With its latest electric model launched at the Expo, Yutong Australia intends to keep growing in 2023.
Yutong Australia’s Expo stand was filled with the latest of what VDI, the Australian distributor of Chinese brand Yutong, has to offer. With the launch of a product occurring over the two-day event, it was a busy time of year for VDI Australia general manager Lou Riccardi and Yutong Australia.
“It’s a great time for Yutong Australia,” Riccardi told ABC. “It was a wonderful opportunity to have global members of Yutong in Australia to present the C12e bus and launch it in conjunction with VDI.”
The recently launched C12e electric model is yet to be sold, having only just arrived on Australian shores in time for the Expo.
He’s expecting people to want to trial the bus. The Yutong Australia general manager is hopeful the Expo will give him an avenue to sell units of Yutong’s latest Australian bus in 2023.
“We know Yutong is the largest bus manufacturer in the world,” Riccardi says. “Ranging from six metre buses up to 14 metre models, our Expo space showcases what we can do for the Australian industry.”
Riccardi says following its launch at the Expo, the C12e will begin demonstrations and road tests with Australian operators who show interest. The Yutong Australia general manager says plenty of mining companies are already excited to test the electric bus.
Riccardi was quick to point attendees towards Yutong’s D7 minibus. The smaller model was released six months ago. Riccardi saying it has been selling well so far.
With larger models surrounding the D7, Riccardi says Yutong is making a statement that it sells a massive range of buses for the Australian market. This includes larger 57-seat school bus/ mine come charter buses, which can also come in 53-seat configurations upon request.
Riccardi says these bigger buses pack plenty of space into them. He says the models have around six cubic metres of luggage space underneath. Considering the bus has batteries on either side, Riccardi says it’s a great advantage to have this space alongside the latest range of built-in safety features.
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Whether it be Mobileye or driver fatigue management technology, Riccardi says Yutong’s buses are fitted with a full catalogue of safety systems.
“The buses come fully luggage racked and have as many safety features that a customer could want,” Riccardi says. “We even include drop-down CCTV cameras and video footage for drivers and operators.”
Following the major events at the Expo, Riccardi says Yutong is intent on staying at the cutting edge of the Australian bus market. The next step for Yutong heading into 2023 is electrifying its D7 minibus model and bringing it to the market. Riccardi says the local industry can expect this to happen, alongside a wealth of other releases, within the next 12 months.
“We want people to know that Yutong is ahead of the game in Australia,” Riccardi says. “We aim to be one of the first OEMs to have our product range fully released in electric vehicle models.
“It’s great to be here at the Expo for the first one in New South Wales for a few years. It’s a wonderful time for Yutong and it’ll only get better.”