The Joylong EA5 is an electric 13-seater minibus that a company can run as its own staff bus in Singapore. A Class 3 driver can take the wheel, and no Bus Driver's Vocational Licence is needed when it is registered as a Private Bus. At 3,500kg maximum laden weight, it falls under the light-vehicle scheme (CVES), not the heavy-vehicle EV grants. Get LTA's approval before you buy, then plan a charger at your premises.
This guide covers ABLINK's figures for the EA5, the rules that decide how you use it, and a check against the diesel Toyota Hiace 13-seater. For today's price, open the Joylong EA5 on ABLINK's new-vehicle page.
What the Joylong EA5 is, in ABLINK's numbers
ABLINK lists the Joylong EA5 as a new vehicle in its passenger bus range, fully electric (ABLINK, 2026). These are ABLINK's figures as of 2 November 2026:
| Item | Joylong EA5 (ABLINK figure) |
|---|---|
| Seats | 13 passengers + 1 driver (a 14-seater counting the driver) |
| Battery | 86.1kWh |
| Listed range | 335km |
| Unladen weight | 2,500kg |
| Maximum laden weight | 3,500kg |
| Warranty | Vehicle 3 years or 100,000km; motor 5 years or 200,000km; battery 8 years or 360,000km |
Sources: battery, range and warranty from the ABLINK listing; seats and weights from the ABLINK compare tool.
The weights decide the licence, the grant and the road tax, so treat your unit's log card as the final word. The range is a listed figure, so plan routes with a margin. If the battery cover is your main worry, our EV battery warranty guide explains what these terms usually mean.
Which licence does the driver need?
A normal Class 3 licence is enough for the EA5 on its listed weight. The Singapore Police Force puts "electric light goods vehicles and electric small buses" with an unladen weight up to 3,000kg in Class 3, and the same vehicles without a clutch pedal in Class 3A (SPF, 2026). This took effect for all electric small buses from 15 June 2026 (SPF, 14 June 2026).
Two details catch people out. First, the test is unladen weight, not maximum laden weight. The two are easy to mix up. SPF defines an electric small bus as a fully electric bus whose maximum laden weight is 3,500kg (SPF, 2026). Second, diesel and petrol small buses keep the older 2,500kg unladen limit for Class 3 (SPF, 2026). Anything carrying passengers above 2,500kg unladen that is not covered by the electric rule needs Class 4 (SPF). See our unladen weight guide for vans.
Register it as a Private Bus before you buy
If the bus only carries your own people, register it as a Private Bus. LTA says a Private Bus can only carry "your employees or persons related to your business", and any charge for the ride "must not result in profit gain" (LTA OneMotoring). The driver of a Private Bus does not need a Bus Driver's Vocational Licence (LTA).
Order matters. You must apply to LTA for in-principle approval before you register or buy the bus, and LTA takes 7 working days once it has complete information (LTA). The bus also needs a Category C or E COE (LTA). Our Category C COE guide covers the package-or-bid choice.
If you want to carry outside groups or charter the bus out, you need a Private Hire Bus instead. LTA describes it as a bus used to ferry students or workers, and one that "can also be chartered out" (LTA). On insurance, LTA makes the owner responsible for holding enough cover for the type of bus service (LTA); our electric van insurance guide lists what changes for an EV.
CVES yes, heavy-vehicle grants no: the 3,500kg line
The EA5 sits right on the line between light and heavy, and the grants follow that line. LTA defines a small bus as one with seats for 15 passengers or fewer and a maximum laden weight not over 3,500kg (LTA).
| Scheme | Who it covers | Does the EA5 fit? |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Vehicle Emissions Scheme (CVES) | Small buses with maximum laden weight not over 3,500kg, first registered from 1 Apr 2025 until 31 Mar 2027; grant only for emissions Band A at first registration (LTA CVES terms) | Its class is covered. The band is set when the bus is first registered |
| Heavy Vehicle Zero-Emissions Scheme (HVZES) | Buses with maximum laden weight above 3,500kg (LTA HVZES terms) | No. 3,500kg is not above 3,500kg |
| Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant (EHVCG) | A new electric heavy vehicle registered for each co-funded charger; chargers of at least 50kW (LTA charger grants) | Not on its own. LTA counts buses as heavy vehicles above the 3,500kg line |
Many online answers stop at "electric small buses get CVES". The terms add a condition: Band A at first registration. ABLINK states that its listed EA5 price is already after CVES (ABLINK), so do not subtract it again. Ask ABLINK how the band applies to your unit. LTA's heavy-vehicle group takes in buses as well as heavy goods and goods-cum-passenger vehicles (LTA, September 2026), but the scheme terms only start above 3,500kg.
Charging and road tax for an electric staff bus
If your staff bus parks overnight at your premises, slow AC charging fits. ABLINK lists five charger options for the EA5: AC 7kW at 8 to 10 hours, AC 22kW at 5 to 7 hours, and DC 30kW, 60kW and 120kW with no charging time listed (ABLINK, 2026). Check your daily kilometres against the listed range before you size the charger.
A fixed charger has to be installed by a Licensed Electrical Worker (LTA charger guidelines). You do not need an EV charging operator licence to charge your own fleet; LTA exempts "fleet owners who operate chargers to charge vehicles of their fleets" (LTA OneMotoring). Our company EV charger guide goes through sizing and site checks.
Road tax is not zero. For electric buses, LTA calculates road tax on the number of seats and the maximum laden weight, plus an Additional Flat Component (LTA tax structure). LTA explains why: "As EVs do not consume fuel, the AFC also serves as a usage tax collected as part of road tax." The component is set per licensing period, with separate rates for 2026, 2027 and from 2028 (LTA), so check the current table when you budget.
Joylong EA5 vs Toyota Hiace Hiroof 13-seater
ABLINK lists two new 13-seat passenger buses: the electric EA5 and the diesel Toyota Hiace Hiroof 13-seater. Here they are side by side, using ABLINK's own catalogue (ABLINK compare tool):
| Joylong EA5 | Toyota Hiace Hiroof 13-seater | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Electric | Diesel |
| Energy store | 86.1kWh battery | 70L tank |
| Listed range | 335km | 518km |
| Gearbox | Not listed by ABLINK | 6-speed automatic |
| Unladen / maximum laden weight | 2,500kg / 3,500kg | 2,220kg / 3,300kg |
| Driving licence (by unladen weight) | Class 3, under the electric small bus limit of 3,000kg | Class 3, under the diesel limit of 2,500kg |
| Warranty | Vehicle 3 yrs or 100,000km; motor 5 yrs or 200,000km; battery 8 yrs or 360,000km | Vehicle 3 yrs or 100,000km |
| Road tax basis | Seats and maximum laden weight, plus the electric AFC | Seats and maximum laden weight |
| Energy source | Your own charger (AC 7kW or 22kW, or DC options) | Diesel pump |
Licence classes follow the SPF rules above (SPF); road tax basis follows LTA's table (LTA). Weights are catalogue figures, so confirm them on the unit's log card. For more on the diesel option, read our 13-seater Hiace guide.
Who should buy the EA5, and who should not
The EA5 fits you if:
- the bus carries your own staff on fixed daily routes, so it can be a Private Bus with a Class 3 driver;
- it parks overnight at a site where you can put in an AC charger;
- your daily distance sits well inside the listed 335km, with room for traffic and air-con;
- you want a long battery and motor warranty on a vehicle you plan to keep.
Look at the diesel Hiace instead if:
- there is no parking with power, or the landlord will not allow a charger;
- the bus runs back-to-back shifts with no time to charge;
- routes change day to day or run long, where the Hiace's listed 518km and diesel refuelling help.
Carrying outside groups or charging for rides at a profit makes it a Private Hire Bus, whichever model you pick. Moving workers off lorries? See our worker transport guide.
Steps from enquiry to first trip
- Check your routes and daily kilometres against the listed range.
- Confirm your parking and a charger site with your landlord and a Licensed Electrical Worker.
- Apply to LTA for Private Bus in-principle approval, before you commit to buy.
- Ask ABLINK for the unit's weights, the COE route and how the CVES band is shown on the price.
- Arrange insurance that covers a bus carrying your staff.
- Register the bus, install the charger, and brief your Class 3 drivers.
Paying over time? Our bus financing guide explains the loan rules for a 13-seater.
Check the price, compare it, plan the switch
The Joylong EA5 page shows today's price and what it includes, and it is where to ask ABLINK about stock and delivery.
Two tools help before you call. The compare tool puts vehicles side by side: price, size, weights, licence class, range and yearly energy cost, and you can add the vehicle you run now. The Level Up Your Fleet planner has three steps: plan your charging, choose your EV (compare up to 3), then see a trade-in estimate. It ends with a plan you can discuss on WhatsApp or save as a PDF. Its figures are indicative, and nothing is ordered by using either tool.
FAQ
Can I drive the Joylong EA5 with a Class 3 licence?
Yes, on its listed weight. Since 15 June 2026, Class 3 covers electric small buses with an unladen weight up to 3,000kg, and ABLINK's catalogue lists the EA5 at 2,500kg unladen. Class 3A covers the same vehicles without a clutch pedal. The weight on your bus's log card is what counts, so check it when you register. Carrying staff in a Private Bus does not need a vocational licence.
Can my company claim the heavy-vehicle charger grant for an EA5?
Not on the strength of the EA5. The Electric Heavy Vehicle Charger Grant needs a new electric heavy vehicle registered for each co-funded charger, and LTA's heavy-vehicle line for buses is a maximum laden weight above 3,500kg. The EA5 is listed at exactly 3,500kg, so it counts as a small bus. If you also run electric lorries above that line, ask LTA how their chargers are treated.
Can ABLINK lease me an EA5?
ABLINK's lease page lists panel vans, lorries, pickups and electric commercial vehicles, but no buses. So a lease on the EA5 is a question to put to ABLINK, not a listed offer. You can still buy or finance it, and the fleet planner gives a trade-in estimate. Ask ABLINK from the EA5 page and say how you plan to pay.
Figures on this page come from ABLINK's vehicle sheet and compare catalogue as at 2 November 2026 and may change; confirm them with ABLINK for your unit. Registration, grants and road tax are decided by LTA, and licence classes by the Singapore Police Force. Grant eligibility is only settled at first registration.
