Reptons Launches Yutong E9L

We were proud to see one of our Yutong E9L electric buses enter service with Surrey-based Repton’s coaches this week. This will operate on routes in the north of the county, including a school service.

The official launch took place on 1 September, when Repton’s welcomed representatives from Surrey County Council along with our own Ian Downie, Head of Yutong sales at Pelican Bus + Coach. We first announced the sale of Repton’s very first electric bus, the 9.5m E9L, at Euro Bus Expo last November, marking the start of their journey to zero-emission operations.

Speaking at the launch, Repton’s owner Andy Repton praised the quality of the vehicle:

“They’ve done an exceedingly good job on it, the workmanship is really good.”

Andy explained that introducing a zero-emission vehicle had been over two years in the planning. He added:

“Pelican encouraged us to go and see other operators running Yutong electrics. They set up visits to Newport Buses, where we didn’t just talk to management, but also drivers and mechanics. The drivers loved them, and the mechanics told us their workload had halved overnight. The support we’ve had from Yutong and Pelican has been second-to-none.”

Surrey County Council, which supported the project by funding the difference between a diesel and an electric bus, commented:

“Repton’s Coaches – one of our contracted operators in Surrey – has made its first move towards zero-emission electric buses. We are delighted to support this small, independent operator as it contributes to the county’s transition to cleaner transport.”

Repton’s hopes to move towards a fully electric fleet in the near future, building on this important first step.