ComfortDelGro pumps $10m into BYD electric, hybrid vehicles for private-hire fleet

SINGAPORE – Transport giant ComfortDelGro is investing more than $10 million to expand and refresh its private-hire vehicle (PHV) fleet with new electric and hybrid vehicles from Chinese carmaker BYD.

ComfortDelGro, in a statement on Aug 20, said the vehicles will be added to its ride-hailing platform Zig in stages, and drivers can tap the PHV fleet in the coming months. The refresh comes amid an expansion of Zig’s private-hire business. In 2025, Zig’s private-hire driver base grew 28 per cent, with more than 4,000 drivers now on its app.

The new vehicles will give private-hire drivers more choices, the statement added.

They include the hybrid BYD Seal 6 DM-i and the BYD M6 electric vehicle. The vehicles are supplied by Vantage Automotive, the authorised distributor of BYD vehicles in Singapore.

Based on current prices, including the certificate of entitlement (COE), the BYD Seal 6 DM-i comes in at $194,388, and the M6 costs $189,388. Before bulk order discounts, the $10 million funding will buy about 50 cars.

A ComfortDelGro spokesperson told The Straits Times that there is no formal breakdown of the EV-to-hybrid ratio, as the $10 million is a broad fund that Zig will draw on as it continues to renew its fleet. The mix of EVs and hybrids will evolve over time, depending on factors such as driver demand.

Drivers who sign up for the new vehicles will have access to preferential charging rates through ComfortDelGro sister firm CDG Energy.

Maintenance support will come from ComfortDelGro Engineering’s network of automotive workshops across Singapore.

The investment is part of Zig’s broader shift from a taxi-led operator to a model combining taxis, private-hire vehicles and its ride-hailing platform.

Drivers, it said, increasingly opt to lease private-hire vehicles rather than taxis. Zig also plans to increase the supply of drivers on its platform, particularly during peak periods.

ComfortDelGro’s taxi fleet in Singapore fell from about 8,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025 to 7,600 in the same period in 2026, a 5 per cent drop.

Its network of private-hire drivers, however, grew 28 per cent in 2025. More than 4,000 drivers are on the Zig app today, it said.

The move to beef up the private-hire fleet is also part of fleet renewal and electrification efforts, said ComfortDelGro.

In 2023, ComfortDelGro said it expected to spend $6 billion to replace the bulk of its fleet of largely combustion-engined buses and taxis with electric vehicles. The amount was equal to nearly three times the group’s market value at the time.

On Aug 20, the transport giant said it is moving to shore up its point-to-point business amid competitive pressures.

Its net profit fell 19.7 per cent to $85.1 million in the first half of 2026, with the company citing earnings pressure in its point-to-point businesses.

Electric vehicles are rising in popularity in Singapore, making up the majority of new cars registered so far in 2026. Industry watchers said hirers usually prefer petrol-hybrid cars. Apart from being more fuel efficient than conventional internal combustion engine cars, hybrids have a significantly longer operating range than electric cars, giving drivers more flexibility in their work.

Leasing firms that supply private-hire vehicles offer a mix of mass-market options, including the BYD Atto 3, Dongfeng Box and Aion ES.

About 5.2 per cent – or 633 out of 12,134 taxis – of taxis in Singapore are electric.

Strides Premier – the taxi arm of SMRT – was among the earliest adopters of EV taxis in Singapore when it rolled out its first batch of 15 fully electric MG5 station wagon taxis on Aug 30, 2021.

In 2025, about a 100 Stride Premier electric taxis were found sitting idle in a multi-storey carpark in Tampines Street 92. At the time, they made up about a fifth of all electric cabs in Singapore.