Scania 2-door Electric Bus for Singapore

Scania CLF C 250E B4x2EI
Scania electric bus
Manufacturer	Scania (chassis)
Bodywork	Gemilang Coachworks
Years in operation	TBA
Operators	TBA
Technical Data
Length	12 metre
Motor	Electric motor
Battery	Likely NMC
Accessibility	Low floor
Emission Standard	Zero tailpipe emissions

In January 2023, Swedish bus manufacturer Scania brought in an electric two-door city bus for the Singapore market. This bus is likely built on the low-floor Scania C-chassis and assembled in Malaysia by Gemilang Coachworks, based on the Scania Citywide integral bus design. The confirmed model name will be updated when the bus is formally registered.

This is Scania’s first foray into Singapore’s electric bus scene and comes as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is preparing to rapidly electrify the public bus fleet. Half of all public buses will be electric by 2030, which is about 3,000 buses.

Locally, Scania previously delivered 1,101 Scania K230UB Euro IV / V diesel buses to SBS Transit, also bodied by Gemilang Coachworks. Registered between 2007 and 2010, these buses will reach their statutory retirement age starting in 2024, and some of these buses have already retired early in 2022.

Chassis Background

Scania unveiled its fully-electric Scania Citywide bus back in October 2019, with a similar electric drivetrain offered as the Scania C-chassis. Both the integral bus and this chassis can be configured as 2-axle or articulated versions, with either a Euro VI combustion engine (diesel/HVO/natural gas/biogas) or a full-electric powertrain.

For the electric version, Scania offers a 300 kW electric motor paired with a two-speed gearbox to optimise energy consumption. Traction batteries are of the Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide variety, better known as Lithium NMC. Battery capacities of 254 kWh or 330 kWh are available, configured as 8 or 10 battery packs with 4 in the rear and 4 or 6 on the roof. Both conventional depot charging (DC, up to 150 kW) and opportunity charging (up to 300 kW) modes are compatible.

Other buses built on Scania’s C-chassis include the Nelec electric bus by Carrocera Castrosua, as well as upcoming orders for the Australian market.

Bodywork

The Singapore demonstrator is built by Malaysia-based coachbuilder Gemilang Coachworks, with an exterior design mirroring the Scania Citywide integral bus, which Scania assembles in Poland.

The drivetrain and cooling components are positioned on the left side of the chassis, which makes it difficult to add a third door to the bus’ design. European bus models, designed for a predominantly left-hand-drive (LHD) market, have drivetrain components positioned on the left side to allow for a three-door layout on the right side. However, in right-hand-drive (RHD) markets, this design hinders the addition of a third door, and with the smaller market for 3-door RHD buses, few such bus models have been produced. In March 2023, LTA’s first bulk order of electric buses under Contract PT601 (roughly 400 buses) specified 3 doors as a requirement for these buses.

The Volvo BZL – SC Neustar City uses a similar drivetrain layout, offset to the left of the chassis. However, the bus still manages to include a third door directly behind the drivetrain.

Technical Specifications (TBC)

Scania 2-door Electric Bus for Singapore
Chassis	Scania CLF C 250E B4x2EI Electric
Electric Driveline	Scania electric motor – Maximum power/torque of 300 kW / 2100 Nm – Continuous power of 250 kW (R85) – Scania GE21S21 two-speed adapter gearbox
Energy Storage	Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) traction batteries – Either 8 or 10 battery packs (total 254 kWh or 330 kWh)
Bodywork	Gemilang Coachworks bodywork EcoRange aluminium bus body; full-low-floor layout

Like the Volvo BZL, Scania’s C-chassis also comes with a two-speed adapter gearbox to optimise energy efficiency.

Social Media

Facebook post by Scania Singapore on 16 February 2023, showing the bus being assembled at Gemilang Coachworks.

In January 2024, an electric Scania Fencer F1 was spotted in Hong Kong configured in right-hand drive with the cooling components mounted on the right, indicating that such a layout was possible and could be offered to the local market should future orders materialise.