First Leeds had placed an order for nine Yutong E10 battery electric buses with Pelican Bus and Coach.
They will be delivered to Hunslet Park depot from May 2020. They are among the fruits of FirstGroup’s successful Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme funding bid, which was announced earlier this year.
Zenobe Energy will match-fund and install the on-board batteries and charging infrastructure. Pelican says in a worst-case scenario, the buses will deliver a range of over 300km between charges.
“Zenobe is excited to support FirstGroup in implementing its successful ULEB bid at Hunslet Park with our infrastructure as a service model,” says Co-Founder Steven Meersman. “It reduces risk and upfront cost while achieving a zero-emission transition.”
Seating capacity of the 10.8m E10s is still to be confirmed. The first will enter build in January, says Head of Yutong Bus UK Ian Downie. They will have the standard battery package with 422kW/h of energy storage.
Mr Downie adds that when demonstrated elsewhere, the larger E12 has returned energy consumption figures of as low as 0.85kW/h per kilometre.
As is the case with orders for Yutong battery electric buses already placed by Go North East and Newport Bus, one of the First Leeds examples will be completed and shipped ahead of schedule. That will permit timely commissioning of charging infrastructure.
“The customers that have ordered electric buses from us so far have all had our E10 or E12 demonstrators on trial. That illustrates how positively they have been received,” adds Mr Downie. Pelican is currently in discussions with other operators that are expected to deliver further orders soon, he continues.
