China commercial vehicle maker Qingling Motors debuts in Singapore with the EQ2 heavy truck

Automotive group Motorway and Qingling Motors will officially launch an electric heavy vehicle, the Qingling EQ2, on Friday (Nov 7).

Priced from S$155,888 with a Certificate of Entitlement, the EQ2 has a 100.5 kilowatt-hour battery and a claimed range of up to 515 kilometres on a full charge.

It is capable of direct-current fast charging at up to 120 kilowatts, which will replenish the battery from 20 per cent to 80 per cent full in half an hour.

The EQ2 is the first vehicle in Singapore from Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Qingling Motors, a Chongqing-based manufacturer of commercial vehicles.

Qingling (S) is the authorised distributor for Qingling Motors in Singapore. It is a joint venture that is majority owned by Motorway Group, an automotive company that sells new and used cars, as well as provides leasing and rental services.

“(The) EQ2 is the ideal solution for urban logistics, last-mile delivery and corporate fleets aiming to reduce their carbon footprint and operating costs,” said Qingling (S) in a statement on Thursday (Nov 6).

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The introduction of the vehicle comes just ahead of incentives for electric heavy commercial vehicles that commence in 2026.

Heavy charge

Under the Heavy Vehicle Zero Emissions Scheme, from Jan 1, 2026, owners of newly registered electric heavy vehicles will receive an incentive of S$40,000 per vehicle, and can get co-funding of up to S$30,000 per accompanying charger.

BT has queried Qingling (S) for an updated price that includes the incentives.

The new scheme was announced in March. As reported earlier this year, industry observers said the move would bring the price of electric heavy vehicles closer to that of diesel models, thereby kick-starting adoption and drawing more brands to launch such vehicles in Singapore.

However, they also said that most purchasers of electric heavy vehicles would also delay buying until 2026, when incentives kick in. Currently, a number of manufacturers, mostly Chinese, offer electric heavy vehicles here, including BYD, Maxus, Farizon and Sany.

Founded in 1985, Qingling Motors is a joint venture between Qingling Motors (Group), which owns 50.1 per cent, and Japanese vehicle manufacturer Isuzu, which owns 20 per cent.

The majority owner of Qingling Motors (Group) is Chongqing Yufu Holding Group, an investment company controlled by the city of Chongqing.