SINGAPORE (June 24): Hyundai Motor’s footprint is set to expand further in Singapore’s taxi market, as it receives an additional order for 2,000 Ioniq hybrid taxis from ComfortDelgro.
On Monday, Hyundai says it had signed a deal with ComfortDelgro to deliver 1,500 Ioniq hybrids by the end of the year with the remaining 500 units by the first half of 2020.
Hyundai says the partnership between both companies dates back to 2007 and just last year, the two signed a 1,200-unit deal after ComfortDelgro expanded its lineup to include Ioniq hybrids.
To date, Hyundai has sold a total of 26,000 vehicles since its entry into Singapore’s taxi market 13 years ago, retaining top spot for the past nine years. About 56% of all taxis in Singapore, or 11,000 vehicles, are now Hyundai cars.
ComfortDelgro has expressed its satisfaction with the Ioniq hybrid’s fuel efficiency and driving performance, which ties in with Hyundai’s push for cleaner vehicles since it began providing the Kona Electric to Grab, making it the first car-hailing service to use electric vehicles in the region.
Hyundai says the higher exposure of its hybrid taxis in Singapore, that attracts more than 15 million tourists worldwide a year, is a great marketing opportunity to show off its technological prowess.