(Singapore, January 26) On January 25th, a strategic cooperation agreement and signing ceremony for 120 new energy Zhongtong buses between Shangdong Heavy Industry Group and Jardine Cycle & Carriage Direct Motor Interests took place in Singapore.
According to the SG Green Plan 2030, the government aims to make up half of the public bus fleet by 2030, and the existing diesel buses will be replaced with cleaner energy buses by 2040; by 2025, eight towns in Singapore will be EV-Ready, and new registrations of diesel cars and taxis will be ceased from 2025. Singapore’s buses account for 15% of the country’s carbon emissions. In this blueprint, bus with cleaner energy is very important for reducing carbon emissions in land transportation.
The LTA of Singapore invested S$50 million in 2018 to purchase 60 electric buses. In Nov last year, the Land Transport Authority once again moved towards cleaner urban transportation, increasing procurement in electric buses and charging facilities with a contract worth approximately S$212.5 million. The fleet of electric buses has now reached 420 vehicles, accounting for approximately 7% of the total bus fleet. It is expected that these new buses will be on the road to carry passengers starting from Dec.
Wilfrid Foo, Managing Director of Jardine Cycle & Carriage DMI, said that this cooperation is an important milestone for the passenger transportation business. In the future, they hope to maintain a long-term strategic partnership with Shandong Heavy Industries and share success in the Singapore and Southeast Asian markets.
Tan Xuguang, chairman of Shandong Heavy Industry Group and Weichai Power, said that Shandong Heavy Industry is based in Singapore and radiates to Southeast Asia. It has been deeply involved in the Southeast Asian market for more than 30 years and has become the Chinese industrial equipment company with the widest product launch, the highest share and the best brand reputation in the Southeast Asian market. In the future, Shandong Heavy Industry will take root in Singapore and contribute to Singapore’s green transportation together with Jardine Hefa.
Zhongtong Bus is a subsidiary of Shandong Heavy Industry Group. AT present, Zhongtong Bus has the capacity to produce 30,000 large, medium, and light size buses annually, with its products being sold in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Wang Xingfu, the CEO of Zhongtong Bus Limited said that the first bus is set to commence operations in March 2024, with the entire delivery expected to be completed by the first half of 2025. The following steps involve continuous optimization and improvement based on the characteristics of the Singaporean market to better serve the high-end market in Southeast Asia.
Zong Changqing, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, witnessed the signing ceremony of Shandong Heavy Industry Group and Jardine Hefa Group Singapore. Mr Zong expressed the hope that both parties will further deepen their cooperation, contribute to the development of bilateral economic and trade relations, and create a model of win-win cooperation between China and Singapore.
