Wheel Insights

Will the recent changes to the preferential additional registration fee (PARF) rebate and the current COE prices turn away car buyers? Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget speech on Feb 12 that the PARF rebate will be lowered by 45 percentage points. The maximum rebate a car owner can expect to receive will be halved from $60,000 to $30,000. If you're looking to buy a car, should y...

Which means of various green transportation can decarbonise the most? Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. From October 2026, travellers departing Singapore will contribute to the purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). But is this levy enough to tackle av...

The popular Parking. SG app was supposed to help parking wardens issue summons. What happened? Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. The Parking. SG app handles a million sessions a month, with under half of them being ended early and the motorist getting a refu...

Three finance graduates had used data to create a business that completes the BYD experience in a restaurant  Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. While other car dealerships put a cafe in their showrooms, 1826’s car selling business is built into it...

How a 36-year-old will be racing on the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Oct 2025 Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. Host and senior transport correspondent Lee Nian Tjoe chats with Mr Roy Tang, who puts in his best effort as a financial adviser to fund his racin...

“LazyCabbie” drives for 10 hours daily, besides making insightful videos on his working life.  Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. Contrary to the name of his YouTube channel, Mr Eddie Jui is anything but lazy. The 48-year-old drives 10 hours...

Listen to our news commentary podcasts on the go every week. Podcasts have become part of the global media landscape these days. The audio-on-demand format allows many listeners to often do other chores or hobbies, while hearing the shows in the background over headphones or bluetooth speakers Almost every weekday, check out our discussions on Singapore current affairs and social issues, geopoliti...

Eyesight and vehicle costs are major concerns for seniors who drive. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. Mr Danny Yeo has been driving since 1974. The 75-year-old has no issues passing the medical check-up required to maintain his licence. Still, the freelance...

Forget “car-lite”, go for “car-free”, an SUTD prof makes the case for drivers to hang up their keys.  Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. It turned out that capping fares for seniors can be a way to urge older Singaporeans to not o...

From keen pricing to guaranteeing the resale value of its electric vehicle, BYD is bent on staying on top. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. BYD has been in Singapore for more than a decade before it became the country’s biggest selling car brand among...

From parents of newborns to riders who dismantle their motorcycles to evade repossession, this man has seen them all. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. What happens when a hire-purchase car goes missing or when a marriage turns sour and the fighting parties...

“Money not enough” - not even raising fares can fix current school bus woes. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. School bus fares are constantly rising, and yet operators are saying that ferrying pupils to schools is a loss-making venture with litt...

Improve your chances of getting a ride on a wet Friday evening with some hacks from this experienced cabbie. Synopsis: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times examines not just vehicle prices but wider transport issues and trends connected to public and private transport. Mr James Quak is among the 89,000 qualified taxi drivers in Singapore. In this episode of Wheel Insights, the 49-ye...

Technology is advancing at such a pace as Chinese electric vehicle brand Xpeng is aiming to prove to the global market. Synopsis: In this special episode, The Straits Times' Lee Nian Tjoe meets Mr He Xiaopeng, the chairman and chief executive of Chinese electric vehicle brand, Xpeng. By 2025, Xpeng cars will bring the driver from door-to-door with barely any human intervention and in 2026, it plan...

A university professor says his students are not keen on owning a car, while a motor industry expert says that they would, if cars were affordable.  Synopsis: Every third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times offers expert insights on new vehicles or transportation trends. In this episode, COE Watch host Lee Nian Tjoe invites Associate Professor Raymond Ong from the National University of Singap...

A motor industry expert connects popular culture to the success of Chinese car brands in Singapore. Synopsis: Every third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times offers expert insights on new vehicles or transportation trends. BYD is leading the sales chart in Singapore and other Chinese car brands are also making their way here. In a market where the total number of vehicle registrations is cappe...

From the evolution of MRT lines to buses, wider cycling paths and committing to being “car-lite”, our veteran transport reporter tells all.  Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. In the second part of the conversation, COE Watch host Lee Nian Tjoe hosts long-time senior transport correspondent at The Str...

A veteran transport reporter tells us what can be done to bring down COE prices and how to buy a new car. Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. In the first of a two-part conversation, COE Watch host Lee Nian Tjoe speaks with Christopher Tan, senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, to get a...

This car-sharing service managed to convince the government to allow them to match private car owners to hirers. Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. Car-sharing causes traffic congestion because the cars are more heavily used; the cars tend to be abused by the hirers; and in the event of an accident, t...

A seasoned motor industry insider says the COE system is bad for health because of the stress that comes with not knowing “the full picture”. Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Singapore seems to be tracking well. In 2023, 18.2 per cent of all new car registr...

The head of the EV-electric shares some of the learnings from Singapore’s electrification journey. Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. The pace of EV charger deployment at HDB carparks in 2024 will likely be slower than in the previous year - at least initially - before things pick up speed again. Acco...

The head of the industry body for motorcycle sellers and workshops recounts how the association has been pushing for change, from COEs to rules on safety equipment Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. With all the attention on certificate of entitlement (COEs) for cars, it is easy to forget about the mo...

No other car company has invested as much as Porsche to sell cars to consumers in Singapore with a high-end “studio” in the heart of the city. How is it working? Synopsis: The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. Cars in Singapore are the most expensive in the world. In this episode, ST's senior transport corresponde...

As it turns out, it is not from the mark-up on the car itself that pays the bulk of the bills for used car dealerships Synopsis: In this new podcast, The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. Almost 60 per cent of those who sell their cars, are looking for another one. This means that the business of used cars will co...

How premiums are calculated and how making a claim does not mean a higher premium renewal. Synopsis: In this new podcast, The Straits Times offers expert insights if you are in the market for a new vehicle or are tracking transportation trends. It is compulsory for all vehicles to have third-party insurance and vehicles that are under financing are required to have comprehensive insurance policies...