COE Categories A, B, C, D and E
Singapore has five COE categories. Category A is mass-market cars — non-electric cars up to 1,600cc and 97kW (130bhp), and electric cars up to 110kW (147bhp). Category B is anything above those limits. Category C is goods vehicles and buses, D is motorcycles, and E is open (any vehicle except a motorcycle). The A/B test uses engine size OR power.
Every COE belongs to one of five categories. For car buyers, the one that matters most is the split between Category A and Category B, because it decides which premium you pay.
The five categories
| Category | Covers |
|---|---|
| A | Mass-market cars (see cut-offs below) |
| B | Higher-value / more powerful cars |
| C | Goods vehicles and buses |
| D | Motorcycles |
| E | Open — any vehicle except a motorcycle |
Category A vs Category B: the exact cut-offs
For COEs obtained from the May 2022 1st bidding exercise onwards:
| Car type | Category A if… | Category B if… |
|---|---|---|
| Non-electric (petrol/diesel/hybrid) | engine up to 1,600cc and max power up to 97kW (130bhp) | engine above 1,600cc or power above 97kW |
| Fully electric | max power up to 110kW (147bhp) | max power above 110kW |
The key word for petrol cars is “or”: a 1,500cc car making 110kW is still Category B, because it exceeds the power limit even though the engine is small. Both the engine-size test and the power test must be satisfied to stay in Category A.
Electric cars are judged on power only (there is no engine capacity), with a higher 110kW ceiling for Category A.
Category E is the open category
Category E is an open bid — a single E COE can be used to register a car that would otherwise be Category A or B (or most other vehicles except motorcycles). In the 21 October 2026 exercise the Category E premium was S$135,790, the highest of the five categories that day.
Categories C and D
- Category C — goods vehicles and buses. Used by businesses rather than private car buyers.
- Category D — motorcycles. Premiums are far lower than for cars.
A reform under consultation
In October 2026, LTA opened a public consultation on COE categorisation for cars, including whether Categories A and B should be merged into a single passenger-car category with a fee-and-rebate system based on car value. It is a consultation only — the A/B cut-offs above still apply.
Related
- What is COE and how it works
- COE renewal and PQP explained
- Live premiums by category: COE data
Sources
- COE Open Bidding — vehicle category definitions — Land Transport Authority (OneMotoring) (as of October 2026)
- Certificate of Entitlement (COE) — Vehicle Quota System — Land Transport Authority (OneMotoring) (as of October 2026)
- Launch of Public Consultation on COE Categorisation for Cars — Land Transport Authority (as of October 2026)