2023-09 SUSTAINABLE BUS

OUTLOOKS
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ter and distributor, is on the verge of presenting
its first demonstrator vehicle of the new
U11DD electric double deck bus, with a second
demonstrator due in December. Pelican
opened orders in October 2023 and Newport
Transport has requested two vehicles. The
68-seat capacity bus has been introduced to
fit the wider needs alongside the brand’s existing
10-metre and 12-metre vehicles, as well
as the 14-metre airport bus.
For the coach market, Pelican is also launching
the GTE14, a 61-seat, 13.97-metre,
3-axle electric coach, based on a 15-metre
design already in use in Europe. Pelican has
taken its first orders, with 14 vehicles requested
by Scotland’s Ember inter-city operator.
Two battery versions will be available,
which Pelican says will provide a range
of around 480 km on a single charge. The
GTE14 will join the 50-seat TCe12 electric
coach, in addition to Pelican’s 12-metre and
9-metre diesel coaches.
Pelican’s sales and orders will achieve over
100 diesel coaches this year, and over 100
electric buses and coaches. “This means
that our numbers are an increase on last year
for both diesel and electric vehicles,” says
Ian Downie, head of Yutong UK, Pelican.
“Alongside this increase, we’ve continued
our investments, moving the Yutong premises
from a five- to a 20-bay workshop launched
this September”.
Switch Mobility
For the UK market, Switch Mobility (formerly
Optare) provided its first electric Metrocity
buses to Stagecoach in June 2023.
Part of a 20-vehicles order, Switch is delivering
8.7-metre and 9.5-metre variants
with a claimed range of 270 km. Back in
November 2022, Switch explained that a
battery-electric Metrocity would enable
the model to remain as the manufacturer’s
core UK bus. Also in June, Switch provided
Northern Ireland’s Translink with six of its
electric Solo, low-floor midi bus models.
Switch says its 36-capacity vehicle offers a
range up to 300 km.
In Europe meanwhile, no further news is
forthcoming regarding production commencing
at Switch’s Valladolid, Spain plant. As
of July 2022, Switch planned bus manufacture
for the European market to begin within
12 months at the new 35-acre facility, planned
to include two production lines.
India continues to be Switch’s most significant
market, with the company owned
by Ashok Leyland, part of the Hinduja
Group, headquartered in Mumbai. Significant
recent orders include 71 units of the
Switch EiV 12, provided to JSW Steel for
employee transportation. The 12-metre bus
is specifically for the Indian market, using
the same technology platform as the Switch
e1, designed for Europe. Earlier this year,
Switch also commenced delivery of the first
of 200 of its EiV 22 electric double-decker
buses for Brihanmumbai Electric Supply
and Transport (BEST), Mumbai.
Wrightbus
Since entering administration in 2019 and a
subsequent takeover by Jo Bamford, a member
of the family behind the British excavator
vehicle manufacturer, JCB, Wrightbus’
fortunes have been back on the rise. Global
sales for the year, as of July, are 254 units,
and Wrightbus plans to build over 600 vehicles
in total in 2023. The company says that
“There is returning interest
in double deck transit buses
in North America, which we
are excited about and have
taken new orders,” says
Paul. “In continental Europe,
we are focusing on opportunities
for double deck buses
that are tailored to individual
requirements, such as those
we’ve built for Switzerland
and Berlin, says Paul
Davies, president & MD,
Alexander Dennis. Mellor is
investigating expansion of
its manufacturing capacity.
over 90% of these will be zero-emission buses,
compared to 64% last year. Over 90%
of its orders are for the UK and Ireland,
though Wrightbus says it is in the process
of expanding into Europe, and the company
has orders in far east markets and Australia.
Wrightbus also reports an order bank deep
into 2024. “We are growing faster than any
major bus manufacturer in Europe,” says
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Wrightbus. “Since
the firm was taken over by Jo Bamford in
2020, the expansion has been rapid, going
from 50 employees to over 1,200.”
The Northern Ireland-based OEM offers
both battery electric and H2 fuel cell buses
in single- and double-deck configurations.
Hydrogen is a particular interest
for Jo Bamford, who also founded hydrogen
manufacturer Ryze, and Wrightbus is
developing a green hydrogen production
facility at its Ballymena headquarters.
The company hopes to have this online
from early 2025.
Echoing the sentiments across UK and Northern
Ireland’s manufacturers, Wrightbus
would like the government to encourage
long-term market stability, in addition to
speeding up the delivery of the zero-emission
bus fund. “We would like to see a longer-term
funding plan, and consideration of
a yearly plan for the number of zero-emission
buses the UK government wants to see
enter service,” says Jean-Marc. “This would
allow UK manufacturers to efficiently plan
the scaling up of manufacturing facilities
and drive greater investment into our domestic
supply chain”.
Alex Byles