Reptons gets E9L on first step to electrification

Pelican Bus and Coach has confirmed an order for a Yutong E9L battery-electric bus for established Surrey coach operator Reptons Coaches.

At Euro Bus Expo event in Birmingham, Sophie Repton received a crystal gift to celebrate the order, as well as the first one of ten trees that Pelican will be planting in the UK for every electric bus, as part of its sustainability promotion.

Sophie Repton, Operations Manager, said: “Having looked at what was on the market, we felt that the E9L was the perfect fit for us and the routes it will serve.

“Key things for us are reliability and quality for our passengers and, having spoken to those already operating Yutong electrics and then seeing the demonstrator at the Expo, we are looking forward to taking our first step to transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet. The staff from Pelican and Yutong have been extremely helpful and we are looking forward to taking delivery of our E9L next year.

“The quality and workmanship on the demonstrator E9L at the Euro Bus Expo was very impressive and the modern look will complement our fleet well,” she continued. “The interior is very passenger-focused and we believe that it will provide our passengers with a comfortable journey, while also being zero emission at the tailpipe.

“We are delighted to be working in bringing zero-emission, air-conditioned vehicles into Surrey, and were delighted that the vehicle was secured with partial funding from Surrey County Council”

Ian Downie, Head of Yutong UK commented: “It has been an absolute pleasure working on this project with Sophie and Andy. Pelican are also a family-run business so we share the same values of quality, professionalism and responsiveness. The E9L is compact without compromise and offers state of the art passenger experience features, with market leading safety as well as passenger capacity.”