One in four cars registered in Singapore during the first half of 2026 was from electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, as Chinese brands and Tesla continued to increase their market share relative to carmakers from Europe, Japan and South Korea.

According to Land Transport Authority (LTA) data on new passenger car registrations from January to June, released on July 24th, BYD remained the largest automotive brand in Singapore by registrations. The company recorded a 46.3% year-on-year increase, while its market share increased to 25.2% from 19.5% during the corresponding period in 2025.

Overall passenger car registrations for the first six months of the year increased by 13.3%. Toyota remained in second place, recording a 2.2% year-on-year decline.

Electric vehicles continue to gain market share

American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla entered the top three after its registrations doubled compared with the first half of 2025.

Mercedes-Benz retained fourth position, although registrations declined by 33.8% compared with the corresponding period last year. Fellow German manufacturer BMW dropped two places to fifth, with registrations declining by 40.3%.

Japanese carmaker Honda recorded a similar trend, with registrations declining by 44.4%. Further down the rankings, Chinese brands replaced several traditional manufacturers in the top 10. Chery, MG, GAC and Xpeng recorded increases in registrations, overtaking Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and Mazda.

Demand for electric vehicles has been supported by government incentives, particularly for models produced by Chinese or Chinese-owned brands, which are generally priced competitively. Electric vehicle adoption increased during the six-month period, with EVs accounting for 62.4% of new registrations, up from 41.0% a year earlier. Petrol-electric hybrids accounted for 29.8% of registrations, down from 41.9%, while petrol-powered vehicles represented 5.5%, compared with 16.2% during the corresponding period last year.

At the same time, luxury carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been affected by reductions in Preferential Additional Registration Fee rebates introduced in February. Industry observers said these factors have contributed to a shift in Singapore's car market, which has traditionally been dominated by Toyota, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Honda.