Pelican to launch Yutong battery-electric CVs in the UK

Yutong trucks at the launch event in Mexico (Photo: Yutong Truck)

Following on from the news that UK-based Pelican Engineering was to import 600 battery-electric buses from Yutong for sale to national bus operators, Pelican is now set to launch sales of a zero-emission 7.5-tonne BE light truck from the same OEM.

The Yutong T75e will be offered with either a 100 or 132 kWh battery pack; the larger pack should give the sub three-tonne model a range in excess of 180 miles (290 km).

A series of different body types will be offered, including box, tipper, curtain side and insulated versions. Three different ePTO options are also available.

Richard Crump, MD at Pelican, said: “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 ready-made solution for their zero-emission needs.”

In August 2024, Yutong reported its first delivery of light BE trucks to Mexico. Featuring the Yutong Electric Architecture, the trucks are said to deliver a 10% improvement in range over competing brands. Further, if annual operation reaches 66,000 km, the fuelling costs would be $14.1 less per 100 km than liquid fuel models.

Since taking over as the Yutong importer in the UK, Pelican has delivered 1,500 buses and coaches, 800 of which are battery-electric vehicles. The company notes that Yutong is the largest bus manufacturer in the world, holding a 30% share of the market in China and 10% of the global market.

All Yutong vehicles are serviced by Pelican Engineering.

The Yutong BE commercial vehicles will be available from Q2 2025.