I was recently invited to test drive the Dongfeng Box with Velocity Leasing. Here is my honest opinion.
Personally, I actually considered buying this car, brand new to use for PHV driving because I like hatchbacks and I think it’s super cute. I also saw a lot of advertising on it and all the premium features.
But I backed out in the end because I feel that electric cars are too new and nobody has driven it long enough to know how much the maintenance is going to cost.
If I buy, for a start, everything will be nice and new so there won’t be any problems. However, a few years down the road, with heavy usage for PHV, we won’t know how much the maintenance is going to cost. And I think that selling off the car will be a problem too.
So I backed out because I don’t have deep pockets to pay for unexpected car maintenance and I don’t want to be stuck with it.
However, I still decided to go for this test drive because I wanted to know how this DongfengBox feels like and I might decide to rent it instead, someday!
It’s my first time driving an electric vehicle. And I want to tell you that it’s amazing!
I won’t rent it at the moment because I am still considered as a part-time driver and saving on petrol costs is not my priority. (I have other hustles and won’t be able to drive full days all the time.)
However, if you’re planning to, or are already a full time PHV driver, I highly recommend you to use the Dongfeng Box. Why?
1. The features of the car are amazing
It has a huge display screen (very good if you got lao hua like me) and you can see your GPS very clearly
The seats can be adjusted by buttons
The sound system is amazing
The boot comes with auto tailgate (which is rare for hatchbacks and I keep alighting to open and close boot until I’m so sick and tired of it)
There’s an auto-parking function!
2. The car feels very luxurious on the inside
3. The car is very spacious
The seats can be completely folded to put more stuff/luggages if you want to do airport trips
(But for this, 2pax – 2 big luggages for normal 4-seater rides so don’t spoil the passengers ok?)
The front has a secret compartment for you to put durians (I find this so useful because my mom always likes to buy durians and it makes my car so smelly) I think sometimes passengers will also secretly try to bring durian into your car so you can ask them to put it into that compartment
4. The car is sooooooo quiet
5. The car is very smooth to drive and it’s powerful
You can save a lot of money on petrol because 1 full charge is about $25 and you can drive up till 440km
That makes a lot of difference if you’re a full-time PHV driver!
I currently drive a petrol car and I drive about 1800-2000 km per week. And I put in 60 hours into driving. My 1 full tank is almost $90 (this is after 25% from Grab) and I can drive up to 600 km and so I will need about 3.5 full tanks per week, which will cost about $315.
My car rental is $70 daily, $490 per week.
My total cost is $490 + $315 = $805.
Total revenue from 1800-2000km should be about $1800
Therefore, my weekly earnings is only $1800-$805 = $995
If you drive an EV and drive the same hours as me using the Dongfeng Box – plus, you get a Brand New unit
Car rental: $84 daily, $588 weekly, inclusive of CDW (They are currently having a end of year promo)
Mileage 1800 km
Car charging cost: 1800/440 = 4.5 full charge = $92.25
(Charge+ offers 13-18% charging discounts for PHV drivers)
Gross Earnings: $1800
Total costs: $588 + $92.25 = $680.25
Net Earnings: $1119.75
Per week you save at least $124.75
Per month you save $499.
This is if you’re driving my kind of hours. With this Dongfeng Box, the more you drive, the more you will save.
7. If you prefer to drive short-trips in town, then all the more you should drive an EV because when you stop at traffic lights, it actually auto-charges and then it will make your mileage go up even more!
8. If there’s any emergency or breakdown, there’s always 24-7 hassle free support.
9. The charging is actually more convenient than I thought it is.
I thought that I cannot drive to Malaysia but I have since learnt that there are many more charging points and there are even quick charge points!
So you don’t have to worry! You can just charge and go grab a meal, by the time you’re done, the charging is also done!
10. The rental cost of this car is reasonable compared to other EVs
Rental price is a very important thing to consider if you’re a full-time PHV driver. Paying for high rental to save money on petrol honestly does not make sense. You need to save on both, in order for it to make sense, regardless of how much you’re going to drive.
11. If you rent through me, you will get
$100 cash for a 6 months contract
$200 cash for a 1 year contract
$350 cash for a 2 year contract
This special promo is only if you rent using COAGD promo code.
Just to summarise what I’ve said:
Who Should Rent the Dongfeng Box (And Who Shouldn’t)
Good for:
- Full-time PHV drivers
- Drivers who mainly do town trips
- Drivers who want to lower petrol stress
- Drivers who don’t want to worry about resale
Not ideal for:
- Drivers who only drive 2–3 hours a day
- Drivers who need a 7-seater car
- Drivers who need a huge bootspace (Above 500litres without knocking down the rear seats)
If you’re a full-time PHV driver in Singapore and you’re feeling the petrol pinch every week, I genuinely think renting an EV like the Dongfeng Box is worth considering.
You don’t have to commit immediately or take my word for it—just book a test drive first. Once you experience the quietness, smoothness, and savings for yourself, then decide.
If you want to rent through my referral and get personal assistance, click here to drop me a message
Source: confessionsofagrabdriver.com
