The first Yutong GTe14 battery-electric tri-axle coach deliveries to retail buyers have been made, with Wattsway Travel and Westway Coach Services each receiving an example of the ground-breaking model during early January.
They follow earlier GTe14s that have been supplied by dealership Pelican Bus and Coach to Edinburgh-based scheduled service operator Ember and evaluation of a demonstrator by various other businesses.
The GTe14 for Wattsway has 563kWh of battery capacity and is the coach seen at Euro Bus Expo in November 2024. That for Westway has 621kWh. Fitted is the second-generation dash area for the model that includes a tablet-based dash binnacle and driver interface along with a camera monitoring system.
Both operators already have the smaller TCe12 battery-electric coach within their respective fleets. The Yutong GTe14 for Wattsway is branded as the UK’s first electric touring coach and seats 53, with PSVAR compliance part of the package.
Westway now has six Yutong battery-electric coaches in service. In a notable further development, Account Manager Josh West says that the West Molesey business will shortly welcome back a Van Hool T917 tri-axle that has been repowered to electric by Equipmake.
That work commenced in 2023 and Mr West adds that the vehicle is now complete and able to drive on battery power. Final tweaks are currently being finalised and the T917 will be returned to Westway shortly.
Meanwhile, Wattsway Travel Director Mark Watts (pictured, left, with Pelican Area Sales Manager Steve O’Neill) says that its TCe12 pair have performed well and influenced his decision to go for a GTe14, which will soon gain the necessary equipment to comply with the PSV Accessible Information Regulations.
Operational savings made both with electric power and across maintenance requirements are an important consideration, although Mr Watts notes that significant work is still required on publicly accessible charging points that electric coaches can use before they gain the flexibility of a diesel.
However, he notes that in and around London there is a growing number of corporate and private hire clients that require zero-emission coach travel, adding that a need for greater luggage space factored into Wattsway’s decision to purchase a GTe14.
Later this year the GTe14 will be joined in the Pelican coach range by a DAF MX-13-powered diesel equivalent, the GT14.
Speaking about the Wattsway delivery, Pelican UK Coach Sales Manager Simon Collins says the GTe14 will deliver “an ultimate driving experience.” He has thanked Wattsway for its ongoing business with the Yutong brand.
For a more comprehensive look at how battery-electric coaches fit into the Wattsway Travel fleet, see the January 2025 issue of routeone, mailed free to subscribers and published online on Monday 20 January.
