Ratho Coaches of Newbridge has taken delivery of its first battery-electric coach in the form of a Yutong TCe12. It comes ahead of what the Central Belt operator hopes will be further zero-emission vehicles via the second tranche of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund.
The TCe12 has been supplied by Asset Alliance Group and UK Yutong importer Pelican Bus and Coach. It has joined Ratho Coaches as part of the business’s sustainability drive and with an eye on the soon-to-spread Low Emission Zone work in Scotland.
Ratho Coaches Director and Co-Owner Charles McIntosh (pictured, right) says that the TCe12’s high specification and range of over 200 miles makes it an attractive product.
“We plan to add more electric coaches to our fleet in the coming years to take advantage of ongoing improvements in battery charging infrastructure for EVs, which will allow us to utilise them for UK-wide tours and further enhance our green transport credentials,” he explains.
Ratho Coaches was part of a successful multi-operator trial of the TCe12 model in 2023 organised by Zeelo, with Mr McIntosh noting then that the model’s integration into Ratho’s operations was “seamless” and that the Yutong was liked by drivers and passengers.
Purchase of the TCe12 also represents Ratho Coaches’ first time working with Asset Alliance Group. Mr McIntosh adds that the operator is “extremely pleased” with the experience.
“The Yutong TCe12 is a fantastic addition to our fleet and a key part of our mission to become a more sustainable business. It replaces a diesel coach previously used for city tours to places like Glasgow, Stirling and as far as St Andrews, helping the company to reduce its carbon footprint.”
The TCe12 with Ratho Coaches has 281kW/h of battery capacity and seats 50. It is also PSVAR compliant. In 2024, the TCe12 will be joined in the Yutong zero-emission coach range in the UK by the larger tri-axle GTe14.
