BYD and Sime Motors launch BYD's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in Singapore
This launch marks a significant milestone as BYD's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in the local market. The latest model is designed for customers seeking an electric-first experience, combined with an extended driving range.
'We've led Singapore's electric vehicle transition by offering high-value, fully electric models like the BYD Atto 3, Sealion 7 and M6 – and the response has been overwhelmingly positive," said Mr James Ng, managing director of BYD Singapore and Philippines in a press release.
'However, we understand that electrification is a journey and that journey looks different for every driver. Some are ready to go fully electric while others still face practical challenges such as charging access or range confidence. The BYD Sealion 6 DM-i is our answer to those needs.'
Powered by BYD's proprietary DM-i Super Hybrid system, the new model combines a 18.3 kWh Blade Battery with a 1.5L high-efficiency petrol engine. This hybrid system delivers up to 80 km of pure electric range (WLTC), making it ideal for daily commutes in Singapore. It is also designed to be fuel-efficient, allowing drivers to travel long distances without frequent refueling.
Other notable features include a panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability that allows the car's battery to power external electronics.
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Grants are helpful for specific projects, but they don't solve the bigger issue of long-term sustainability. What local authors need are more direct and consistent forms of support like better book advances, more robust marketing efforts and broader distribution channels. One area that was recently talked about is Public Lending Right (PLR) – a system used in countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and across Europe. Through government funding, it compensates writers when their books are borrowed from libraries. This could provide a modest but meaningful income stream for local writers, especially in a market where book sales are limited. WHY SUPPORT SINGLIT? For every person who champions SingLit, there's probably someone else who doesn't read local books, nor sees the need to. But to say we can do without SingLit is shortsighted. When a country lacks stories written by its own people, it begins to lose its place in the global narrative. Without those voices, people grow up surrounded by borrowed perspectives, which slowly shapes how they see themselves and their culture. Young readers, especially, start to feel invisible. If no one in the stories they read looks like them, talks like them, or faces the same challenges, it sends a quiet message: Your life isn't worth writing about. That kind of absence chips away at self-worth and imagination. The impact of local stories is hard to measure – but it's real. I've seen it firsthand with my middle grade series, My BFF Is An Alien. The story follows a Singaporean girl and her unlikely friendship with an alien, and the adventures they go on together. Is this the kind of story that would score me a massive publishing deal? Probably not. Is it Booker Prize material? Again, probably not. But I've had young readers come up to me and say that my books made them want to become writers. I've had parents tell me it was my books that finally got their children hooked and sparked their interest in reading. That's not nothing. There are so many great middle grade books – but what made mine hit home for these readers wasn't just their fun plot or relatable themes. It was the fact that the readers could see themselves in the pages. They connected with my stories because it reflected something true about their lived experience. The voices sounded familiar. The setting felt like home. And that recognition – that 'hey, this is about me!' moment – is powerful. THE LOVE OF STORYTELLING One might ask: If writing pays so little, why do it at all? The simple answer for most is that we do it for the love of storytelling. We write stories we wish existed, stories we want to read and see out in the world. For me, My BFF Is An Alien was the story I wish I had when I started secondary school. That period in my life was incredibly lonely, and I would've loved to lose myself in a book that felt like it understood me. I also wrote it for my own children, so they had more choices beyond the Eurocentric stories I grew up with. Representation matters. When you see someone like you – a kid from your neighbourhood, someone who sounds like your friends – as the hero of a story, it changes what you believe is possible. That's not just fiction. That's hope. But for those stories to keep coming, writers need support – whether it's PLR schemes, grants, or just making sure their books are on shelves and in homes. Without enough backing, even the most passionate authors can burn out. In a time when artificial intelligence is creeping into creative spaces, the human voice has become even more precious. There's a soul behind stories that only people can bring – our humour, heartbreaks, quirks and lived truths. And in Singapore, that voice is rare. That's worth preserving and supporting.
