Over the past decade, the Yutong D7 (originally introduced under a different badge) has become a popular member of Australia’s bus and coach market.
In the past year, the emerging success of the D7 has included a new element. VDI has introduced an electric version of the much-loved model to the local market. On a pleasant Sydney day last month, ABC’s resident bus reviewer Paul Aldridge got to hop behind the wheel of the D7E and put it to the test.
In 2022 he was driving the D7 – while it may not be that long ago, plenty has changed since Paul last got his hands on Yutong’s smallest bus model in Australia. All of these updates are reflected in the D7E, which mirrors its diesel older sibling but is creating its own path forward with a range of nifty improvements that only a zero-emissions driveline can offer.
Being able to introduce an electric counterpart to the D7 has been a source of great pride for the VDI Australia team. The seven-metre-long Yutong bus now comes with the latest electric and overall safety features to make the D7E Yutong’s safest and most secure model to date in Australia.
“We’re proud to have this fully electric model in Australia with an advanced driver assistance system and a raft of other leading safety packages,” VDI Australian national sales manager Sara Clark told ABC.
“It’s a fully integrated product that comes with Yutong’s electric architecture and YESS safety standards, creating five layers of protection for the entire bus and its systems. The overall build quality of the D7E is fantastic.”
In the years that have passed between VDI introducing the D7 and the D7E to the local industry, a lot has changed. However, Paul immediately noticed that safety still remains paramount for the local Yutong distributor.
“With the D7 diesel variant, a big selling point of this bus was safety, safety, safety,” he says.
“The D7E is no slouch in this area, featuring cameras all around the bus to provide a 360-degree visual for drivers to see pedestrians and other vehicles.
“I’m very impressed – the D7E lacks nothing when it comes to safety, even including automatic sounds for when it travels under 20km/h to alert vulnerable passengers.”
Alongside these updates is a refreshed dashboard that better displays the driver warning system and the mobile eye camera technology. Outside of this, expect the D7E to be as similar to its diesel variant as it can be, with the usual increased electric safety features onboard ensuring the electric battery is kept safe and protected.
“This includes 24/7 battery monitoring, nitrogen injections into battery packs, crash barriers, pack protection, fire blankets and base cell level cell monitoring of temperatures and voltages,” VDI Australia national service and technical manager Luke Edwards told ABC.
“With disc brakes as standard, the regenerative braking on the D7E allows the bus to not use the brake pads while creating its own power.
“We’ve also added a hill start assist to ensure the electric bus doesn’t roll back on a hill when you’re going to take off.
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news and classifieds from Australasia’s bus and coach industry
- Don’t miss a second and subscribe to our monthly ABC magazine
“We kept development on track with the previous D7 when building this – it’s literally an electric version of the diesel bus.”
One key tweak Paul notices as he goes to hop into the D7E is the remote control door opener, labelling it “fantastic”. Upon climbing the two steps into the bus and then towards the driver’s area, the lack of an engine cover creates more space.
“It’s nice and accessible to drop into this area, and the visibility as a driver is fantastic,” he says.
“The driver compartment area is more spacious. With a screen, A/C controls and buttons for doors and steering wheels, it makes life easy.”
While the D7E may run on completely different power technology when compared to its diesel older brother, the VDI team says the drive and feel of the bus closely mirrors the D7. Instead, it’s just a quieter and smoother ride for passengers without the noise of the diesel engine.
The noise is so quiet on the D7E that VDI has had to install a pedestrian warning system so that pedestrians can hear the bus coming when it travels under 20km/h. Over that speed the D7E meets the 50db of noise cut-off, mainly due to the sound of the tyres.
“Realistically, people wouldn’t know that it was electric until you point it out to them. It’s a really different experience, for the better,” Clark says.
When Paul begins driving, he agrees – if he didn’t know it was electric prior to taking it off, he thought it could be a diesel bus that is very well insulated.
“It drives very well and is so easy to manoeuvre – it’s very car-like,” he says.
“I can negotiate it through any tight space with confidence, and the 360-degree camera means it’s very difficult to hit anything unintentionally.”
Under the bus, five batteries form a 175kW system for the D7E model, with a cooling operating system attached to keep the batteries at the optimum temperature. With intrusion bars made of heavy steel placed in front of the batteries, the Yutong model ensures the technology is extremely well protected.
As an electric model, it is one tonne heavier than the D7, sitting at 9.3t GVM, but the power of the bus quickly makes up for any weight changes.
Clark says the D7E is perfect for smaller work around Australia such as shuttle buses, airports, community transport and school runs, providing a cost efficient, eco-friendly and passenger friendly alternative.
While taking the bus for a spin around greater Sydney, Paul stopped at the NRMA fast charging point in Prestons to see how the 180kW charger can boost the battery.
“Half a charge takes 30 minutes or so, and you can do mobile charging through an app on your phone so you can monitor the charge rate,” he says.
“This small bus is perfect for user-friendly charging facilities, with a full range of around 250km on a full battery.”
Through an app, VDI and Yutong now allow drivers and operators to monitor the state of charge and battery consumption at all times. When it’s out on the road, the app also monitors driving behaviours and speed to ensure all drivers are safe.
“Our telematics program is perfect for both diesel and electric – with the D7E sitting as the best electric vehicle by its size in the market,” Clark says.
The final word goes to Paul, who found the overall experience of driving the D7E and then charging it to be “very pleasurable”.
“It’s time for change, and this is the model for it,” he says.
“Maintenance will be very minimal. It’s a very nice and tight package that is well put together, just like the original D7, but even better.”
Read more:
- Victorian driver strikes: One operator reaches agreement while one prepares for more strikes after unsuccessful negotiations
- Western suburbs in Melbourne score major transport boost
- Victorian veteran to exit bus industry following storied career
- WA government slashes bus fares with $152 million investment
- Major bus reforms coming for the NT
