BYD Seal Dynamic cost to own in Singapore — the true 5-year total
As of July 1, 2026, the BYD Seal Dynamic costs S$273,388 on the road (price with COE). Over 5 years, owning one (EV) costs about S$148,271 in Singapore — S$2,471/month, S$1.70/km — where COE and ARF, not electricity, dominate. That's S$22,013 more than a comparable Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6 Standard over the same 5 years.
COE is set by a biweekly auction and swings thousands of dollars — every figure here uses the S$124,790 (Cat A) / S$126,236 (Cat B) COE assumption. Confirm the current COE before you commit; it is the single biggest line in the price. Source: LTA registration-cost sheet, 2026-07-01.
EV Early Adoption Incentive: the EEAI (45% off ARF, capped S$7,500) is baked into the EV figures for 2026 registrations — and it sunsets 31 Dec 2026. Register a BEV from 2027 and it costs more. Source: LTA.
BYD Seal Dynamic · Singapore · 5-year estimateS$148,271 total · S$2,471/mo · S$1.70/km
Where the money really goes — COE + ARF dwarf the fuel
The registered price with COE for the BYD Seal Dynamic is S$273,388. COE + ARF alone are S$135,790 of that — many multiples of the electricity or petrol you'll ever buy. That is the honest story of Singapore car cost.
- COE (quota licence)
- S$124,790biweekly auction · dominates the price
- ARF (net of VES / EEAI)
- S$11,000gross S$41,000 − VES rebate S$22,500 − EEAI S$7,500
- OMV (open-market value)
- S$35,000declared import value
- Excise (20%) + GST (9%)
- S$10,780on OMV
- Registration fee
- S$350LTA flat
- Dealer margin
- S$91,468backed out of the retail price
- Registered price (with COE)
- S$273,388what you pay to put it on the road
- Recovered at de-registration (yr 5)
- S$173,888unused COE S$62,395 + PARF S$3,300 + residual value S$108,193
How depreciation works here: it is the registered "price with COE" minus what you get back at de-registration — the unused COE (rebatable over the 10-year licence), the PARF rebate (a capped % of ARF paid), and the car's remaining market value. Where a published Singapore depreciation figure exists (PaperValue / sgCarMart), we use it — the straight-line S$/yr buyers actually quote. That is why the S$100k+ upfront, not electricity or petrol, dominates the 5-year total. What you'd get back at deregistration (official PARF + COE rebate) →
Where the money goes — full 5-year breakdown
| Cost component | Electric · BYD Seal Dynamic | Petrol · Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation (estimated) | S$99,500 (67%) | S$79,500 (63%) |
| Charging / fuel | S$5,207 (4%) | S$19,152 (15%) |
| ↳ of which charging loss | 10% (~S$521) | — |
| Maintenance | S$3,500 (2%) | S$5,250 (4%) |
| Insurance | S$10,000 (7%) | S$8,000 (6%) |
| Financing interest | S$22,556 (15%) | S$10,647 (8%) |
| Registration & fees | S$7,508 (5%) | S$3,709 (3%) |
| Total cost of ownership | S$148,271 | S$126,258 |
The Depreciation line above is where COE + ARF live — Singapore's honest cost centre. The Charging / fuel line is small by comparison.
BYD Seal Dynamic specs & assumptions
- Price with COE
- S$273,388dealer
- OMV
- S$35,000declared import value
- Powertrain
- Electric
- Efficiency
- 15.4 kWh/100kmWLTP
- COE category
- Cat A · assumed S$124,790LTA
- Singapore electricity
- 34.78c/kWhSP Group
- Annual km (assumed)
- 17,500LTA average
Cost to charge the BYD Seal Dynamic at home
The BYD Seal Dynamic runs about S$5.95 per 100 km at home — versus about S$23.94 for a typical 7 L/100km petrol car. Home charging only (the ~10% AC charging loss is included); public DC fast-charging is billed per session by each network — often 2–3× the home rate — and isn't in these figures.
- Per 100 km at home
- S$5.9515.4 kWh/100km + 10% charging loss × S$0.35/kWh
- A typical 7 L/100km petrol car
- S$23.94/100kmat S$3.42/L — for comparison