Pelican Bus and Coach continues to develop the Yutong product range here. 2025 will see the GT14 tri-axle diesel coach debut as a further range expansion in that field, while 2026 will witness a notable uplift in battery warranty coverage for zero-emission products.
In the latter space, standard provision will move to a 10-year, one-million-kilometre guarantee of 80% state of health. Buyers will be able to boost that at additional cost to a warranted 15-year, 1.5-million-kilometre position based on 70% state of health.
Head of Yutong UK Ian Downie says that an improved battery warranty builds on work between the vehicle manufacturer and energy storage specialist CATL. “The batteries are tried, tested and proven, and offered by two companies that are stable and can support them,” he notes. A similar dynamic exists between Yutong and Pelican Bus and Coach.
GT14 already appears promising for Pelican Bus and Coach
In coach, the 14m GT14 will be delivered from September 2025. Up to 61 seats will be possible, with 11 cubic metres of underfloor luggage space. A batch of 10 has been ordered by Pelican, of which two were sold at the time of writing. PSVAR compliance is via a lift over the rear axles.
The GT14 is a development of the two-axle GT12 and identical in size to the battery-electric GTe14. The GT12 is a mature product and the GT14 comes following customer feedback. Power will be from the DAF MX-13 engine developing 483bhp and 2,500Nm of torque, driving through a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox.
The Yutong battery-electric bus range here is stable on a base level, but model development continues. The opening U11DD double-decker for First Bus arrived in time for display at Euro Bus Expo, and Pelican has developed a higher-specification example of the E9L small single-decker. That model can also now carry a maximum of 60 passengers.
Meanwhile, the first full-size E12 with 350kWh battery capacity and opportunity charging has been delivered to Stagecoach. On the battery-electric coach front. Pelican has a large number on order across the TCe12 and GTe14 via the second round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund. Ember, Hairy Haggis Tours and Maynes Coaches are among those customers.
Yutong U11DD evolving at pace
Development of the U11DD has also continued. Ian notes thar both Pelican and Yutong were receptive to operators’ comments about the layout at the rear of the lower deck on earlier examples. Those have been acted upon and the configuration there is improved.
Key to that is pushing back the initial aisle step to the drive axle area. In addition, the ceiling above the rear two seat rows has been lifted to benefit headroom, although positions there remain forward-facing. The difference is notable, although it comes with a more obvious aisle step towards the rear of the upper saloon.
Other improvements debut with the First Bus vehicles, including a bell push that illuminates when depressed and an electric handbrake. Maximum passenger capacity is now 84, although 80 is the standard. A lower 4.22m-high U11DD will arrive in around 12 months.
Across real-world operation of Yutong battery-electric vehicles in the UK, average energy usage has been tracked at 0.94kWh per km, albeit with seasonal variation.
On charging, Pelican and Yutong are currently exploring doing that at 500kW via two liquid-cooled connectors; the current maximum for plug-in is 300kW. Yutong already has 1MW charging, although the challenge there is with depot power supply.
While the GT14 is the big-ticket coach item for Yutong in the UK, other work in that field continues. Steve O’Neill has succeeded Phil Hodgson as Area Sales Manager for the South of England, while success has been maintained with conquest buyers; 44 have been won this year and a total of 162 new coaches registered for 2024 to early November.
A strong coach order bank is in place, with 159 examples across the diesel and battery-electric range in hand. GT12s for FlixBus use are prominent and that model is now pre-wired at the factory in China for hearing loop fitment as part of PSV Accessible Information Regulations compliance.
The zero-emission GTe14 has gained a tablet-based driver interface. Pelican continues to talk to operators about the GTe14, with a prominence of enquiries in South East England.
Compared to the smaller TCe12, the GTe14 has a higher power demand for charging to be completed in a reasonable time, and that is a complication. However, the dealership remains bullish about the model’s prospects, with Ember the leader among confirmed buyers.
Support services see serious spending
While product range developments are prominent, Pelican continues to build its business areas that support vehicles in service or on order. An ever-busy pre-delivery inspection and showroom premises in Castleford, built from scratch, demonstrates the scale of growth seen for Pelican with Yutong.
The Pelican EV Automotive Training arm does not solely focus on Yutong buyers and interest in courses is strong. Parts provision continues to grow, with work to expand a dedicated warehouse in hand.
When complete, £12 million of stock will be on site in West Yorkshire with support in Paris and Dubai; £100,000 of GT12-specific parts are held in a storage facility in London. Further news of coach and bus model developments is awaited post-2025.
