The electric commercial van cost S$68k, before the inclusion of COE

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SINGAPORE

ST Engineering’s Mobility Services, the authorised distributor of the BYD T3 electric van in Singapore, has awarded dealership of the vehicle in Singapore to Hong Seh EVolution (HSEV), a subsidiary of the Hong Seh Group. Helmed by the father and son team of Alfred and Edward Tan, the group has a long and storied history in the automotive trade in Singapore, and is perhaps most well-remembered as previously being the authorised dealer for a number of luxury car and yacht brands here. 

The BYD T3 is a Chinese-made van that is purpose built for fleet use, and features a 70kW motor with a maximum torque of 180Nm and a range of up to 300km. It is priced at S$67,800 without COE, and HSEV sales executives have hinted that there are additional discounts if bookings are down before 31st March 2021.

Cargo volume is rated at 3,800 litres, and with a 40kW DC quick charger the car can be fully topped up in a claimed 1.3 hours. Regular charging through an AC 6.6kW supply will fully charge the battery in 7.6 hours. 

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Based on current electricity pricing of S$0.23/kWh, it will cost S$11.57 to fully charge the van’s battery from a home-based power supply. SP Group’s commercial DC charging stations cost S$0.4725/kWh, but can get the van fully topped up in just 1.3 hours at a cost of S$23.77. Clearly with electric vehicles, where you charge them matters over the long term when it comes to minimising running costs.

Like other similar electric delivery vehicles, the BYD (which incidentally stands for: Build Your Dreams) is not designed to go fast, with a rated top speed of just 100km/h. It is however quite well-appointed when compared to the competition, with leather covered seats and large 16-inch wheels.

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Edward Tan, the Executive Director of HSEV, noted, “We firmly believe that electrification is the future and Hong Seh EVolution is delighted to be part of the first steps towards that. This partnership is also timely and in line with the Government’s support of the growth of electric vehicles in Singapore. With the Government rebate of up to $30,000 and increase in petrol duties, it is a perfect opportunity to encourage businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.” 

One of the early adopters of the BYD T3 is local delivery and logistics firm OKwhere, and the company’s founder Jacky Tan tells us that he has already committed to an initial purchase of six BYD T3 vans, with a “strong likelihood” of having a fleet of 10 of them to complement his company’s existing delivery fleet.

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“Our delivery systems are based on zones so that the drivers do not have to drive more than necessary,” Tan explains. “Based on our projected driving distances, each T3 van can comfortably cover two days of use before needing a recharge, and we’ve installed a collection of charging points at our facility so we will always have a readily available charging station. We are confident that this is the way forward for local delivery fleets and that they will greatly lower our running costs in the long term.”

To strengthen its retail presence in Singapore, HSEV has also opened a BYD Showroom located at the ground level of the Alexcier at  237 Alexandra Road.

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