National Express is continuing its assessment of battery-electric single-deckers in the West Midlands with the trial of a Yutong E12. The bus has been loaned by established Yutong convert Newport Transport.
It will be used by National Express Coventry between that city, Bedworth and Nuneaton for 10 days from 16 May. The operator says that the evaluation period will enable it to gather customer and driver feedback while testing the E12’s zero-emission capabilities.
Arrival of the Yutong follows an earlier trial of a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro. Coventry was victorious in the All Electric Bus City competition in 2021, work that is expected to see all buses there transition to electric by 2025.
National Express has a significant zero-emission programme already underway in the West Midlands. Most recently it committed to a further 300 UK-built examples that will be delivered by the end of 2024.
Speaking about the temporary arrival of the Yutong E12, National Express West Midlands Managing Director David Bradford says: “Buses are the most used form of transport here in the West Midlands. Not only do our bus services play a key role in keeping people connected, they are also critical to driving down harmful emissions.
“We are grateful to Newport Transport for allowing us to borrow its Yutong bus, and we look forward to testing it on our routes operating out of Coventry so we can better understand capabilities and efficiencies under our usual operating conditions.”
