With 212 employees in the UK market, including 21 apprentices, Pelican offers the widest portfolio of zero-emission vehicles

 
Kinchbus is buying 21 electric Yutong buses from Pelican

BY Ian Downie, Pelican

Pelican are proud to support the UK Bus Summit, operators, local authorities and fellow suppliers.

We are a proud, UK family-owned business that has been in business for 106 continuous years. The Crump family started the business and ownership is still within the family. We currently employ 212 people in the UK, including 21 apprentices and plan to increase this number by another 25 people in the next 12 months. Further underlining our commitment to our community and future generations, we are about to apply for planning permission for an expanded training centre in Yorkshire.

In the current financial year, we contributed over £30m to UK public finances, including £20m-plus in import duty, £5m in corporation tax and £3.8m in employee PAYE tax. We expect this to increase significantly next year, when we anticipate paying more than 20% more in import duty and a similar amount in corporation tax. In addition, we neither ask for nor receive any grants or tax breaks from the UK government to assist with our business funding.

Pelican have worked over the past 11 years to produce approved products for the UK market for both diesel and zero-emission coaches, as well as zero-emission buses. As other manufacturers have exited the UK, we have brought in new electric and diesel coaches, as well as electric buses. We are the ONLY manufacturer to offer zero-emission coach products, which are successfully running in England, Scotland and Wales.

In the current financial year, we contributed over £30m to UK public finances

We are committed to the UK market, and since we launched our vehicles in the UK, we have sold over 2,000 vehicles with a further 600 to be delivered.

Our product range has expanded, and we can now offer:

  • E9L midibus – 2.42 metres wide;
  • E10 – 10.9-metre long single deck;
  • E12 – 12.17-metre long single deck;
  • U11DD – the new zero-emission double deck;
  • TCe12 – zero-emission coach;
  • GTe14 – our new 14-metre tri-axle zero-emission coach.

This is the widest portfolio of zero-emission vehicles available in the UK.

In addition, we have three different coach products, all of which comply with PSVAR regulations, ranging from 9-metre to 14-metre products, ideal for all applications

Our manufacturer, Yutong has been building zero-emission vehicles since 1999. We have now delivered 210,000 zero-emission vehicles around the world, which have completed 49 billion kilometres of operation. The vehicles are tried, tested and proven. Our battery supplier is CATL, who are the world’s leading battery manufacturer, with over 40% of the world’s market share.

In addition, over the past 10 years Yutong has built over 600,000 buses and coaches, retaining their number one position in bus and coach manufacturing for a number of years.

Every vehicle we sell has nearly 40% of value purchased or retained in the UK. We purchase CCTV, destination equipment, flooring, seat moquette, passenger information systems, assault screens etc entirely from UK suppliers. Engines for our best-selling diesel coach are all made in Darlington. The purchasing of significant parts and services from UK companies, ensures that our supply chain provides highly skilled, local employment into the UK.

For every zero tailpipe emission vehicle we sell, we plant 10 trees in the UK, utilising a charity, Carma, that employs predominantly ex-service people to plant the trees. We have always paid the full living wage to all of our employees

In terms of the social involvement, we have worked heavily with local schools in conjunction with operators. Our subsidiary training company, Pelican EV Automotive Training, delivers IMI certified training and has so far completed electrical commercial vehicle training with over 400 engineers, passing on the skills they need to support zero-emission vehicles in their local community. We are providing an upskilling opportunity which provides secure, highly skilled and well paid jobs for people all over the country and support the next generation workforce.

Our company ethos and culture is one of inclusion, and we are proud that our new chief operating officer is Katrina Hogan, who will be the most senior female within any bus manufacturing company in the UK.

Pelican stands by to work in partnership with operators and local authorities to decarbonise public transport for the betterment of all.

 
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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