BYD B12A03 (LTA Trial Bus)

The BYD B12 is an electric single-deck city bus offered by Chinese bus manufacturer BYD Auto Industry (比亞迪). As of 2023, it is BYD’s flagship electric city bus, superseding the highly successful BYD K9.

A 3-door BYD B12A03 demonstrator unit was offered to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for revenue service trials. Registered as SG4013A, this specific unit was also previously exhibited at SITCE 2022, an industry trade show held in Singapore.

In line with LTA’s ongoing efforts to rapidly electrify the public bus fleet, half of all public buses will be electric by 2030. Detailed coverage of this rollout can be found at Electric Buses in Singapore.

Registration & Rollout

The bus was registered on 25 October 2023 to SBS Transit, which operates the bus from Seletar Bus Depot. It would be recharged at existing 150kW DC (CCS Type 2) electric bus chargers supplied by ABB, which were installed as part of the BYD K9 rollout.

The bus registration number, SG4013A, follows in a series of LTA trial buses (SG400x).

On 14 January 2024, the bus made its revenue service debut on Bus Service 265. The bus was later first deployed on Bus Service 138, 70/70M and 162 on 16 April 2024, 15 June 2024 and 22 July 2024 respectively.

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⚠ Looking for the ComfortDelGro Bus? ⚠

For the version of this bus operated by private bus operator ComfortDelGro Bus, visit this article: BYD B12A03 [Private Bus].

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For the production batch of public buses supplied to the LTA under Contract PT601A, visit this article: BYD BC12A04.

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Background

BYD’s ‘B-series’ electric bus range was launched on 29 July 2020, comprising the single-deck BYD B10 and BYD B12 of 10 and 12-metre lengths, and the BYD B12D 12-metre double-deck bus. These new buses supersede their older K-series counterparts, the longest-running of which was the BYD K9, which was first launched in 2010 and had found tremendous success in both domestic and overseas markets, including previous deliveries to Singapore.

According to BYD, numerous technical improvements were made to improve efficiency, such as new-generation wheel hub motors which are 6% more energy efficient, and a lightweight aluminium body frame that reduces vehicle weight by 10%. Upgraded traction batteries are paired with a new battery management system with improved monitoring capabilities. All traction batteries are also water-cooled to an optimal working range of 25~35°C, preserving the operating range between charges and battery longevity.

BYD also touts ergonomic improvements for both drivers and passengers. The driver’s cab features a digital dashboard with integrated controls and comfort features such as ventilated seats with massage features. The passenger cabin has window areas increased by 10% with fewer stanchion poles in the way of passenger movement, and a sunroof can also be configured. Finally, BYD offers driver assistance features such as EPAM (pedal misapplication assistance system), collision detection and lane departure warnings, driver fatigue monitoring, and so forth.

Outside of China, 30 buses were delivered to the TransJakarta bus network in Jakarta. Hong Kong bus operator Kowloon Motor Bus also took delivery of 16 BYD B12A units in late 2021.

BYD Blade Battery

The BYD B12A03 model is also the first BYD bus equipped with BYD’s proprietary Blade battery. Unveiled in 2020, it uses Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry and is optimized for energy density and safety.

According to BYD, the Blade battery is over 50% more space efficient than conventional LFP battery packs. Blade batteries were tested in extreme conditions, such as nail penetration, crushing, heating and overcharging, none of which resulted in a thermal runaway (fire or explosion).

At Busworld Europe 2023, BYD unveiled an improved BYD B12 bus with Blade batteries integrated into the chassis structure, for a maximum capacity of 500 kWh. Silicon carbide (SiC) motor controllers and wheel hub hairpin motors were used to further increase energy efficiency.

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Singapore Market

BYD’s existing presence in Singapore includes 20 BYD K9 (Gemilang) buses procured by LTA with another BYD K9RC double-deck prototype unit on trial with LTA. ComfortDelGro also operates two BYD coaches, a BYD C9 and a BYD C8.

As for the broader electric bus market in Singapore, the Land Transport Authority is rapidly electrifying the public bus fleet. Half of all public buses will be electric by 2030, which is about 3,000 buses.

In 2022, ComfortDelGro Bus took delivery of 10 BYD B12A03 single-deck buses, configured with three passenger doors. The LTA trial bus (SG4013A) would also arrive in Singapore that same year.

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LTA Trial Bus

The LTA trial bus was initially delivered to Singapore in 2022 (Chassis Number: LC06S44RXN4000100) and subsequently exhibited at the LTA-UITP Singapore International Transport Congress & Exhibition (SITCE) 2022. Detailed coverage is on Page 2 of this article.

After the conclusion of SITCE 2022, the bus underwent retrofitting works in preparation for revenue service trials with LTA. This involved the installation of the Common Fleet Management System, fare collection equipment, and repainting to LTA’s standardised Lush Green livery. The EDS/PIDS/ADAS systems were also replaced with different models, common to LTA buses.

Revenue service entry

On 25 October 2023, the bus was registered to SBS Transit, with the registration number SG4013A.

Revenue service commenced on 14 January 2024, with the bus deployed on Bus Service 265. It was later re-deployed to Bus Service 162 in July 2024.

On 16 April 2024, the bus was deployed one day on Bus Service 138.

On 15-17, 22-23 June 2024, the bus was deployed on Bus Services 70/70M.

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Production Batch

See: BYD BC12A04

In November 2023, BYD was awarded an LTA contract for 240 single-deck 3 door electric buses. According to BYD, these buses would be built on the B12 platform, and the exact model / bodywork design remains to be confirmed. In October 2024, LTA announced that it has exercised an option to purchase an additional 60 BYD buses. The bus model is confirmed to be BYD BC12A04 upon its first batch registration in October 2024.

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Specifications

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Overview & Exterior

The BYD B12 was built by BYD in Hangzhou (China) and delivered to Singapore as a complete built-up unit.

The exterior design features a streamlined roof element where traction batteries and air-conditioning components are integrated. According to BYD, the coefficient of wind resistance is lower than 0.45, which effectively reduces the energy consumption of the whole vehicle by 1%-2%. The lightweight aluminium body makes the bus 300-500 kg lighter than electric buses of similar size and range.

The full-low-floor design with three passenger doors is enabled by the bus’ compact electric drivetrain, with the rear drive axle powered by two 150 kW direct-drive in-axle motors.

Interior

The low-floor BYD B12 offers step-free access across the entire length of the bus. It features a three-door configuration, with an entrance door at the front, an exit door in the middle, and a second exit door at the very rear of the bus.

Seats are supplied of the Ster 8MA model, and upholstered in blue and red, with red seats intended as priority seats.

 

Both wheelchair bays are located opposite the exit door. Each bay accommodates one passenger-in-wheelchair (PIW), and the wheelchair backrest contains a foldable seat that doubles as a rear-facing seat. These seats do not contribute to the licensed seating capacity of the bus.

In addition, a pivoting handlebar is integrated with each wheelchair backrest. It can be manually deployed and stowed depending on the passenger’s needs.

Both wheelchair bays are located opposite the exit door. Each bay accommodates one passenger-in-wheelchair (PIW), and the wheelchair backrest contains a foldable seat that doubles as a rear-facing seat. These seats do not contribute to the licensed seating capacity of the bus. USB Charging ports are also provided at both bays.

In addition, a pivoting handlebar is integrated with each wheelchair backrest. It can be manually deployed and stowed depending on the passenger’s needs.

The three-door bus design promotes the one-way flow of passengers towards the rear of the bus, allowing for faster boarding and alighting. The BYD B12 comes with a wide double-leaf rear door for greater ease of alighting from the rear. A floor step is provided for passengers accessing the last row of seats, despite being positioned at the same height as the facing seats in front.

Wall-mounted USB charging ports are provided at each seat, rated at 2.1 A output. There are also wireless surface chargers (Aircharge Nylon model) positioned on top of the wheel arches.

The driver’s cab features standard LTA equipment – e.g. Trapeze Common Fleet Management System (CFMS) and New Onboard Bus Equipment (NOBE). A camera mirror system was fitted several weeks after its launch on revenue service, with exterior cameras feeding into two vertical display screens positioned near the driver’s blinds.

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Gallery (LTA Trial Bus):

Gallery (Interior):

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LTA Trial Bus Series:

 

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See Also:

• BYD B12A03 (Private Bus)
• BYD BC12A04

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References:

• B12 全新12米纯电动巴士 以卓越实力演绎都市风情 – 车辆详情页 (byd.com)
• 新造型、新技术，持续引领商用车，全新比亚迪纯电动客车亮相 (baidu.com)
• 升级岂止是外观？比亚迪全新一代客车B12解密|车顶|家族化_网易订阅 (163.com)
• Electric Bus | KMB’s new domestic BYD single-deck electric bus arrives in Hong Kong, the world’s first B12A right-handed version – The Limited Times (newsrnd.com)
• Thirty Electric Buses Hit the Streets of Jakarta (jakartaglobe.id)
• BYD’s New Blade Battery Set to Redefine EV Safety Standards – BYD USA
• Company Profile – BYD Singapore
• BYD Blade-Battery Bus B12A03 Makes Debut at LTA-UITP SITCE_Buses News_chinabuses.org
• BYD UNVEILS SINGAPORE’S FIRST BLADE BATTERY-POWERED BUS AT SITCE (byd.com)
• BYD Introduces a Double Entry of New eBus Innovation at Busworld 2023 [Accessed 25 Nov 2023]

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Continued on Page 2:

• SITCE 2022 Display Bus
  
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