CRRC TEG6125BEV03

The CRRC TEG6125BEV03 is a fully electric, low-floor single-deck city bus model offered by Chinese manufacturer CRRC Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. (中车电动), better known simply as CRRC. The bus also goes by the model name CRRC C12 and has been dubbed “San Bus King“.

One demonstrator unit was previously supplied to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for revenue service trials. Registered to Go-Ahead Singapore as SG4006X, the bus entered passenger service on 10 December 2021, mainly deployed on Bus Service 3. The year-long trial ended sometime in late December 2022 or January 2023, and the bus has since been returned to local distributor ST Engineering.

Like the LTA-procured Linkker LM312 buses that entered service in August 2021, the CRRC bus is bodied by Gemilang Coachworks, featuring three passenger doors and a full-low-floor passenger cabin. The CRRC also relies on conventional depot charging, unlike the Linkker which uses opportunity charging at bus interchanges.

Background

CRRC Electric is an electric bus manufacturer in China, best known for its association with the CRRC conglomerate that builds rail vehicles. In 2020, the company delivered around 5,500 new energy buses domestically, earning it third place in China’s new energy bus market by sales volume (behind Yutong and BYD). Outside of its domestic market, CRRC Electric has seen volume orders in New Zealand, Sauri Arabia and South Korea, with limited trials of its buses in France, Hungary, Belarus and Malaysia. Apart from selling whole buses, CRRC Electric also sells electric drives and control electronics for electric buses, marketed as “T power”（T动力）.

As for the wider electric bus market in Singapore, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) last procured 60 electric buses in 2018. This bus was likely offered to LTA as a trial for evaluation purposes and potential future orders, in tandem with LTA’s ongoing efforts to electrify the public bus fleet.

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CRRC TEG6125BEV03 (C12)

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) procured 60 electric buses in 2018. With no new electric bus orders since, the CRRC TEG6125BEV03 bus, along with the recently spotted BYD K9RC bus, were both offered to LTA as a trial, similar to that of the 3-Door MAN Lion’s City SD (SG4002G) in 2017, and the Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrid (SG4004B) in 2020.

The CRRC TEG6125BEV03 bus is registered as SG4006X and bears the chassis number LHWCK97D3L1209942. The registration number (SG400x) follows in a series of trial buses for LTA.

The bus was operated by Go-Ahead Singapore based at Loyang Bus Depot and recharged at existing 90kW DC electric bus chargers supplied by NARI, which were installed as part of the Yutong E12 & Yutong E12DD rollout. Revenue service commenced on 10 December 2021, with the bus deployed on Bus Service 3. The bus was redeployed to interlining duties for Pasir Ris Feeder Bus Services 354, 358, 359 and 403 from 5 December 2022. This arrangement lasted till January 2023 when the bus was taken out of revenue service.

Back in 2017, Go-Ahead Singapore also trialled a BYD K9 electric bus.

Apart from domestic use, the CRRC C12 has previously seen operation in Mogilev (Belarus), where two left-hand-drive units were gifted from the Hunan province. CRRC C12 buses in 3-axle configuration were also delivered to the New Zealand market.

The CRRC C12 carries the model designation TEG6125BEV03, in line with China’s national standards for vehicle model numbers (GB/T 9417-1988), which break down as follows:

• TEG: Manufacturer code for CRRC
• 6: Vehicle type designation, all buses use ‘6’
• 12: Vehicle length designation; indicates 12-metre bus
• 5: Product designator (determined by the manufacturer)
• BEV03: Model-specific (determined by the manufacturer)

First online appearance

On 20 April 2021, a LinkedIn post by WCA Projects shared that one of its logistics partners, MS Global Freight Solution Sdn Bhd, recently moved an electric bus from Port Klang (Malaysia) to Shanghai (China).

Photos on the LinkedIn post feature the CRRC TEG6125BEV03 bus bearing the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s Lush Green livery and SG Bus Decals.

The post describes the logistic challenges of moving the bus. Although buses are typically driven onto roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships, this bus was not drivable and had to be transported on a roll trailer. The bus’ weight and heavy-duty batteries also resulted in additional time for the vessel operator to confirm cargo acceptance.

Similar to the BYD D9RC electric double-deck bus spotted in April 2021, this bus was also built by Gemilang Coachworks to the latest LTA specifications, which specifies Passenger Information Display System as a requirement for all new buses. For Singapore’s public bus industry, this was the second electric 3-door single-deck bus to have been put into service, with the first being the Linkker LM312 bus.

This bus was also featured in a false-colour image on Gemilang’s website, captioned ‘Aluminium City Bus’ and without SG Bus decals. The blue exterior appearance is a frequent practice by Gemilang to omit LTA’s distinctive Lush Green livery from its promotional material. The manufacturer of the bus chassis was also not disclosed by Gemilang.

Gemilang had also previously built an electric bus based on a CRRC drivetrain. The CRRC CSR6105GLEV1-1 was an electric single-deck bus that was initially trialled in Kuching (Malaysia), then later participated in Johor’s IMBRT Pilot Testing Programme in 2021. Separately, CRRC and Ikarus produced a prototype three-door single-deck electric bus called the CityPioneer (commercial name IC 1211 U) in 2018, incorporating CRRC electric drivetrain technologies.

In 2018 and 2019, a CRRC C12 bus was exhibited at various trade shows, in a left-hand-drive, full-low-floor configuration with three passenger doors.

Since the right-hand-drive version of this bus is likely a completely new product, the shipment of the bus to China would have been required for homologation, testing, or final quality checks prior to delivery.

Post Trial

The bus was taken out of revenue service in January 2023, presumably due to the end of its trial period.

Later in 2023, it was returned to ST Engineering and the ownership of the vehicle (SG4006X) was transferred from Go-Ahead Singapore Pte Ltd to ST Engineering Mobility Systems Pte Ltd. Since then, the bus is placed on non-user lay-up status.

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Exterior

The CRRC C12 is bodied by Gemilang Coachworks and its design appears to take reference from integral bodywork fitted to CRRC-built units. Nevertheless, it bears loose similarities to other city buses delivered for the Singapore market, such as the BYD K9 (Gemilang) and the MAN A22 (Euro VI).

The bus bears LTA’s standard Lush Green livery with additional “Eco Bus” decals identifying it as a clean energy bus.

Each side of the bus’ roof was fitted with a low-height panel that extends the length of the bus, similar to that on MAN A22 Euro 5 buses and likely for aesthetic purposes, concealing some of the roof-mounted components from kerbside view. Roof-mounted components comprised the battery packs, air-conditioning unit, and what appears to be the heat exchanger for the battery thermal management system in the middle.

While LECIP Electronic Display Signs are common to many Singapore buses, the front-facing unit on SG4006X is narrower than other buses.

Headlamps and taillamps appear similar to those used on the BYD K9, featuring three round LED bulbs. A row of daytime running lights were positioned beside the headlamps.

Interior

The CRRC C12 is a low-floor single deck bus, offering 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.

The bus features 28 seats, 2 wheelchair bays and licensed standing space for 61 passengers.

Brown appears to be the colour scheme of choice for the CRRC C12, from the choice of wood-themed floorboards (similar to SG4004B) and brown seat covers, to beige interior wall and ceiling panels.

Seats are of the Ster 8MM model. While this seat model is unique only to the CRRC C12, other public buses (SMB5888H / Yutong E12 / Yutong E12DD) have opted for Ster Newcity seats.

Seating Layout

The bus has 14 pairs of seats, and 4 of these pairs are rear-facing to accommodate the position of the wheel wells. Designated priority seats have red seat covers.

Some of these seats also have foldable armrests fitted.

Wheelchair Accommodation

The bus features two wheelchair bays, both located opposite the exit door. They each accommodate one passenger-in-wheelchair (PIW), and are equipped with USB charging ports. Foldable armrests and a stroller restraint system is provided for wheelchair users and the securing of prams respectively.

Three Passenger Doors

Door systems are supplied by Masats and appear identical to those used on Gemilang-bodied buses for Singapore, including the Linkker LM312. Notably, these buses do not feature automatic passenger counters, a standard feature for buses built to LTA specifications.

Third Door area

The floorboard between the rear wheels is slightly raised to accommodate the portal axle. The rearmost pair of seats are also on a raised platform, with a single step (marked in yellow) used to access it.

Bus Captain Cabin

Passenger Information Display System

The bus is installed with a Passenger Information Display System from LECIP, which features an interior coloured LED panel and an LCD panel.

Other Features

The air-conditioning outlets can be manually closed or open by commuters. The bus is also equipped with USB Charging Ports which are located on the side interior panels.

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Gallery

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This article was previously titled: New 3-Door Electric Single Deck Bus for Singapore, which was updated on 29 October 2021 to reflect the confirmed bus model upon its registration.

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See Also:

• Linkker LM312 – another model of 3-door electric single-deck bus
• 60 Electric Buses procured by LTA
• Electric Buses in Singapore

LTA Trial Bus Series:

 

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References:

• MS Global Freight Solution, Malaysia Moved an Electric Bus from Port Klang, Malaysia to Shanghai, China. – WCA Projects, LinkedIn [Accessed 21 Jun 2021]
• Gemilang International | Asia leading aluminium bus body manufacturer (gml.com.my) [Accessed 21 Jun 2021]
• Electrobus Europe and the CityPioneer ebus prototype. Chinese CRRC in Europe with Ikarus – Sustainable Bus (sustainable-bus.com) [Accessed 21 Jun 2021]
• SAN BUS KING|CRRC ELECTRIC VEHICLE CO., LTD. (evcrrc.com) [Accessed 21 Jun 2021]
• C12|中车时代电动汽车股份有限公司（中车电动）官方网站 (evcrrc.com) [Accessed 21 Jun 2021]
• 一带一路结缘白俄罗斯 中车电动藏着“小心机”_客车网 (chinabuses.com) [Accessed 4 Nov 2021]
• CRRC Electric Ranked the Third Place in China’s New Energy Bus Market in 2020-news-www.chinabuses.org [Accessed 20 Jan 2022]