Yutong and VDI to assemble electric buses in Australia

China-based Yutong is partnering with Australia’s Vehicle Dealers International (VDI) to assemble Yutong’s electric buses in Queensland.

VDI has opened a state-of-the-art facility at Eagle Farm in Brisbane to assemble the buses, starting with the E12 series. Under the arrangement, driveable knockdown Yutong models will arrive in Brisbane from the Yutong factory in China. From there, VDI will perform the localised fit-out.

The VDI facility will also serve as a centre of excellence for technical training and engineering support for Yutong products.

The new facility is triple the size of VDI’s previous facility, enabling the company to meet rising local demand. This includes an order from Transport Canberra for 90 Yutong E12 electric buses. Yutong bus sales have increased by 60% over the past 5 years.

Yutong has had a presence in Australia since 2012. The company has delivered more than 1,500 buses to date. Yutong’s partnership with VDI stretches back to 2016, when Yutong appointed VDI the official distributor of Yutong spare parts. Today, VDI is the official distributor for Yutong buses, spare parts and services.

How Austrade helped

Austrade has been engaging with Yutong since 2018. Austrade has provided：

• briefings and insights on the market, forecasts, EV policies and strategies, and government incentives, to help build investment confidence
• introductions to stakeholders in state governments
• ROI/EOI and consultation opportunities to enable Yutong to contribute to the industry
• referrals to professional service providers to help Yutong develop investment proposals
• assistance with site visits. 

In 2021, during the pandemic, Austrade helped Yutong to apply for travel exemptions. The team came to Australia to ensure the smooth delivery of the EV bus fleet ordered by the NSW Government. This laid a solid foundation for the assembly facility.

Australia’s focus on green transport

Australia is aiming to reduce transport emissions by 43% by 2030. The country is seeking investment to help decarbonise its transport sector.

There are opportunities to invest in cleaner, greener transport systems, connected autonomous vehicles, and projects to reduce emissions from heavy vehicles. Incentives are available to support investors.