Yutong, along with sales and service partner Pelican Engineering, has enjoyed significant market success in the bus and coach sector over the past 10 years, securing a market-leading position in battery-powered public service vehicles and is now set to bring an electric truck to the market.
This innovative vehicle promises to revolutionise the logistics and transport sectors, aligning perfectly with our collective goal of achieving net-zero emissions. It will be sold and serviced by the Pelican Engineering Group, the company responsible for establishing the market rise of the Yutong city bus and coach.
“This is a very exciting development for us,” explains Richard Crump, Managing Director at Pelican Engineering. “If the UK is to satisfy its net zero ambitions, then the decarbonisation of the commercial vehicle sector is a crucial part of the jigsaw. We believe the 7.5-tonne sector is the easiest sector to electrify and the Yutong truck chassis, combined with our cost-effective charger and battery storage solution provided by Pelican AEAUTO, brings operators a readymade solution for their zero-emission needs.”
Pelican Engineering is a long-established family business with a strong reputation for high-quality commercial vehicle sales and service. With over 100 years of experience in the commercial vehicle sector, Pelican has represented a wide range of leading brands since its formation in 1919.
The company was appointed as Yutong’s sole UK and Ireland importer and distributor in 2014 and has since sold over 1,500 buses and coaches; 800 of which are battery-electric. This remarkable success reflects the trust major bus fleets and UK coach operators have in Yutong and Pelican Engineering.
“As with the bus and coach sector, we will work with the Yutong service team, based in the UK, to bring these trucks to market. We intend to service and maintain the new vehicles through a combination of strategically located vehicle management units, supported by the team at our Castleford head office,” continues Crump, explaining that Pelican has invested heavily in aftersales and parts supply to support the venture. “Clearly as we grow our truck market footprint, we will continue to expand the service offering and appoint new sales and service agents in due course.”
The truck will be called the Yutong TE7 and offer operators the option of a 100kW or 132kW battery. The higher battery capacity version will have an impressive range of over 180 miles on a single charge, making it an ideal solution for urban deliveries and regional transport. With an unladen chassis-cab weight of under 3,000kg, the vehicle has been meticulously developed to be compatible with a range of body types covering the key UK sectors such as box, tipper, curtain side, compaction, and insulated bodies with three different electric Power Take-Off (ePTO) options.
Yutong is the world’s largest bus and coach manufacturer with approximately 12% share of the global market. It is also the second-largest zero-emission truck builder in China. The company, based in Zhengzhou, made its first electric bus in 1999 and this powertrain and technology has evolved and gone on to be applied to a wide range of commercial vehicles. Yutong wholly owns and controls the key component supply chain, manufacturing in-house the motor, motor controller, e-drive axle and battery packs, and has established a reputation for building premium products. The company employs over 50,000 people at its factory and is present in over 100 countries across the globe.
The new Yutong truck will make its public exhibition debut at Road Transport Expo, which takes place in Stoneleigh, 24-26 June 2025.
SOURCE: Pelican Bus & Coach
