Last year, Britain was the largest market for electric buses in Europe, a position that it owes in large part to a small company in the Yorkshire town of Castleford. In 2013, Pelican was appointed as the official UK and Ireland importer for Chinese manufacturer Yutong and began selling its buses and coaches; in 2020, the first battery electric Yutong vehicles were deployed in Britain. In the last decade, 2,000 Yutong vehicles were sold through Pelican, of which over 800 are fully electric. For those familiar with Pelican solely as an importer of buses and coaches, the company’s announcement that it would introduce a medium-duty truck may have come as a surprise. In fact, as I learned on a recent trip to the company’s premises in the north of England, the decision to enter the electric truck market represents a return to Pelican’s roots as the oldest family-owned truck dealership still in operation in Britain.

From groundbreaking electric and hydrogen-powered buses to next-gen battery platforms, AI-enabled mobility, and innovative drivetrain technology, UITP 2025 underscored how commercial vehicle OEMs in the public transport space are accelerating toward a zero-emission, data-rich future.

Immediately the Trump regime withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement as well as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is all under the mandate of “Unleashing American Energy” whilst reducing the stranglehold of climate change policies on American industry.

The Yutong T75e will come with an energy capacity of either 100 or 132 kilowatt hours, with the latter option providing a range of over 180 miles.

Carrying up to seventy-one passengers, the bus offers a range of up to 360 kilometres with an installed capacity of 350 kilowatt-hours.

Allison states that many Chinese-built buses are now equipped with its Torqmatic series, a range of fully automatic transmissions for engine ratings ranging from 172 kilowatts (230hp) to 283 (380hp), specifically designed for suburban buses and tour coaches.

CATL unveiled a new long-life commercial vehicle battery pack with a claimed service life of up to 15 years or 1.5 million kilometres. CATL has been cagey about disclosing details, such as the battery chemistry, order numbers and when the product will go into series production but the new product will be used in Yutong’s next-generation electric Commercial Vehicles.

Mobico’s ‘National Express’ coach service will test the coach during a four-week trial period, when it will operate on a route between Stansted Airport and London.

From March 21 until the start of June 2024, travellers will be able to hop on the Yutong TCe12 electric coach on a Flix Bus route between London, Bristol and Newport (South Wales).

The 1000th vehicle was one out of 17 ‘E12’ battery electric buses which were ordered by Transdev for Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

The GTe14 is set to make its debut in the UK in the first quarter of 2024.

According to the terms of the MoU, the two companies have promised to work together on electrification projects and research into improving electric vehicle safety and efficiency.