London-based Westway Coaches – holder of a Royal Warrant for the supply of coaches to HM The Queen – has become the first UK operator to order battery-electric coaches.
Two 48-seat Yutong TCe12 coaches will be delivered in June 2019 by dealership Pelican Bus and Coach, which is now accepting orders for the £290,000 coach.
The model is already in use in Paris and design work for right-hand drive is underway. The electric motor and control system is identical to that used in Yutong’s E10 and E12 buses, also available in the UK, as well as 60,000 Yutong electric buses in service worldwide.
The TCe12 comes with front and centre passenger doors. The centre door and floor section is designed to accept a slot-in wheelchair lift if required. It has 258Kwh battery capacity and can be charged with either a 60kWh, 90kWh or 120kWh DC charger, making a full replenishment possible in less than two hours.
Pelican Bus and Coach Managing Director Richard Crump says: “The coaches in Paris are averaging better than 1km per kWh of charge, used on a duty cycle very similar to operation in Greater London. This allows a range of about 200 miles on a full charge, depending on how the heating and cooling systems are used.
“For electric vehicles, it’s always a balance between range, cost and weight. In the UK we are limited by the 11,500kg rear axle legal weight, whereas the same vehicle has a 13,000kg rear axle rating in France.
“The push for clean air in cities means that, for city centre work, only a zero-emission vehicle is completely future proof.”
Westway MD David West adds: “We are delighted to be the first operator to choose the Yutong full electric coach. Other Chinese manufacturers have announced an intention to supply electric coaches in the UK, but in all cases they and their ability to support their products are as yet unknown.
“The advantage of the TCe12 is that it is not a new design. I have seen it in operation in Paris. We already operate three Yutong coaches and are very confident in the excellent aftersales support from Pelican.”
