First Bus places major order for Yutong electric buses

First Bus has placed an order for electric buses from Yutong with the British importer Pelican Bus and Coach. The order of 169 electric buses is to be delivered to four depots within the next 16 months.

This marks the largest single order for Yutong’s buses in the UK so far and is to play a large role in the company’s goal of having a fully emissions-free bus fleet by 2035. The specific depots that will see the new additions are Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Basildon and Hengrove in Bristol, which are receiving their first electric buses.

By the time the order is complete, First Bus will have more than 800 emissions-free vehicles and charging infrastructure present at 16 depot sites across the UK. The new order includes a mix of single and double-decker buses from Yutong from their E10, E12 and U11DD models. There are already several Yutong EVs in First Bus’s fleet, and are on the roads in Aberdeen, Leeds and Cymru.

First Bus also notes that the order is part of an £89 million investment in further 178 zero-emission buses and infrastructure across four regions. The funds were secured in partnership with Local Authorities, as well as another £16 million of additional funding through the latest round of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme.

“We are delighted to place this order with the team at Pelican. This order marks another significant milestone as we invest further in our journey towards a zero-emission bus fleet across our UK operations,” said Andrew Jarvis, Chief Operating Officer for First Bus, adding: “It is an exciting time for our colleagues at all four of these sites as we start to transform and futureproof our depots. This is also great news for our customers, who will see the benefits of these state-of-the-art vehicles – including improved local air quality and the enhanced customer experience that EV’s bring.”

firstbus.co.uk