Zhongtong LCK6126EVG (N12) (LTA Trial Bus)

The Zhongtong LCK6126EVG is an electric single-deck city bus model offered by Chinese bus manufacturer Zhongtong Bus Holding Co., Ltd. (中通客车). The 12-metre bus belongs to Zhongtong’s N series range of electric city buses, and is hence also referred to as the Zhongtong N12.

A 3-door Zhongtong N12 demonstrator unit was supplied to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for revenue service trials. Registered to Go-Ahead Singapore as SG4010H, the bus entered passenger service on 24 April 2023 and was deployed on Bus Service 3.

The bus was re-deployed to Pasir Ris Bus Services from 30 October 2023, operating on Service 358, as well as other bus services based in Pasir Ris such as Services 15, 354, 359 & 403. The trial ended after 30 April 2024.

After its trial, the bus was sold to private operator Tong Tar Transport which registered the bus as PD2261P on 26 August 2024, thereafter deploying the bus on the Mandai-Khatib Shuttle service alongside other Zhongtong LCK6126EVG buses.

This article only covers the trial Zhongtong N12 bus for the Land Transport Authority in 2023. Other versions include:

• Operated by Private Bus Operators – Zhongtong LCK6126EVG [Private Bus].
• Production batch buses supplied to the Land Transport Authority in 2024 under Contract PT601B – Zhongtong LCK6126EVG (LTA Production Batch).

In line with LTA’s ongoing efforts to rapidly electrify the public bus fleet, half of all public buses will be electric by 2030. More detailed coverage of this rollout is covered at Electric Buses in Singapore.

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Background

The N series electric city bus range was launched by Zhongtong on 1 November 2019. Four models of different lengths were offered, namely the N8, N10, N12, and N18, the last of which is an articulated bus.

According to Zhongtong, extensive optimizations for energy saving, such as improved regenerative braking, HVAC, and other subsystems, achieve a 7 to 10% improvement in energy consumption over previous generations of electric buses. These features, combined with long-life traction batteries (supplied by CATL) and maintenance-free motor bearings, contribute to the low cost of ownership. Its steel unibody construction also achieved a 5-star safety rating by C-SCAP.

The bus has entered service in many Chinese cities, the largest being an order for 811 units for Harbin that were optimized for cold weather operation. Outside of China, around 30 buses were delivered to Egypt in 2020, and trial buses were delivered to Porto (Portugal) and Israel for trial in 2021. Zhongtong N12 buses in both battery-electric and trolleybus variants were also delivered to Mexico City in 2021 for trial.

Zhongtong’s entry into the Singapore electric bus scene comes amid the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s push to rapidly electrify the public bus fleet. Half of all public buses will be electric by 2030, which is about 3,000 buses. In addition, numerous electric bus makers have supplied trial buses to LTA, which are detailed in the Electric Buses in Singapore article (see: Electric Buses supplied to LTA for Trial).

LTA Trial Bus

In September 2022, a Zhongtong LCK6126EVG was spotted inside the Cycle & Carriage compound at Pandan Gardens, bearing the placeholder registration plate “SG0000M”. The bus is configured with three dual-leaf passenger doors, similar to the Linkker LM312 and CRRC C12.

That same month, two-door Zhongtong LCK6126EVG buses made their debut with ComfortDelGro bus on campus shuttle buses at NUS, with three-door variants entering service later in 2022.

On 10 March 2023, this demonstrator bus was registered to Go-Ahead Singapore, bearing the registration number SG4010H.

The bus is currently 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 Monday, 24 April 2023, and is currently deployed on Bus Service 3, where it is being evaluated alongside current and former electric buses such as the Yutong E12 and the CRRC C12.

At launch, the bus was observed to suffer from intermittent issues with the front Electronic Display Sign. On Thursday, 27 April 2023, the bus was no longer sighted on revenue service and it returned to service on 3 May.

The trial ended after 30 April 2024, with the bus returned to Cycle & Carriage and registered under Cycle & Carriage Automotive Pte Ltd.

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Private Bus

The bus was later bought by private operator Tong Tar Transport, which operates the Mandai-Khatib Shuttle service with a batch of 12 other Zhongtong LCK6126EVG buses. The new registration number for the bus is PD2261P, which was registered on 26 August 2024.

Main Article: Tong Tar Transport acquires Zhongtong N12 from LTA Trials

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Further Orders

In November 2023, Cycle & Carriage (partnering with Zhongtong Bus) was awarded a contract to deliver 120 single-deck 3 door electric buses to the Land Transport Authority progressively from 2024. This is out of the 360 single-deck buses procured by LTA in 2023.

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Brief Specifications

 

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LTA Trial Bus

Interior

The Zhongtong LCK6126EVG is a low-floor single-deck bus, offering step-free access across the entire length of the bus. The three-door configuration promotes ease of passenger access, with all doors being dual-leaf and at least a metre wide.

The interior layout of the bus closely resembles the Zhongtong LCK6126EVG (N12) delivered to Tong Tar Transport, including the dark blue-grey floorboards, yellow stanchion poles, seating layout with 28 seats, and interior fittings. Seats are supplied by Polish company Ster (model: Ster 8MI), and upholstered in blue and red, with red seats intended as priority seats.

Wall-mounted USB charging ports are provided at each seat, rated at 2.1 A output, with a spring-loaded dust cover.

Rather than using Zhongtong’s own dashboard design which is fixed in place, the LTA demonstrator has opted for an adjustable Actia dashboard, similar to those on the Yutong E12/Yutong E12DD. This design also places the door control buttons in easier reach for the driver.

The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) suite is supplied by TNT Surveillance, comprising forward and side collision warning systems with lane departure warning, complemented by a 360-degree surround-view camera system, and an anti-fatigue system.

Wheelchair Accommodation

The bus has two wheelchair bays positioned across from the middle door. Passengers-in-wheelchair (PIW) board and alight via a manual wheelchair ramp installed at the middle door.

Each bay can accommodate one PIW and is equipped with a retractable safety belt and stroller restraint system for securing prams. However, there are no foldable seats provided in the wheelchair bays.

The handlebar in the wheelchair bay is fixed, despite the top portion being a pivoting mechanism that locks at 90-degree intervals, and this could be a result of a modification made prior to revenue service. Additionally, the single-piece wheelchair backrest lacks a recess for any such handlebar to be stowed, resulting in it protruding outside of the backrest. This design oversight is apparent in the Tong Tar Zhongtong N12.

EDS/PIDS

The Zhongtong LCK6126EVG offered for LTA trials is fitted with Electronic Display Sign (EDS) and Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) units from Luminator Technology Group, which promotes commonality and hence ease of integration with many other buses operating in Singapore’s public bus fleet.

The EDS (model: Luminator ULTIMA) is an orange LED matrix displaying the bus service number and destination, mounted to the front, left side, and rear of the bus.

The PIDS (model: Luminator SMART) comprises an interior-facing LCD screen and an exterior-facing LCD screen. The interior LCD display shows the next bus stop, and up to 3 subsequent bus stops served by the bus route, along with rail connections at these bus stops. The exterior-facing LCD display shows the next few MRT stations that the bus serves, and the number of bus stops to that MRT station.

The LCD display panels are accompanied by a LED Text Display mounted at the front and rear of the bus interior. This unit shows the service number, destination, and name of the next bus stop.

Doors

The doors fitted to the LTA demonstrator unit are the same as those fitted to Zhongtong N12 buses delivered to private operators. The brand is not known, but appears to be less robust in operation as compared to other door models commonly used on Singapore buses (e.g. SMC Transit, Masats, Ventura, etc.).

The front door uses inward gliding doors, while the exit doors are sliding plug doors. All doors are double leaf.

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Youtube

The bus was also documented by a local Youtuber prior to registration, whilst the bus was stationed outside the Cycle & Carriage compound. Uploaded in December 2022, fare revenue equipment was already installed on the bus.

Gallery:

Gallery (Interior):

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See Also:

• 60 Electric Buses procured by LTA
• Electric Buses in Singapore

LTA Trial Bus Series:

 

References:

• 8年省10万！中通客车新N系市场火热的背后——价值篇 (zhongtong.com)
• 811 Units Zhongtong New N Series Electric City Buses Start Operation in Harbin_Buses News_chinabuses.org
• “打卡”金字塔！中通新N系助力埃及再添绿色新动力 (Zhongtong Bus Co., Ltd)
• Egypt Unveils Restaurant and Electric Bus Fleet at the Great Pyramids to Lure Tourists (businessinsider.com)
• Zhongtong New N Series Electric Buses Start Operation in Portugal_Buses News_chinabuses.org
• MAXIBUSES: METROBUS
• AYCAMX – Autobuses y Camiones México : Camiones Ciudad de México 425. STE
• Quantron Launches 12-M Battery-Electric Bus; Fuel-Cell Variant to Follow – Mobility Engineering Technology