Flixbus starts testing Yutong electric bus between London and Cambridge

The trial of the electric coach is already the second project of its kind in the UK. From March to June, Flixbus had already introduced an electric long-distance coach service between England and Wales. The route ran from London and Bristol in England to Newport in South Wales. A twelve-metre-long Yutong TCe12 with 46 seats was used.

The test that has now been initiated between London and Cambridge also uses an electric Yutong, but a longer version. The Yutong Gte14 is 14 metres long and offers 59 seats. According to the manufacturer, thanks to a 563 kWh battery on board, the range is around 300 miles, the equivalent of around 480 kilometres. The vehicle provided by importer Pelican Yutong should be able to make two round trips per day between London and Cambridge, i.e. around 400 kilometres.

The companies Whippet and Zenobē are on board as partners in the project. According to Flixbus, Whippet is a leading operator of electric buses in Cambridge and runs both the university’s bus service and local bus routes. Zenobē has made a name for itself as a British specialist for electric vehicle fleets and battery services. Through the partnerships, Flixbus will always charge the electric Yutong at the Whippet depot in Swavesey (near Cambridge) using a charging infrastructure provided by Zenobē. The Yutong is also equipped with a Zenobē telematics system to collect data on the performance of the vehicle and the battery.

According to Flixbus, this information is crucial to further develop its strategy to expand electric bus transport in the UK. Andreas Schörling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK, commented: “Following our launch of England and Wales first electric coach service, we’re thrilled to be trialling another zero-emission service as we build the largest coach network in the country.”

The parent company Flix has now completed pilot projects with electric vehicles in several markets. For example, a national bus service with Yutong electric buses was trialled in Portugal in 2022. From 2018 to 2019, a long-distance electric bus also travelled between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim for the provider – but this was a BYD C9. A battery-electric long-distance bus from MCI has also been trialled in the USA.

Flixbus is not only working on projects with battery-electric drive systems for inter-regional transport without exhaust emissions. Since 2021, the company has also been working with German suppliers ZF and Freudenberg on hydrogen-powered buses for intercity transport. The three-year ‘HyFleet’ project is focussing on the development of fuel cells that should enable continuous operation for at least 35,000 hours. Another research focus is on hybridisation strategies for the drivetrain, the so-called ‘right-sizing’ between fuel cell and batteries. As part of the HyFleet project, the first fuel cell-powered long-distance bus in Europe is to be developed by 2024 – so the vehicle should be unveiled soon.

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