Pelican Bus and Coach has commenced work on a new showroom, office and workshop facility in Castleford to support the continued growth of the Yutong brand in the UK.
The project coincides with Pelican’s recent signing a new long-term distribution agreement with Yutong. It represents an investment of £2m. Once complete, the 20,000ft2 premises will enable work to be carried out on up to 20 vehicles and it will help to support growing demand for zero-emission coaches and buses from local authorities and operators.
Completion of the work is due by November. The building will be dedicated to the fitting out, commissioning and support of new and used Yutong vehicles. It will complement Pelican’s existing showroom adjacent to its nearby headquarters, which will continue to be used for some bus work and as overflow space for Pelican Engineering’s DAF dealership.
Pelican says that the new facility has “been designed with sustainability in mind.” It will have a BREEAM Excellent standard and be equipped with sufficient power supply for four high-performance DC chargers in line with plans for it to become a publicly accessible charging station.
Adds Managing Director Richard Crump: “In recent years, Pelican has seen huge growth in Yutong sales as more local authorities and operators transition to clean, zero-emission vehicles.
“From zero vehicles in 2014, we are now approaching 1,000 Yutong coaches and buses sold in the UK. This new facility is needed to enable us to fully support the increasing number of battery-electric coaches and buses we are forecasting to achieve in the future.
“As a fourth-generation British family business with history dating back over 100 years, we are proud to be continuing to invest in growing our Yutong division. The new facility will create more jobs as well as strengthening our position as one of the leading suppliers of zero-emission large passenger vehicles across the UK.”
