also 53 car brands that achieved new car registrations in the first half of the year, and the market share of some new entrants is increasing, such as GAC Aion, which ranked 11th with 466 registrations, followed closely by Xiaopeng Motors, ranking 12th with 376 registrations.

Number of new car registrations in Singapore in the first half of 2025

In February this year, 50-year-old Singapore real estate agent Tan Kok Hwee purchased a BYD Seagull for 170,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 950,000 Chinese yuan).

On August 1st, Tan told Hong Kong media that during his trip to China, he had personally experienced the excellent quality of Chinese electric vehicles. This experience laid the foundation for his final choice of a Chinese electric vehicle.

Tan mentioned that the minimalist futuristic interior style of the Tesla Model 3 made him feel very uncomfortable during the test drive. He felt too close to the road, and the price of this car would cost an additional 7,000 to 8,000 Singapore dollars. The price of the BMW iX1 was even 90,000 Singapore dollars higher.

Recalling his test drive experience with the BYD Seagull, he said, "I could feel that the whole car surrounded me and protected me. It gave me a very safe and high-end feeling, including the interior. The side of the body and the door were like velvet, not cheap plastic."

"In the past, people always thought that anything made in China must be of poor quality," Tan said. "But I think China has progressed. Their high-quality products now make even American and European (competitors) very alert."

As a former Tesla owner, 30-year-old Singapore financial advisor Winnie Koh had a similar experience when choosing her dream car.

Koh told Hong Kong media that her experience driving a Tesla in the United States made her doubt the battery life and durability of the brand, which prompted her to consider BYD when choosing a new car for her family.

BYD offered many preferential policies at the time, such as an 80% discount on charging within three years, and subsidies for Singapore's expensive "Car Ownership Certificate" (COE).

However, Koh was initially hesitant. Although she was attracted by the high cost-performance of Chinese cars, she still had concerns about the product quality of Chinese automakers.

"The technical level of China is not a problem. Their technology has always been very good," Koh explained. She mainly worried whether the manufacturers were cutting corners during the production process.

Eventually, Koh bought a BYD Atto 3 for 164,900 Singapore dollars in January. This choice did not disappoint her. Koh said that the vehicle's performance and configuration surprised her, such as keyless entry, a 360-degree panoramic camera system, and driver assistance features, all of which she was very satisfied with.

On June 6, 2025, at the Greater Bay Area Auto Show, BYD exhibited the "Mega-Watt Flash Charging, Oil and Electric Same Speed" Super e Platform. This platform is the world's first mass-produced passenger car "Full Voltage High-Voltage Architecture" platform, capable of achieving 1 megawatt charging power and the global highest peak charging speed of 2 kilometers per second. Visual China

Hong Kong media pointed out that these consumer choices reflect a major trend in the Singapore car market: Chinese electric vehicles are rapidly gaining market recognition, with their market performance frequently surpassing traditional competitors from Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Professor Alberto Salvo, an associate professor of economics at the National University of Singapore, is leading a study on the popularity of electric vehicles in Singapore. He pointed out that the influx of Chinese electric vehicles is an "interesting phenomenon."

This transformation is the result of multiple factors working together, including highly competitive pricing, government electric vehicle incentive policies, and public trust in the government's "green emission reduction plan."

"Therefore, when car buyers choose electric vehicles, high-quality and competitively priced Chinese brands naturally enter their field of vision," Salvo added. Japanese, European, and American manufacturers are urgently trying to regain lost market shares.

Associate Professor Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences also believes that the Singapore government is currently implementing a series of favorable measures for electric vehicles, such as purchase subsidies and tax reductions. Chinese automakers "have just the right models, at the right time, and at the right price" entering the market.

Especially considering the high cost of using cars in Singapore, for example, the "Car Ownership Certificate" (COE), which often costs the same as a mid-to-high-end car: This system, designed to ease traffic congestion and promote public transportation, requires bidders to obtain a 10-year COE before purchasing a car, and additional fees are required for renewal. In this context, the purchase subsidies and tax reductions enjoyed by electric vehicles greatly boost consumers' willingness to buy cars.

Theseira further stated that it will be very difficult for other brands to challenge the growing market share of Chinese electric vehicles in Singapore, as non-electric vehicle companies find it hard to compete with Chinese brands on price, and Chinese domestic automakers continue to constantly introduce newer and more cost-effective models.

"This is why other countries' governments accuse China of selling cars at low prices and have introduced additional regulations to restrict imports," he added, "but since Singapore has no local automobile industry, Chinese cars here will not face this issue."

"When we bought our cars, there were already many Chinese cars on the roads in Singapore," said Justin Tan, a new driver who recently purchased a Dongfeng Nanobox for 150,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 840,000 Chinese yuan), "Over the past decade, the quality of Chinese cars has indeed improved dramatically."

Currently, there are more than 655,000 various types of cars in the Singapore market, with electric vehicles accounting for only 4%. Although the electric vehicle market share increased by about 2% compared to 2023, compared to the vast total of the passenger car market, the development prospects are very promising.

Industry experts predict that in the next 5 to 10 years, electric vehicles will inevitably show a trend of overtaking in the Singapore market.

In January this year, the Land Transport Authority of Singapore's Ministry of Transport announced data showing that the number of new cars registered in 2024 was 43,022. Among them, the number of BYD electric vehicle registrations was 6,191, accounting for 14.4% of the total new car registrations, topping the list of popular vehicles in the passenger car market and continuing to lead in the sales volume of the electric vehicle market.

The number of new cars registered in Singapore in 2024 increased by 42.3% compared to 30,225 in 2023. The proportion of electric vehicles increased nearly twice, with 14,448 units, accounting for 33.6% of the total new vehicles. As of the end of 2024, there were 26,225 registered electric vehicles in Singapore, an increase of 14,284 compared to 2023.

At the same month's Singapore Motor Show, 160 new cars from 31 global leading brands participated, with over 70% of the participating vehicles being electric or hybrid models. The performance of Chinese brands and electric vehicles was equally impressive, with 16 electric models among the 26 new models displayed at the exhibition, 12 of which came from China.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7533844101654807086/

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