| Foton C10 & C12 | |
 |
|
| Manufacturer | BAIC Foton Motor Co., Ltd. |
| Bodywork | Foton (integral) |
| Years in operation | 2023—Present |
| Operators | Causeway Link (Handal Indah) |
| Technical Data | |
| Length | 10.5m (C10); 12.0m (C12) |
| Motor | Foton PMSM |
| Battery | CATL LFP (303.4 kWh / 385 kWh) |
| Accessibility | Low Entry |
| Emission Standard | Zero tailpipe emissions |
The Foton C10 and Foton C12 are single-deck city buses offered by Chinese bus manufacturer Foton (北汽福田). Diesel, natural gas, battery-electric and fuel cell versions of this bus are available.
In Johor Bahru, Causeway Link operates the Foton C10 and Foton C12. Both these electric buses have been deployed on passenger service since April 2023.
See also: Electric Buses in Singapore / Electric Buses in Johor Bahru
Background
Foton is a Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Based in Beijing, the company builds light, medium and heavy trucks, vans, buses, and other speciality vehicles, powered by either diesel or electric drivetrains.
In the city bus segment, the Foton C10/C12 can be configured as a low-entry, low-floor, or two-step bus. Battery-electric versions pair Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) traction batteries offered by CATL with a single permanent magnet synchronous traction motor. The hydrogen fuel cell version uses components developed by SinoHytec and Toyota.
In overseas markets, Foton electric city buses have a large presence in Santiago (Chile), where over 300 units were delivered between 2020 and 2022, accounting for nearly 40% of the city’s electric bus fleet. These are a mix of Foton U10 and U12 buses (also badged as C10 / C12). In August 2022, a further order of 1,022 buses was announced, representing Foton’s largest overseas order for electric buses. In Auckland, a Foton C12 was launched in 2022, fitted with a ZF CeTrax motor and a battery capacity of 422.9 kWh. In Sydney, two hydrogen fuel cell buses were delivered to Transit Systems in August 2022.
Causeway Link units
In Johor Bahru, Malaysia, electric buses were introduced as part of the Federal government-funded myBAS Johor Bahru scheme, which aimed to improve the quality of local stage bus services. It was announced in March 2023 that eight electric buses would be launched by the end of the year.
Two models of Foton electric buses were introduced by Causeway Link and entered service in April 2023. The Foton C10 and Foton C12 are 10.5 and 12 metres long, respectively, and built to similar specifications. Additional electric buses were procured by Causeway Link for its routes (outside the myBAS scheme), including the smaller Foton C8L midibus covered in a separate article.
Deployments
These electric buses are deployed on:
- myBAS F100 (JB Sentral ↺ KSL City (Loop))
- myBAS T13 (JB Sentral ↔ Larkin Sentral, via Kebun Teh)
- myBAS T14 (JB Sentral ↔ Toppen)
- Causeway Link CW1/CW2/CW3/CW4/CW6/CW7 (cross-border) [Link]
Between April and late 2023, eight Foton electric buses were rolled out on bus routes F100 and T13; each route is served by four electric buses. According to Causeway Link, a further two electric buses are kept on standby to maintain electric bus availability.
In October 2023, electric buses were rolled out on cross-border routes via Tuas Second Link (CW3/CW4/CW6).
From May 2024, some Foton C10 buses (such as JWS6654, JWT2758, JWT2760, JWT3071) are deployed by Handal Indah to the Stage Bus Services Transformation (SBST) programme in Melaka.
| Foton C10 / C12 – Causeway Link specifications | ||
| Model | Foton BJ6105EVCA (C10) | Foton BJ6123EVCA (C12) |
| Known registration no. (as of Jul 2024) |
JVT1237, JWG5132, JWG5133, JWG6029, JWG6030, JWG6035, JWG7689, JWJ5129, JWL3709, JWN1462, JWS6654, JWS6854, JWT2749, JWT2758, JWT2760, JWT2765, JWT3060, JWT3063, JWT3068, JWT3071, JWT9851, JWT9862, JWU748, JWU762, JWU859, JWU3487, JWU3490, JWU3491, JWU3493, JWU3494, MDV4619, MDV3726 | JVT1254, JWK7520, JWK7522, JWK8329, JWK8341, JWV1256 |
| Length | 10.5 m | 12.0 m |
| Electric Motor | Foton FTTB120G PMSM motor Rated/Peak power: 120 kW / 200 kW |
Foton FTTB135B PMSM motor Rated/Peak power: 135 kW / 260 kW |
| Battery |
CATL Lithium Iron Phosphate battery (Capacity: 303.4 kWh) | CATL Lithium Iron Phosphate battery (Capacity: 385 kWh) |
| Bodywork | Foton Integral bodywork | Foton Integral bodywork |
| EDS | TBC | TBC |
| Passenger Capacity (includes Driver) |
28 Seated + 50 Standing = 78 Passengers* + 2 Foldable seats, 1 Wheelchair Bay * based on interior sticker |
35 Seated + 37 Standing = 72 Passengers* + 2 Foldable seats, 1 Wheelchair Bay *based on interior sticker |
| Other Specifications | • ManjaLink card readers • USB charging ports |
• ManjaLink card readers • USB charging ports |
Causeway Link also operates the shorter Foton C8L midibus.
Interior
Both the Foton C10 and C12 are configured as low-entry buses, offering step-free access between the front (entrance) and middle (exit) doors. The rear seating section is raised by two steps.
In the front section, the Foton C12 has a pair of forward-facing wheel-arch seats, followed by three rows of seat pairs. The shorter Foton C10 also has three rows of seats, but the frontmost row is a single back-facing seat. Metal storage racks and provided over the front wheel arch.
The wheelchair bay is located opposite the exit door. Passengers-in-wheelchair (PIW) board and alight via a manual wheelchair ramp installed at the middle door.
A backrest, retracting safety belt, and a dedicated PIW alighting bell are provided. Extra wall-mounted folding seats can be used when not occupied by a PIW.
The rear of the bus has five rows of seats for the Foton C12, but just four rows for the Foton C10.
USB charging ports (Type A and Type C) are offered for all seats. These chargers are of the PD/QC3.0 standard for fast-charging mobile devices and come with a dust cover.
Automatic fare collection is implemented on all myBAS Johor Bahru services, and fare validators are installed at both entrance and exit doors. All buses support the ManjaLink card issued by Causeway Link, and Visa payment is accepted on some routes.
The type of passenger seat installed is unknown, but is a close copy of the Ster NewCity installed on several Singapore buses. These seats feature the CCC mark moulded into the backshell, needed for products imported or sold in the Chinese market.
Driver’s Cab
Media appearance
On 28 March 2023, the Foton C10 (JVT1237) was featured at a media event commemorating the launch of the myBAS50 travel pass and electric bus for myBAS Johor Bahru.
At the event, this bus was decorated with additional decals promoting the myBAS50 travel pass, which grants unlimited bus rides for 30 days, priced at RM50.
Gallery: Foton C12
Gallery: Foton C10
Social media
See Also:
References:
- News – FOTON Secures the Biggest Overseas Order of Electric City Buses from Chile (foton-global.com)
- News – Foton Electric City Bus Starts Operation in New Zealand (foton-global.com)
- FOTON EV CITY BUS in New Zealand – Facebook
- Australian first: Foton Mobility Hydrogen City buses arrive for Transit Systems Australia – Foton Mobility Distribution Australia
- Ensuring Sustainable Transit with Backup EVs – Causeway Link
Very cool design. Very efficient also. But, the capacity like only half of a normal bus.