It might look like a well-worn path of Chinese-made buses entering the Australian market, but this is different – the biggest of them all is heading down under
By David Goeldner | August 4, 2011
Just when it looked like the Chinese bus rush had settled, China’s biggest bus manufacturer – Yutong – is about to enter the Australian market.
Yutong Buses dwarf other Chinese bus makers by a considerable margin, building 41,169 units in 2010, exporting to 80 countries.
The centre of Yutong’s Australian distribution will be based at Peninsula Motor Group’s Bankstown dealership in Sydney.
Peninsula Motor Group Managing Director Dilip Kumar, a noted rugby fanatic and former Australian Rugby Union Chairman, plans to start importing Yutong buses into Australia by the end of the year.
“We are pleased to be the representative in Australia and New Zealand of the world’s largest bus manufacturer, Yutong Buses,” Kumar says.
“In China, Yutong produces more buses each year than all the other bus manufacturers combined,” he says.
Kumar says safety is at the heart of the Yutong operation.
“All buses meet the very strict Australian Design Rules (ADR),” he says.
“Every model that is produced for our market has been extensively crash-tested in actual circumstances, not just through computer simulation.”
So far, three models have been selected from Yutong’s vast range, each with Aussie-themed names, which include the 28-seat ‘Blue Tongue’, the 40-seat ‘Goanna’ and the 52-seat ‘Brumby’.
Kumar says dealers are currently being selected to distribute the three models, with plans to supply Yutong buses in each Australian state.
A spokesperson for Kumar says the first wave of Yutong buses should reach Australia by the end of the year.
Through Kumar’s sporting connections, several Rugby clubs have already expressed interest in buying Yutong buses through Peninsula Motors.
To meet an anticipated demand for Yutong buses, Kumar has lodged plans with the local Bankstown Council to build a state-of-the-art service and parts centre at his 2.8 hectare site on Edgar Street near Milperra Road.
Kumar is also understood to be considering showcasing Yutong at the Australian Bus + Coach Show at Rosehill in October.
Peninsula Motors launched an Australian-based Yutong website this week promoting the arrival of the Chinese giant and its three Australian models.
For more go to www.peninsulayutong.com.au/buses/