ComfortDelGro pumps $10m into electric, hybrid vehicles for its private-hire fleet
SINGAPORE – Transport giant ComfortDelGro is investing more than $10 million to expand and refresh its private-hire vehicle (PHV) fleet with new electric and hybrid vehicles from Chinese carmaker BYD.
ComfortDelGro, in a statement on Aug 20, said the vehicles will be added to its ride-hailing platform Zig in stages, and drivers can tap the PHV fleet in the coming months.
The refresh comes amid an expansion of Zig’s private-hire business. In 2025, Zig’s private-hire driver base grew 28 per cent, with more than 4,000 drivers now on its app.
The new vehicles aim to give private-hire drivers more choices, the statement added.
They include the hybrid BYD SEAL 6 DM-i and the BYD M6 electric vehicle. The vehicles are supplied by Vantage Automotive, the authorised distributor of BYD vehicles in Singapore.
Drivers who sign up for the new vehicles will have access to preferential charging rates through the ComfortDelGro sister firm CDG Energy.
Maintenance support will come from ComfortDelGro Engineering’s network of automotive workshops across Singapore.
The investment is part of Zig’s broader shift from a taxi-led operator towards a model combining taxis, private-hire vehicles and its ride-hailing platform.
Drivers, it said, increasingly opt to lease private-hire vehicles rather than taxis. Zig also plans to increase the supply of drivers on its Zig platform, particularly during peak periods.
ComfortDelGro’s taxi fleet in Singapore fell from about 8,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025 to 7,600 in the same period this year – a 5 per cent drop.
Its network of private-hire drivers, however, grew 28 per cent in 2025. More than 4,000 drivers are on the Zig app today, it said.
The move to beef up the private-hire fleet is also part of fleet renewal and electrification efforts, said ComfortDelGro.
The transport giant is moving to shore up its point-to-point business amid competitive pressures.
Its net profit fell 19.7 per cent to $85.1 million in the first half of 2026, with the company citing earnings pressure in its point-to-point businesses.
Electric cars are rising in popularity in Singapore, and leasing firms that supply private-hire vehicles are offering a mix of mass-market options including the BYD Atto 3, Dongfeng Box and Aion ES.
- Additional reporting by Lee Nian Tjoe