The announcement was made during the ALBUM Conference 2026, the annual conference of the Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM), which brings together operators, suppliers and industry leaders from across the UK bus sector.
Conference Gold Sponsor Pelican Bus & Coach are the UK’s Yutong partner, adding 40% of the value of the buses at their factory in Yorkshire by finishing the buses to NCT’s specification.
The latest order follows NCT’s previously announced investment in 19 electric double deck buses – of which 13 are from Yutong – bringing the total number of new electric vehicles on order to 31.
Today’s order announcement consists of 5 Yutong U11DD double deck buses and 7 E12 single deck vehicles. The additional 12 buses are expected to enter service in April 2027, while the previously announced vehicles are due to arrive in late 2026.
The investment has been supported through funding from the Mayor of the East Midlands and East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), awarded by Nottinghamshire County Council.
Once these additional 31 electric vehicles are delivered, NCT’s zero emission electric fleet will increase to 93 vehicles in total, marking another major milestone in the company’s transition to zero-emission transport, with one-third of the fleet operating as fully electric.
Rob Hicklin, NCT Finance Director said,
“We are delighted to announce our order for an additional 12 Yutong electric buses from Pelican Bus & Coach. Since their first single deck started operating with NCT two years ago, our electric bus fleet has proven to extremely reliable, clocking up over 5 million kilometres in service”.
Ian Downie, Head of Yutong UK at Pelican Bus and Coach commented,
“We are delighted to receive these additional orders from NCT. The vehicles will join the growing Yutong fleet on the streets of Nottingham.”
Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, said:
“People want their buses to be clean, quiet, and efficient, and EMCCA is on the case. To support this in Nottingham, we are adding 31 new buses to the NCT fleet, ensuring that more people can have a positive experience of using public transport.”
“These buses bring everything that our residents have told us they need from their journeys, with air conditioning, extra leg room, and full colour destination displays. And this is vital; the more that people use the bus, the closer we get to building a city that is clean, well connected, and climate resilient.”
NCT’s electric buses continue to support local ambitions to become a carbon-neutral region, while offering customers a modern, comfortable and sustainable way to travel.
Further details about the NCT Electric Bus project can be found at www.nctx.co.uk/electricbus
Posted on 14 May 2026
