The Yutong TCe12 zero emission electric coach has become the first ever Coach to be certified as an 'Ultra Low Emission Bus'. This means that the TCe12 is now eligible to receive the 30 pence/kilometre BSOG Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) incentive payment in Scotland when used on qualifying work.
The electric vehicle completed the test at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedford last week.
The TCe12 is already in service in Paris where over 70 equivalent vehicles have been in operation for over three years.
The TCe12 coach carries 49 passengers and comes with front and centre passenger doors on the near side. The centre door and floor section is designed to allow the fitment of a slot-in wheel chair lift if required and full PSVAR specification is available. The electric drive line and control system is identical to that used in the E10, E12 and airport buses.
The 281Kwh battery will allow operators a range of well in excess of 200 miles on a full charge. It can be charged with either a 60Kwh, 90Kwh or 120Kwh DC charger making a full charge possible in less than two hours.
Above and below the TCe12 was shown at Coach & Bus UK 2019
The introduction of zero emission vehicles in Scotland will play a vital part in reducing emissions from public transport. The forward-thinking support from the Scottish Government with the BSOG LEV scheme provides a real incentive for operators to look at the benefits of zero emission vehicles. There are over 106,000 zero emission Yutong vehicles in operation around the world, all contributing to reducing emissions.
LowCVP have welcomed the Yutong TCe12 certification an Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB):
LowCVP have been evaluating vehicle performance over the last two decades to support government policy with robust data to inform funding of greener and cleaner buses. The LowCVP Bus Working Group has been closely involved in developing the certification schemes for incentives such as the £48m Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme which funded over 270 electric buses and infrastructure in England and Wales in 2019.
LowCVP has also supported the development of the BSOG LEV incentive in Scotland which now offers 30 pence/kilometre for the operation of an “effectively zero emission bus”. As many bus routes in Scotland are operated by coaches, this incentive extends to coaches which can meet the same performance as effectively zero emission buses.
The Yutong ICE 12 is hopefully the first of many zero emission coaches that demonstrate comparable performance to buses and further support the shift of the UK vehicle parc to a net-zero operation.
Currently coaches are the only vehicles not eligible for support from government through the plug-in vehicle grant or other capital grant schemes. The LowCVP are currently seeking support from government to develop an Ultra Low and Effectively Zero Emission Coach definition that could be adopted by schemes such as the Plug-in Vehicle Grant.
