Nottingham City Transport has ordered a further 14 Yutong battery-electric single-deckers in the form of 11 E10 models and a trio of larger E12s. They will be supplied by Pelican Bus and Coach and delivered in early 2026.
When in service, the latest batch will take to 62 the number of Yutongs with the municipal operator. All are part-funded by a successful Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas bid led by Nottingham City Council and collectively they will allow the operator’s single-deck fleet to transition to entirely zero-emission.
24 Yutongs are already in the NCT fleet and a second tranche of 24 will follow early in 2025. Three members of the operator’s leadership team recently shared experience of the first stage in its electrification journey with the opening batch of buses.
Head of Engineering Sean O’Sullivan adds that the first batch Yutong battery-electrics with Nottingham City Transport have performed well. “We have seen energy efficiency increase by 10% as we have undergone an extensive driver training course during the vehicles’ introduction into our operations,” he says.
“Passenger and driver feedback has been excellent, with extremely positive reaction to the customer-centric features that we implemented with Pelican and Yutong. The importance of having vehicles provided and supported by the same team was a key part of our decision.”
The latest order secured by Pelican for Yutong battery-electrics represents another layer of success for the dealership in that sphere, following recent major deals with both First Bus and Stagecoach.
Speaking about the additional Nottingham business, Head of Yutong UK Ian Downie says: “The NCT team challenged us to further develop a vehicle that built upon our tried, tested and proven technology.
“It was the first [customer] to require full colour destination screens, revised passenger information systems, swept handrails, and NCT-specified seats and flooring. This resulted in excellent passenger feedback on these features.”
The third tranche of NCT Yutongs will also come with the standard air-conditioning and what Mr Downie terms “industry-leading safety features,” including the Yutong Electrical Safety Standard.
