Pelican to supply 600 electric buses to UK

A Yutong UU11Dd electric bus outside of Pelican’s Bus and Coach office. (Photo: HSBC UK)

Wakefield, UK-based Pelican Engineering has expanded its existing Green Loan and Sustainable Trade Instrument Facility with banker HSBC UK, for which is previously borrowed £60m in 2022, to more than £90 million. The move will enable it to supply up to 600 new battery-electric zero emission buses from Yutong, a Chinese manufacturer, which will then be purchased by UK bus operators.

“HSBC UK has shared our vision and commitment to putting more electric buses into service across the UK since they funded our very first electric bus in 2017,” said Richard Crump, managing director at Pelican Bus and Coach. “With this Green Loan and Sustainable Trade Instrument Facility extension, we can continue to support the transition to zero-emission public transport and we look forward to seeing these new buses serve communities nationwide. We are proud of our long-standing relationships with both HSBC UK and Yutong and are excited to see these zero-emission buses on the road. Our relationship with HSBC UK dates back to when my grandfather opened a business account.”

Pelican Bus and Coach, part of Pelican Engineering, is the sole UK and Ireland importer and distributor for the Zhengzhou Yutong Bus. The new vehicle order will reportedly grow the number of Pelican-supplied Yutong buses operating in the UK to nearly 1,000. Pelican Engineering was founded in 1919. 

Pelican has distributed Yutong buses since 2014. The £93.5m Green Loan and Sustainable Trade Instrument Facility will reportedly position Pelican as one of the largest zero emission bus suppliers in the UK.

This latest order of vehicles imported with HSBC UK funding includes fully electric single deck E10 and E12 buses, over one hundred GTe14 long range electric intercity coaches, 123 electric U11DD double deckers and electric wide body airside buses.