ABLINK catalogue data checked 22 October 2026
Choosing an electric lorry vs diesel lorry in Singapore comes down to three questions: which licence your drivers need, how much weight the truck may carry, and what it costs to run each year. For the 10ft class, ABLINK's own catalogue answers the first two in a way many buyers don't expect. On paper the electric trucks are not heavier, and the licence line and grant for an EV lorry depend on its maximum laden weight, not on the battery.
On 22 October 2026, ABLINK's compare catalogue listed seven new electric 10ft trucks at 1,500kg to 1,920kg unladen, against 1,720kg to 2,280kg listed for 17 used diesel 10ft lorries. At the catalogue's own mileage and energy prices, the electric trucks use about S$980 to S$1,360 of electricity a year, and the new diesel 10ft trucks about S$6,930 to S$8,980 of diesel (ABLINK compare catalogue, 2026).
The worry reached Parliament. In November 2025 a Member of Parliament asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to review licence classes "to account for the higher unladen weight of electric trucks caused by battery mass" (MHA, 2025).
Electric vs diesel lorry: the short answer
In the 10ft class, pick on route and running cost, not on licence or payload. Both fuel types sit well under the 2,500kg unladen line for a Class 3 licence on the figures ABLINK lists. Payload follows the weight a truck is registered to carry, and some electric 10ft trucks are registered higher than most diesel 10ft lorries on the used market.
Choose electric if your lorry returns to the same place each night, covers a predictable distance and can charge there. Its energy bill is a fraction of diesel's, and electric trucks above 3,500kg maximum laden weight can still earn an LTA incentive. Choose diesel if your days are long or unpredictable, if you have nowhere to charge, or if you want a used lorry, because the used 10ft lorries in ABLINK's catalogue that day were all diesel or petrol.
ABLINK sells and leases both electric and diesel lorries, so this compares vehicles ABLINK lists, not the whole market.
Can a Class 3 licence drive an electric lorry?
Yes, on the weights ABLINK lists for 10ft trucks, and being electric doesn't push a lorry into Class 4. In Singapore the licence class for a lorry is set by its unladen weight, the weight of the empty vehicle on its log card. The Singapore Police Force licence class list gives Class 3 two lines that matter here:
- Motor vehicles that are not electric light goods vehicles, with an unladen weight of up to 2,500kg. This is the line for every diesel lorry.
- Electric light goods vehicles with an unladen weight of up to 3,000kg.
Above those lines, a vehicle built to carry a load needs Class 4. The 3,000kg line for electric vehicles has applied to all electric light goods vehicles since 15 June 2026 (SPF, 2026). For petrol and diesel vehicles, the line stays at 2,500kg.
The catch is in the definition. Under SPF's definition, an electric light goods vehicle runs only on electricity and is rated at no more than 3,500kg when fully loaded. So the higher 3,000kg line only covers electric trucks registered at a maximum laden weight of 3,500kg or less.
An electric truck rated above that is not an electric light goods vehicle. It falls back to the same 2,500kg line as a diesel lorry.
In ABLINK's catalogue, that splits the electric 10ft trucks in two. The Forland ET5 (2,600kg maximum laden weight) and the lighter version of the SRM T3EV (3,155kg) get the 3,000kg line. The heavier SRM T3EV is rated at 3,505kg, just 5kg over, so it is held to 2,500kg, like the BYD T35, Farizon F3E, Foton eMiler and Forland S1. Our SRM T3EV review covers both versions.
That sounds worse than it is. The heaviest electric 10ft chassis in the catalogue is listed at 1,920kg, which leaves about 580kg of room under 2,500kg before any body is fitted.
On the diesel side, the Hino Dutro is listed at 1,800kg, and the 17 used diesel 10ft lorries were listed at 1,720kg to 2,280kg. None of the weighed 10ft trucks, electric or diesel, needs Class 4 on these figures. Our guide to unladen weight and the Class 3 limit explains how to read the figure on a log card.
One more difference: Class 3A covers the same weights for vehicles without a clutch pedal. The catalogue lists the Forland ET5 with a single-speed automatic drive. On the diesel side, 12 of the 17 used 10ft lorries were listed as manual, and a manual lorry needs a full Class 3.
Do you lose payload to the battery?
Across the whole class, a battery does add weight. SPF puts the extra weight of an electric light goods vehicle at around 400kg to 500kg, which is why their licence line was raised.
In ABLINK's 10ft figures, though, the extra weight doesn't show up as lost payload (ABLINK compare catalogue, 2026). The reason is the maximum laden weight, the most the truck may weigh when loaded. Payload is roughly that figure minus the unladen weight, and several electric 10ft trucks are registered at a higher maximum laden weight than the Hino Dutro and 16 of the 17 used diesel 10ft lorries.
Take two trucks with the same 3,700kg rating. The BYD T35 is listed at 1,760kg unladen and the Hino Dutro at 1,800kg. The gap between unladen and maximum laden weight is 1,940kg for the BYD and 1,900kg for the Dutro.
The Foton eMiler and Forland S1 are rated at 4,500kg, which leaves 2,620kg and 2,700kg. The smallest electric truck, the Forland ET5, is rated at only 2,600kg, so its margin is 1,100kg, smaller than any of the used diesel lorries, which ranged from 1,220kg to 3,000kg (median 1,740kg).
Two cautions before you treat these as payloads. Most electric figures in the catalogue are cab-chassis weights, before the deck or box is fitted, so the body's weight comes off the margin. The used diesel figures are for complete lorries, with a body already fitted.
None of these margins is a published payload rating. Ask for the completed truck's unladen weight and its payload in writing. Then compare maximum laden weights first: two 10ft trucks can look alike and carry very different loads.
What ABLINK's 10ft data shows (22 October 2026)
The table lists the new 10ft trucks in ABLINK's compare catalogue on 22 October 2026. Prices are left out on purpose, because they move with the COE; each model's live price is on ABLINK's new commercial vehicles page. Energy cost uses the catalogue's defaults, explained in the energy section below.
| Model | Fuel | Unladen weight | Max laden weight | Listed range | Energy per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forland ET5 | Electric | 1,500kg* | 2,600kg | 350km | about S$980 |
| SRM T3EV (lighter) | Electric | 1,560kg* | 3,155kg | 300km | about S$1,140 |
| SRM T3EV (heavier) | Electric | 1,660kg* | 3,505kg | 301km | about S$1,140 |
| BYD T35 | Electric | 1,760kg* | 3,700kg | 367km | about S$1,080 |
| Farizon F3E | Electric | 1,920kg* | 4,300kg | 367km | about S$1,270 |
| Foton eMiler | Electric | 1,880kg* | 4,500kg | 375km | about S$1,310 |
| Forland S1 | Electric | 1,800kg | 4,500kg | 300km | about S$1,360 |
| Hino Dutro | Diesel | 1,800kg | 3,700kg | 540km | about S$8,980 |
| Isuzu NJR88 | Diesel | not listed | 5,000kg | 700km | about S$6,930 |
| Mitsubishi FEA21 | Diesel | not listed | 5,000kg | 1,060km | about S$7,620 |
* Cab-chassis figure before the body is fitted. Ranges are as listed; the test standard is not stated. Isuzu NJR88 and Mitsubishi FEA21 have no unladen weight in the catalogue, so their licence class can't be read from it.
To see two of them side by side with dimensions, licence class and energy cost, open the comparison of the BYD T35 and Hino Dutro, which share a 3,700kg rating, or the Forland S1 and Hino Dutro. None of these trucks needs a Vehicle Parking Certificate on its listed rating: LTA requires one for heavy goods vehicles above 5,000kg maximum laden weight (OneMotoring).
Model by model: our electric 10ft lorry guide covers the electric side, and our Toyota Dyna vs Mitsubishi Canter guide the diesel side.
Which grant: CVES, HVZES or none?
The scheme, again, depends on the maximum laden weight. Here is how it works out for a lorry registered now, from LTA's tax structure page as it read on 22 October 2026:
- Electric, up to 3,500kg (Forland ET5, lighter SRM T3EV): the Commercial Vehicle Emissions Scheme. Electric vehicles fall in Band A, which carries an S$15k incentive paid in full at registration, for vehicles registered up to 31 March 2027. After that date, check current terms.
- Diesel, up to 3,500kg: the same scheme, but a diesel goods vehicle usually lands in Band C, which LTA describes as "mainly diesel vehicles". Band C carries an S$20k surcharge (LTA and NEA, 2024).
- Electric, 3,501kg to 7,000kg (BYD T35, Farizon F3E, Foton eMiler, Forland S1, heavier SRM T3EV): the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme. A truck registered on or after 3 September 2026, on a COE from the first September 2026 bidding exercise or later, gets S$15k in three S$5k tranches: at registration and on the first and second anniversaries. It must stay registered to collect each tranche, and the scheme runs to 31 December 2028.
- Diesel, above 3,500kg (all three new diesel 10ft trucks in the table): nothing. The emissions scheme covers only vehicles up to 3,500kg, and the Early Turnover Scheme for heavy vehicles ended on 31 December 2025.
The early adoption rebate for EVs (EEAI) is for electric cars and taxis, not goods vehicles (LTA and NEA, 2025). If you plan a charger at your premises, an electric truck above 3,500kg may also qualify you for the Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant, which co-funds up to 50% of installation, capped at S$30k per charger (LTA, 2025). Our HVZES and charger grant guide has the conditions, and the electric lorry grant guide has the wider picture.
Road tax is close between the two. In the 3,501kg to 7,000kg band, a diesel lorry pays S$656 a year. An electric one pays S$624 in 2026, S$674 in 2027 and S$774 from 2028. Its road tax includes an Additional Flat Component, which LTA says also serves as the usage tax that diesel vehicles pay through fuel duty. Our van and lorry road tax guide has every band.
Yearly energy cost: electric vs diesel at the same mileage
This is where the two fuels really part. ABLINK's compare catalogue works out a yearly energy cost for each vehicle from three defaults: 20,000km a year, diesel at S$4.04 a litre (the pump price averaged over five brands on 29 September 2026), and electricity at S$0.3191 per kWh (the SP Group tariff before GST for July to September 2026). Energy use comes from each truck's listed range divided by its battery size or fuel tank, so treat it as an estimate.
On those defaults, the seven electric 10ft trucks cost about S$980 to S$1,360 a year in electricity (ABLINK compare catalogue, 2026). The three diesel ones cost about S$6,930 to S$8,980 in diesel. For the same-rated pair, the BYD T35 comes to about S$1,080 and the Hino Dutro to about S$8,980, a gap of about S$7,900 a year.
One thing moves the electric figure:
- The tariff. SP Group's tariff for October to December 2026 is lower: its four components add up to 28.59 cents per kWh before GST (SP Group). At the regulated tariff, the catalogue's figure is on the cautious side this quarter.
Energy is only one running cost. For a five-year picture on vans, see our diesel vs electric van cost analysis; the method carries over to lorries, the numbers don't.
Range, charging and the used market
Range is diesel's clear advantage. The electric 10ft trucks list 300km to 375km. The diesel ones list 540km to 1,060km on a full tank. At 20,000km a year, a truck averages under 80km a day even over 260 working days, which any of them can cover.
Range matters on the days that aren't average: a long job, a second shift, a breakdown elsewhere in the fleet. A diesel lorry refuels anywhere; an EV truck needs a plan for where it charges and for how long.
The used market is the other difference. On 22 October 2026, the used 10ft lorry categories in ABLINK's catalogue held 17 diesel lorries and one petrol lorry, and no electric ones. If your budget or timing points to a used lorry, today that means diesel. You can browse what is in stock on ABLINK's used lorry marketplace, which lists units from more than one dealer.
Bigger trucks: the 14ft class is different
The picture changes one size up. The two electric 14ft trucks in the catalogue, the SANY FR601 and Qingling EQ2, are rated at 5,000kg and 4,990kg, so the 3,000kg electric line does not reach them. Their cab-chassis weights are listed at 2,340kg and 2,480kg, which leaves only 20kg to 160kg under the 2,500kg line before a body goes on.
In our reading, a Class 4 driver is the safer plan for those two until you have seen the log card. Our electric 14ft lorry comparison covers them in full, and our 10ft vs 14ft lorry compliance guide sets the two sizes side by side.
Five checks before you choose
- Read the maximum laden weight first. It decides the licence line for an electric truck, the grant scheme, the road tax band and how much you can carry.
- Ask for the completed truck's unladen weight. Not the chassis figure. That is the number on the log card, and the one the licence follows.
- Check your drivers' licences. Class 3 or 3A, and whether the truck has a clutch pedal.
- Map a normal week of driving. Note the longest day, where the truck parks overnight, and whether it can charge there. If it can't, cost the electric option at public charging rates.
- Confirm the grant in writing. Ask which scheme applies, the amount, and for the heavier trucks which COE exercise the COE came from.
Compare, buy or lease with ABLINK
Start with the compare page: pick an electric and a diesel 10ft truck, such as the BYD T35 against the Hino Dutro, and change the mileage and energy prices to match your own.
When you have a shortlist, go to ABLINK's new commercial vehicles page. Tap the price button or the WhatsApp button on a model, and ABLINK will confirm the latest price and availability. If you would rather not buy, the lease page offers short-term and long-term packages for lorries and electric commercial vehicles; tap "Enquire now" and say which truck, how long you need it and which licence class your drivers hold.
Licence rules are from the Singapore Police Force and grant and road tax terms from LTA's OneMotoring, as they read on 22 October 2026. Vehicle weights, ranges and energy defaults are from ABLINK's compare catalogue on that date and can change; the log card of the exact vehicle is the figure that counts. Grants, COE and any loan or lease are subject to LTA and provider approval.
