Pelican Bus and Coach has teamed up with Go North East to loan a Yutong E10 to Transdev-owned The Harrogate Bus Company for a trial
A Yutong battery-powered electric bus has been brought in for a trial with Transdev subsidiary The Harrogate Bus Company on its route 1 between Harrogate and Knaresborough, following the trial of a BYD ADL vehicle in October 2020.
The Yutong E10, supplied by Yorkshire-based Pelican Bus and Coach, is being loaned to Transdev by Tyneside-based operator Go North East to enable the trial. The bus is powered by 422kWh water-cooled batteries, and has a claimed 370km range on a single 3.4-hour charge.
The results will be compared with outcomes from last autumn’s trial operation of the BYD ADL vehicle on the same Harrogate route.
Transdev says it is looking to build on its positive experience of running electric buses, after it became the first operator in Britain to introduce ‘opportunity charged’ buses on its pioneering ‘Harrogate Electrics’ fleet in 2018, thanks to funding of £2.25 million from the Government to create Britain’s first Low Emission Bus Town.
Transdev CEO Alex Hornby said: “We’re delighted to begin the second phase of our electric bus trials, as we look ahead to future options for electric power on one of our most popular routes, the 1 between Harrogate and Knaresborough, all to complement the existing zero-emission fleet on the local town network in Harrogate.
“With a bus usually up to every seven minutes, the 1 is a vitally important link between the two towns and an ideal place to put the bus industry’s newest technology to the test.
“The Yutong E10 bus is being loaned to us by Go North East and is used on a route very similar in frequency and usage as our own route here. We’re also in discussions with Pelican Bus and Coach in Castleford, who finished and supplied the buses for use here in the UK, following extensive development work with Yutong on their design and specification.
“Our comparative trials will help us to develop our aspirations for future investment as we look to make informed choices between options for electric power on one of our most popular routes.
“We’re constantly looking to build buses back better as part of our strategy for our company and industry, demonstrating our belief that our buses will continue to play a vitally important role beyond the current pandemic in boosting the economy, both locally in Harrogate and across Yorkshire and the north of England.”
