The second COE round of October 2026 closed with higher premiums for cars and lower premiums for the Open category and motorcycles. Category A rose to S$132,004. Category B rose to S$131,901. Category E fell to S$135,790.
For the first time in the eight rounds covered here, the Category A premium finished above Category B. The gap is small, but the order has flipped.
All figures below are quota premiums from LTA's COE bidding results. The quota premium is the price of a certificate in that round.
The headline numbers
- Category A: S$132,004, up S$2,003 (1.5%) from S$130,001
- Category B: S$131,901, up S$1,801 (1.4%) from S$130,100
- Category C: S$92,200, up S$311 (0.3%) from S$91,889
- Category D: S$10,778, down S$234 (2.1%) from S$11,012
- Category E: S$135,790, down S$1,210 (0.9%) from S$137,000
Three categories went up and two came down. Category D saw the largest percentage move. Category A saw the largest move in dollars.
Category A: smaller cars and lower-powered EVs
Category A covers cars up to 1,600cc and 97kW (130bhp). It also covers fully electric cars up to 110kW (147bhp).
The premium closed at S$132,004. That is up S$2,003 from the first October round.
The quota was 1,191 certificates. LTA received 1,574 bids. Of those, 1,187 were successful, so a few certificates in the quota were not taken up.
This category now sits just above Category B. In every earlier round listed below, Category A closed lower than Category B.
Category B: larger and higher-powered cars
Category B covers cars above 1,600cc or 97kW (130bhp). It also covers fully electric cars above 110kW (147bhp).
The premium closed at S$131,901. That is up S$1,801 from S$130,100 in the round before.
The quota was 923. There were 1,149 bids, and all 923 certificates went to successful bidders.
Category C: goods vehicles and buses
Category C moved only a little. The premium rose S$311 to S$92,200.
The quota was 308. LTA received 481 bids, and 307 were successful.
Category D: motorcycles
Motorcycle COEs got cheaper this round. The premium fell S$234 to S$10,778, a drop of 2.1%.
The quota was 539. There were 611 bids, and 535 were successful.
Category E: the Open category
Category E is open to any vehicle except motorcycles. It fell S$1,210 to S$135,790.
The quota was 270. There were 411 bids, and 267 were successful.
Category E remains the highest of the five categories. But its lead over Categories A and B has narrowed this round.
Bids against quota
Bids outnumbered certificates in every category this round.
- Category A: 1,574 bids for a quota of 1,191
- Category B: 1,149 bids for a quota of 923
- Category C: 481 bids for a quota of 308
- Category D: 611 bids for a quota of 539
- Category E: 411 bids for a quota of 270
Only Category B filled its quota exactly. The other four categories each had a handful of certificates that were not taken up.
The recent run for Categories A, B and E
Here are the premiums for the last eight rounds, in the order Category A / B / E.
- October 2026, 2nd round: S$132,004 / S$131,901 / S$135,790
- October 2026, 1st round: S$130,001 / S$130,100 / S$137,000
- September 2026, 2nd round: S$131,890 / S$133,000 / S$137,000
- September 2026, 1st round: S$133,009 / S$135,001 / S$137,890
- August 2026, 2nd round: S$128,501 / S$131,001 / S$135,000
- August 2026, 1st round: S$123,890 / S$129,910 / S$131,000
- July 2026, 2nd round: S$126,000 / S$129,890 / S$129,971
- July 2026, 1st round: S$129,000 / S$130,889 / S$129,801
Category A
Category A dipped through July and into early August. Its lowest point in this run was S$123,890 in the first August round. It then climbed to S$133,009 in the first September round, the high of the run.
Two falls followed. This round brought it back up to S$132,004, the second-highest figure of the eight rounds.
Category B
Category B stayed within a narrower band. Its low was S$129,890 in the second July round. Its high was S$135,001 in the first September round.
After two falls, it rose this round to S$131,901. That is the third-highest figure in the run.
Category E
Category E rose in each round from the first July round to the first September round. It peaked at S$137,890. It then held at S$137,000 for two rounds in a row.
This round is its first fall in the eight rounds listed. At S$135,790, it is still above every Category E result from July and the first August round.
What this round means for a car buyer now
The COE is inside the car's price
The COE is part of a new car's price. When a premium moves, the cost of the car can move with it.
A list price is tied to the date it was published. A price as listed on one date may not match what a buyer pays later. When comparing quotes, check the date on each one.
It is also worth asking the seller how the COE is handled in the quoted price. Ask whether the quote depends on a future bidding result, and what happens if a bid fails.
Check which category the car falls into
The category depends on the car's engine size and power. For fully electric cars, it depends on motor power. The thresholds are set out in the Category A and Category B descriptions above.
This round, Categories A and B closed very close together. The category still matters, because the two premiums move separately from round to round.
The full rules on COE periods and renewal are on LTA's OneMotoring site. Our COE guide covers how the system works in plain terms.
Other running costs
The COE is one part of the cost of owning a car. Road tax is another, and it is set by LTA. Our road tax page explains how it works. The exact rates for a given car are on OneMotoring.
Insure the car before collection
A buyer insures the car before it is registered and collected. That means the insurance decision comes before the keys are handed over.
Things to check before choosing a policy:
- Whether repairs are done at an authorised workshop or any workshop. Our page on authorised or any workshop explains the difference.
- The excess you pay on each claim. See car insurance excess.
- Whether your existing no-claim discount carries over to the new car.
- Who will be named as drivers, since age and experience can affect the premium.
Premiums for the same car can differ between insurers. The car insurance price pages show what is on offer for common models, and you can compare car insurance before the car is collected.
Car insurance through Shenton Brokers
Before you drive off or renew, get your car insurance through Shenton Brokers. See which cars cost least to insure, or look up your own model's prices from every insurer we compare. Or get a quote with your own details.