Linkker to supply ST Engineering with electric bus components

This article was first published in March 2019. The Linkker LM312 bus has since been confirmed to be fitted with Linkker drivetrain components and is expected to enter service in 2020.


Finnish electric bus manufacturer Linkker is understood to be supplying electric bus drivetrain components to ST Engineering Land Systems for 20 electric buses.

As part of Tender PT323 which was awarded in October 2018, ST Engineering Land Systems was one of three successful tenderers, the others being BYD and Yutong, who will deliver a combined 60 electric buses between 2019 and 2020.

According to an article published by Finnish technology and business website Tekniikka & Talous in January 2019, Linkker had recently been awarded a contract for 20 electric buses for the Singapore market. The same article describes Linkker’s limited success in attracting investors and bus orders amid competition with more established bus manufacturers in Europe.

In addition, Linkker appears to be in close working relationship with ST Engineering (Land Systems). The local company is currently an authorized distributor of Linkker right-hand drive electric buses in the Asia-Pacific region, with a partnership inked in 2017 and Linkker cited as an “Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)”.

Bodywork

In a separate section on their own website, Linkker expects to produce about 30 electric buses this year, with most of them for export. In addition, some of these export buses would be assembled in their region of operation.

While it is unknown where the buses are being assembled, it is likely that ST Engineering would either assemble them at their local facilities or subcontract it to an established working partner like Gemilang Coachworks, which is currently assembling large numbers of MAN A22 and MAN A95 buses for the local market. The exact bodywork design is also unknown at this point.

Linkker in Singapore

Much of Linkker’s electric drivetrain is supplied by another Finnish manufacturer, Danfoss. Apart from selling whole buses, Linkker also manufacturers retrofit kits for other bus bodies, which mainly consists of the electric drivetrain and other peripheral equipment.

Apart from the delivery of 20 electric buses, ST Engineering (Land Systems) is also working with Linkker on various projects such as the STE-Linkker Autonomous Electric Bus, and the modification of an existing MAN A22 into an Electric Bus.

Charging Infrastructure

As part of ST Engineering’s tender, ABB will supply 4 units of 450kW fast chargers at “key interchanges” based on the OppCharge interface. With an automated rooftop connection via a pantograph, the electric buses delivered by ST Engineering will take less than ten minutes to charge.


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