JAKARTA - The interest of Singaporean consumers to buy internal combustion engine or internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles has increased again. Ernst & Young (EY) study shows that as many as 32% of respondents in Singapore plan to buy ICE cars in the next two years, up from 26% in 2024.
The main reason for the increase is the remaining concerns regarding charging infrastructure and the hidden cost of owning an electric vehicle, as listed in the EY 2025 Mobility Consumer Index (MCI).
This change in preferences in Singapore reflects a global trend, where consumers are returning to gasoline-powered cars even though experts predict that 2025 sales data will still show high electric vehicle (EV) registration figures.
However, interest in ICE vehicles in Singapore is still lower than the global average. Globally, 50% of respondents said they were likely to buy an ICE vehicle, up from 37% in 2024.
Although Singapore has long been seen as the leading market for EV adoption in Southeast Asia, EY's study revealed that consumer confidence is not yet fully strong. A survey of 300 prospective car buyers in Singapore showed "practical" concerns, especially the limitations of charging networks and the high cost of battery replacement, began to outweigh initial optimism towards environmentally friendly mobility.
"If last year's MCI results reflected strong optimism towards EV purchases, this year's survey shows that car buyers in Singapore are starting to reconsider the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle option," said Sriram Changali, EY-Parthenon ASEAN and Singapore industry leader, as reported by Business Times.
"The easing of enthusiasm shows that consumers are now taking a more cautious and practical view of ownership," he added.
Despite the decline in sentiment towards EVs, Singapore remains the regional leader in the adoption of new energy vehicles. In a separate report 2025, global automotive distributor Inchcape noted that Singapore is the top in Southeast Asia for the adoption of new energy vehicles.
As many as 58% of car buyers in Singapore expressed an interest in buying an EV in the next two years, down from 73% in 2024. Although declining, this figure is still higher than the global average of 43%. Meanwhile, 10% of respondents said they had not yet determined the type of vehicle to be purchased.
Chinese EV manufacturer BYD was the best-selling brand in Singapore in May 2025, beating Toyota for the first time, with a market share of 19.7% in the first nine months of 2025. However, in July of the same year, BYD also launched a gasoline-powered car in Singapore for the first time.
EVs accounted for 43% of total new car registrations in Singapore in the first nine months of 2025. For comparison, the contribution of EVs was recorded at 33.8% throughout 2024 and 18.2% in 2023.
In Singapore, EY found that concerns about charging limitations are still the main obstacle for consumers to choose EVs. More than half of respondents cited the quality of public chargers and charging interoperability as the main concerns, compared to about a quarter of respondents globally.
A little over 40% of respondents also highlighted the high cost of battery replacement, while another 40% mentioned "lack of charging infrastructure". This figure is higher than the global average of 28% for both factors.
"The waning enthusiasm for EVs shows that consumers are now taking a more cautious and practical view of ownership. This is happening despite the government's efforts to expand charging infrastructure across Singapore," the report said.
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