Scotland, the electric coach Yutong ICe12 eligible of BSOG LEV incentives

The electric coach Yutong ICe12 has been certified as an ultra low emission bus with respect to the BSOG LEV scheme in Scotland, the dealer Pelican Bus and Coach announces. It means that Yutong vehicle is now eligible to receive the 30 pence/kilometre as it has attained ULEB status. The Yutong TCe12 is the very first electric coach to receive such status.

The vehicle completed the test at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedford last week.

LowCVP and BSOG LEV incentive in Scotland

Ian Downie. Head of Yutong Bus UK said “Pelican are extremely proud to be the first ever, and only, Coach recipient of the ULEB certificate. 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.”

Dan Hayes, Project Manager at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, commented “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 critical 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 ICe12 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 vehicle type that is 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. “