Singapore, LTA issues tender for 660 new electric buses (2,000 units planned over 5 years)

Singapore public transport agency Land Transport Authority (LTA) has issued a tender for 660 new electric buses, including 360 three-door single-deck buses and 300 three-door double-deck buses. The new electric bus fleet is expected to be delivered progressively by the end of 2027, according to The Straits Times.

With the addition of these buses (deadline for the tender: May 22), the total number of battery-electric buses in Singapore will increase to 1,140. As of December 2024, the public bus fleet comprised approximately 5,800 buses. LTA has stated that this procurement aligns with its broader objective of transitioning Singapore’s public bus fleet to cleaner energy sources by 2040. The authority plans to procure more than 2,000 electric buses over the next five years.

LTA issues tender for 660 electric buses

This latest tender follows previous electric bus procurements by LTA. In November 2023, the authority awarded contracts worth $166.4 million for 360 e-buses to BYD and Zhongtong. In October 2024, LTA announced the purchase of an additional 60 electric buses from BYD.

The new buses will be equipped with an automatic fire suppression system designed to detect and extinguish fires in specific areas. “If a fire is detected on the bus, the system will be activated to produce an audio and visual alarm on the driver’s dashboard, in addition to reducing the speed of the bus to a speed that allows it to move to the side of the road, noted LTA”, as written on The Straits Times.

LTA has also specified that the buses must include on-board surveillance systems and ADAS such as collision detection and warning capabilities.