Yutong D7E
Go anywhere with up to 28 passengers. Our most loved mid-sized bus is now electric.
Electric buses that pay their own way
Prove lower lifetime cost and improve passenger experience with a free, supported on-route trial. It just makes dollars and sense.
What's included in the trial
Bus supplied
Take any of our buses out on your routes, totally free.
Always-on support
Our team is here to help before, during, and after your trial
Training and infrastructure
We walk your team through the bus and provide charging equipment
Our zero emissions range
Global quality meets local expertise. Yutong is the largest bus manufacturer globally, with over 190,000 zero-emissions buses on roads around the world. Our team brings decades of local bus and coach industry experience to the picture, here to support you throughout your journey.
Yutong C12E
Go further, carry more. The C12E seats up to 57 in business class comfort - electrified.
Yutong E7S
Running a community transport or shuttle service? The E7S is designed for you, fully DDA compliant.
More than the bus - a complete partnership
Dollar Value
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Lower lifetime operating cost than equivalent diesel.
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Transparent TCO modelling shows your cost-parity timeline.
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Assumptions reflect how you actually run your routes and fleet.
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For most operators, parity is typically reached in under five years.
Service Partnership
- Local team guides you through planning, trial and rollout.
- We coordinate servicing around your schedule and support your drivers.
- Charging, infrastructure and workshop advice included.
- Ongoing data and check-ins to ensure you get the best from your bus.
Our bus. Your Route. Totally Free
Our bus
Your route
Totally free
Adding a zero-emission bus to your operation shouldn't be a leap of faith. Our no-strings pilot program makes sure of this. Take any of our buses on your routes for free, for up to two weeks. There's no catch.
We handle setup, charging guidance and driver handover, then give you a telemetry report showing real costs on your route. You also get a like-for-like lifetime cost comparison with a new diesel.
Trial zero-emissions in your operation
There's sure, and then there's sure. Putting a zero-emissions bus to work in your operation with a no-cost trial period means you see for yourself how it fits into your operation. We're there to support you along the way, and provide analysis afterwards, to enable you to build a business case and make a decision with confidence.
Scope & Plan
Tell us about your operation and your fleet. We'll put together our recommendation of the most suitable zero-emissions bus to trial based on your routes, duty cycles, and must-haves.
Strategy & Handover
We walk you through the vehicle to ensure your team gets the most out of it during the trial period, and help define a cost-effective charging strategy based on your needs.
Your trial
Over to you! Your team takes the bus out on your routes, while our telematics system records all the data. This is your chance to see how an electric bus works in your operation day-to-day.
Review & analysis
You’ll receive a detailed telematics report and a dedicated session to review charging, driving patterns, energy use, and practical steps for integrating a zero-emission bus into your fleet.
Trial zero-emissions in your operation
There's sure, and then there's sure. Putting a zero-emissions bus to work in your operation with a no-cost trial period means you see for yourself how it fits into your operation. We're there to support you along the way, and provide analysis afterwards, to enable you to build a business case and make a decision with confidence.
Step 1. Scope & plan
Tell us about your operation and your fleet. We'll put together our recommendation of the most suitable zero-emissions bus to trial based on your routes, duty cycles, and must-haves.
Step 2. Strategy & handover
We walk you through the vehicle to ensure your team gets the most out of it during the trial period, and help define a cost-effective charging strategy based on your needs.
Step 3. Your trial
Over to you! Your team takes the bus out on your routes, while our telematics system records all the data. This is your chance to see how an electric bus works in your operation day-to-day.
Step 4. Review & analysis
We'll provide a comprehensive telematics report of your time with the vehicle, and book time with you to review and analyse this together. This session will go over charging, driving, energy consumption, and our recommendations about how to best implement a zero-emission bus in your operation.
Step 5. Implementation
If you and your team feel that a zero-emission bus from VDI is right move, we're here to help you implement. We'll plan servicing around your schedule, get you set up with charging infrastructure, and our dedicated support team is by your side to ensure your success with your new bus.
Electric in the real world
Tropic Wings' electrified bus fleet delivers cost savings and passenger comfort
Improving passenger experience and reducing operating costs in far north Queensland with a range of Yutong electric buses.
13
Electric buses in service
76,193
kg of CO2 saved every year
62%
Cost saving on energy vs diesel
Read more
Tropic Wings are Cairns' largest tour and charter operator, providing charter services in the Cairns and surrounding areas for over 30 years.
With a focus on sustainability, Tropic Wings partnered with VDI to replace their diesel fleet with Yutong electric buses in 2019, further committing to an additional 12 buses in 2023.
The Tropic Wings fleet includes Yutong C12E's and D7E's, each seeing extensive daily use around Cairns, up the range to Kuranda, and along the coast to various tourist destinations. The reduction in operating costs, owing to the electric drivetrain, has resulted in consequential cost savings for the business.
Tropic Wings prides itself on passenger experience, and drivers and passengers alike have remarked on the smoothness and comfort of these electric buses.
Skyrail introduces state-of-the-art electric coach
Buoyed by savings on fuel costs and significant reductions in carbon emissions, Skyrail added a Yutong C12E to their fleet in 2025
51,000
KMs travelled every year
50,830
kg of CO2 saved every year
279
equivalent trees planted every year
Read more
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway general manager Richard Berman-Hardman said with larger seating capacity and streamlined pick up locations from Cairns city, there were several benefits to the switch underpinned by a significant reduction in carbon emissions annually.
“Travelling approximately 140km per day, by replacing a traditional diesel-powered vehicle with a state-of-the-art Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), it will save around 142kg of CO2 emissions daily, which is equivalent to 6.5 trees.
“Beyond the environmental benefits, the electric bus promises to enrich the guest experience. Passengers will enjoy a quieter, smoother ride, free from the noise and vibrations of conventional engines and will arrive knowing they are travelling responsibly.
“We’re excited to offer our guests a truly sustainable rainforest experience.
“By adding an electric bus to our expanding EV fleet, we’re not just reducing our environmental impact, we’re raising the standard for responsible tourism in the Wet Tropics World Heritage area and Tropical North Queensland region – the ecotourism capital of Australia.”
Tropic Wings general manager Colin Anderson said he believed The CaPTA Group was leading the way in using electric coaches.
“It is partnerships like this, between two of Cairns’ biggest ecotourism operators, that make this region so special,” he said.
“Together, we’re proving that sustainability and exceptional guest experiences go hand in hand.”
Member for Barron River Bree James said the LNP Queensland government was committed to ensuring “our state remains a leader in ecotourism, hence we combined the tourism and environment portfolios under one ministry”.
“As a Cairns local, I am incredibly honoured to present Skyrail Rainforest Cableway’s new electric bus, delivered by their logistics partner Tropic Wings,” she said.
“It shows what can be done when big players in the tourism sector work together and our government is keen to highlight these sorts of initiatives.”
SOURCE: Cairns Local News
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