Yutong ZK6125BEVGS (E12DD)

The Yutong ZK6125BEVGS (E12DD) is a fully electric double-deck city bus produced by Yutong. The Chinese manufacturer supplies electric buses of different lengths and sizes for local and international markets. This vehicle was also rebranded as the Yutong U12DD after its introduction to Singapore and marketed by Yutong as such.

10 units of the Yutong E12DD bus were procured by the Land Transport Authority in 2018 as part of efforts to build a more environmentally friendly public bus fleet. Yutong’s contract for 20 electric buses included 10 other electric single-deck buses (Yutong E12). In total, 60 electric buses were procured from three separate manufacturers at a total sum of S$50.64 million.

For Singapore road trials, Yutong E12DD buses were leased to Tower Transit (3 units), Go-Ahead (4 units) and SMRT Buses (3 units). Revenue service commenced on 27 October 2020, with buses initially deployed to Bus Services 83, 189 & 983 on a regular basis. Overnight chargers were installed at Bulim Bus Depot and Loyang Bus Depot, supplied by NARI.

Prior to Singapore operations, the Yutong E12DD only saw service in local markets, with units operating in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Shangqiu, Zhengzhou and Zhoukou.

Background

The Yutong E12DD was first delivered in June 2018 to the domestic market, with Zhengzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd. receiving 20 units. It is marketed as an electric city bus capable of being fitted as a sightseeing bus, with a large upper deck windshield, large side windows and a panoramic sunroof, along with a suite of configurable interiors features for passenger comfort.

The bus design incorporates large-capacity batteries, which allow the bus to travel more than 200 km on a single charge, under urban road conditions. Yutong touts cost savings of over 30% over a 5-year period as compared to an equivalent diesel-powered double-deck bus. Constant-power charging is said to reduce charging times by 25%; allowing for a charging period of just 1.9 hours at night. The Singapore units have a battery capacity of 422 kWh, providing a quoted range of 215 km via 90kW slow charging for 4 hours.

Yutong ReCtrl Electric Drive

Yutong's Electric Drive Technology (Click to expand)

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Background

The Yutong E12DD is a fully electric city bus manufactured by the Chinese company Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd (郑州宇通客车股份有限公司), which manufactures commercial vehicles (primarily buses). The E12DD is just one of Yutong’s numerous bus products, alongside other electric, hybrid, natural gas and diesel buses.

Photos of the Yutong E12DD were first circulated online in late August 2019, when the bus was spotted at a test centre in China.

When manufactured in 2019, Yutong E12DD buses for the Singapore market were the first to receive an updated double-deck bus bodywork design by Yutong. It is notable for its rounded roof on both ends, earning it some resemblance to an electric toaster, or a loaf of pandan bread. This design entered serial production only in June 2020, fitted to the Yutong E10DD.

Sometime after its introduction (around 2022), the Yutong E12DD would be rebranded as the Yutong U12DD and marketed by Yutong as such. In 2023, a shorter two-axle, right-hand-drive version called the Yutong U11DD was unveiled, targeted at the UK market.

Introduction to Singapore

These buses were first spotted in Singapore in February 2020.

Yutong E12DD buses are assigned the registration numbers SG7000S – SG7009T. All units were registered between 4 June 2020 – 20 July 2020, with Tower Transit (3 units), Go-Ahead (4 units) and SMRT Buses (3 units) receiving these buses.

Basic Technical Specifications
Electric Motor	Yutong permanent magnet synchronous electric motor; Continuous power/torque of 215 kW / TBC Nm Maximum power/torque of 350 kW / 3200 Nm
Battery	CATL Lithium iron phosphate batteries (Capacity 422 kWh) Charged via 90kW DC plug-in charger (CCS Type 2 connector) Up to 215 km range with 4 hours of charging
Bodywork	Yutong integral bodywork (Steel monocoque structure). Built in Zhengzhou, China. Full low-floor configuration
EDS	LECIP Electronic Display Sign Orange LED Matrix; Mounted on Front, Left side and Rear
PIDS	LECIP OBC-VISION Passenger Information Display System LED text displays, LCD display screens, interior speakers & exterior speaker
Driver Assistance	TNT Surveillance T-Guard – Forward collision warning system (T-FA Front Alert Camera) – Side collision warning system (T-SA Side Alert Cameras) – Anti-Fatigue system (T-DA Driver Alert Camera) – T-SEEDS telematics system
Passenger Capacity	Seating (Upper deck): 55 | Seating (Lower deck): 13| Standing: 52 | Total: 120 Not including 2 foldable seats, 2 wheelchair bays
Additional Specifications	SMC Transit door systems Ster New City seats Cling EZHS-08 electric rear-mounted air-conditioning TNT Surveillance T-APC automatic passenger counting system ACTIA Podium 2 Dashboard ZF Rear-axle steering USB Charging Ports Stroller restraint system Interior mood lighting LED daytime running lights Tree guards

The steel monocoque structure and the weight of batteries contribute to the heavy unladen weight of the Yutong E12DD, at around 17.1 tonnes. For comparison, both the MAN A95 and Volvo B9TL each weigh around 15 tonnes unladen.

The Yutong E12DD also shares many similar subsystems with the Yutong E12 single-deck electric buses, such as electronic display signs and passenger information displays from LECIP, and driver assistance/management systems from TNT Surveillance (collision warning, anti-fatigue and telematics systems).

Finally, the Yutong E12DD is the first production batch of buses to be fitted with a rear-axle steering system, or RAS (supplied by ZF).  The trailing axle pivots in the opposite direction to the bus’ steering direction, which improves the turning radius and reduces wear on rear tyres. This feature was only previously featured on the 12.8-metre long MAN A95 – Lion’s City DD (3-Door) Concept Bus.

Media Event

A media event was held on 27 October 2020 at Bulim Bus Depot. Buses made their revenue service debut later that same day.

Facebook post at: https://www.facebook.com/WeKeepYourWorldMoving/posts/4581843525219181

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Fleet

The 10 Yutong E12DD buses are registered as SG7000S – SG7009T.

These buses, formally registered as YUTONG ELECTRIC ZK6125BEVGS AUTO, are leased to the following operators:

• SG7003J, SG7004G, SG7005D (Registered on 4 Jun 2020)
  Tower Transit Singapore
• SG7006B, SG7007Z, SG7008X (Registered on 5 Jun 2020);
  SG7009T (Registered on 20 Jul 2020)
  Go-Ahead Singapore
• SG7000S, SG7001P, SG7002L (Registered on 4 Jun 2020)
  SMRT Buses

Revenue Service

Revenue service commenced on the evening of Tuesday, 27 October 2020. Buses were initially deployed on:

• Go-Ahead Bus Service 83
  with interlining to Service 118 & 118A
• SMRT Bus Service 983
• Tower Transit Bus Service 189

Charging Infrastructure

For the overnight charging of the Yutong E12DD buses, overnight chargers supplied by NARI were installed at Bulim Bus Depot (14 chargers) and Loyang Bus Depot (8 chargers). These DC chargers deliver 90kW of charge via CCS Type 2 connectors.

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Exterior

The Yutong E12DD buses were built by Yutong in Zhengzhou, China as an integral bus, and shipped to Singapore as a Complete Built-Up (CBU) vehicle.

The bus is painted in LTA’s standardized Lush Green base livery with ‘Eco Bus | Zero Emissions, Cleaner Air’ decals on both sides. In addition, Tower Transit’s three units (SG7003J, SG7004G, SG7005D) are stickered with blue decals on the sides and rear, promoting it as an electric bus.

The Yutong E12DD product is offered at a standard length of 12.3 metres, but shortened to 12 metres for the Singapore market. Batteries are supplied by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), also from China. These Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) traction batteries occupy a significant portion of space on the lower deck.

The exterior bodywork styling initially appeared to be modified off the original E12DD, but fitted with a different head and rear design that possibly took inspiration from the Yutong City Master, and a front & rear bumper design taken from the Yutong U12. This was later understood to be a facelifted bodywork design introduced by Yutong in 2019, with Singapore units likely among the very first buses to receive this updated design.

For comparison, the two-axle Yutong E10DD launched in June 2020 bears the same bodywork design as Singapore’s E12DD buses, but with a headlight/bumper design taken from the Yutong U10. This exact 2-axle bus and livery are also featured in the Yutong E12DD’s dashboard graphics.

The bus body is constructed out of high-strength steel. Features offered include IP68-rated electronics, electronically-controlled air suspension, dual-circuit air brakes with ABS among others, which are common to most modern buses.

Interior

Continued on Page 2 – Full interior coverage

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Gallery:

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See Also:

• Yutong E12

External Links & References:

• E12DD（双层纯电公交）- Yutong
• ZK6115HGS2 （观光车）- Yutong
• Update on Deployment of Electric Buses – LTA

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Continued on Page 2 – Full interior coverage

• Lower Deck
• Staircase
• Upper Deck
• Drivers’ Compartment
  • Collision Warning System
• Features In-Depth
  • Wheelchair Bay
  • PIDS
  • USB Charging Ports
  • APCS
• Gallery