The BYD B series are a line of battery electric buses produced by Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD. It is the first bus model powered by BYD's Lithium Iron Phosphate Blade batteries. It is available as a 10-metre single-decker (B10), a 11-metre double-decker bus (BD11), a 12-metre single-decker (B12), a 12-metre double-decker (B12D), a 15-metre tri-axled single-decker (B15) and a 18-metre articulated bus (B18).[1][2][3]
History
The BYD B series was launched on 29 July 2020, superseding the highly popular BYD K series. The bodywork was designed by Wolfgang Egger.[4] According to BYD, the new bus models feature LED water lamps, USB charging ports, newer-generation wheel hub motors which are 6% more energy-efficient, as well as a lightweight aluminum frame reducing the body weight by up to 10%.[1]
Operational history
Mainland China
Jinan: 340 B10 buses were delivered in July 2022.[5]
Changzhou: The first B series buses entered service in 2021.[6]
Shenzhen:
Western Bus operated a fleet of 88 B10s as of 2020.[7]
10 B12D double decker buses are used for tourist sightseeing services.[8]
Zhongshan: 50 B10s were delivered in 2022.
Yichang: A fleet of 10 B18s entered service on the local BRT line.[9]
Many other Chinese cities have bought the B10 or B12, including Wuhan,[10] Guangzhou (as GAC BYD),[11] Guiyang[12] and Changzhou.
A BYD B12A, also featuring three doors, was showcased at the Singapore International Transport Congress & Exhibition 2022.[23][24][25] After the exhibition ended, the bus was retrofitted and repainted and entered service on 14 January 2024.[26]
On 25 November 2023, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that it had awarded a contract to BYD to purchase 240 3-door BYD B12 Buses, to be delivered from 2024 onwards.[27]
Chile: 10 B12D double deckers entered service in mid-2023 on Route 520.[29] Transantiago ordered a demonstrator B18C01 articulated bus which entered service on Route 516 that same year.
Awards
On 7 January 2022, it was announced that the BYD B10 had won the "2021 Transporter Word-of-Mouth New Energy Bus Award".[4]
^"Company Profile – BYD SINGAPORE". Retrieved 2022-12-10. 10 units of B12-A03 single-deck (3-door) bus was sold to Comfortdelgro Bus for NTU & NUS university shuttle bus operations.
^"SITCE 2022". www.sitce.org. Retrieved 2022-12-10. In this SITCE showcase, BYD will be showcasing an exciting new range of electric vehicles (EV) ranging from a prime mover, commercial bus and a passenger car.
^"BYD B12A03". Land Transport Guru. 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
^Kok, Yufeng (2023-11-25). "360 more electric buses to hit the roads from Dec 2024 in biggest purchase by LTA". The Straits Times. ISSN0585-3923. Retrieved 2023-11-25. Of the 360 new electric buses bought in the latest tender, 240 of them will be supplied by Chinese automaker BYD at a contract sum of $108.1 million. The electric vehicle giant already has 20 of its K9 electric buses plying public bus routes here, and it will be deploying its new B12 buses for the latest tender.
^"BYD electrifies Finnish market for first time." Coach & Bus Week, 13 October 2020.