Yutong TE7
VFW drives another Chinese arrival from Yutong. John Kendall has all the details
Yutong TE7
VFW drives another Chinese arrival from Yutong. John Kendall has all the details
Operators looking for a compact, all-electric chassis, which can haul over 4.0 tonnes of body and load, have a new option, with the UK launch of the Yutong TE7. Chinese manufacturer Yutong is better known for its buses and coaches, powered by both diesel engines and electric drivetrains, but it also produces a range of light to heavy electric trucks.
This is the firm’s first venture into the UK commercial market.
Distributed through Leeds-based Pelican Engineering, a fourth-generation truck dealer that has also become known as the UK source of Yutong buses and coaches, the TE7 is offered in three wheelbases and with two battery options. A 100kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery promises a driving range of up to 140 miles, while a 132kWh option offers up to 180 miles. A rear-mounted motor pushes out a healthy 272hp (200kW) of power and 470Nm of torque. Maximum rapid DC charging input is 120kW, which would allow a 20-80% top-up in around 35 minutes.
There are three driving modes: Eco offers 60% of the available power and torque, Standard raises that to 80% and the rather unfortunately named Sport mode delivers the full 100% output. Unladen, the truck is unsurprisingly rapid in all three driving modes and, unless operating in hilly terrain at maximum weight, some fleet managers might be tempted to restrict the availability of Sport.
Regenerative braking is activated by lifting off the throttle and during initial use of the foot brake. The TE7 uses disc brakes on the front axle, but the company has opted for drum brakes at the rear, claiming that they make it easier to control emissions such as brake dust.
Short and medium wheelbase models arrive in May, with the long wheelbase by the end of the year. All can be ordered with either battery. A mid-range medium wheelbase TE7 with the 100kWh battery has a body and load capacity of 4,430kg. That drops to 4,200kg if you opt for the larger battery. A 20kW ePTO is available with the 132kWh models, while the 100kWh trucks get a 40kW ePTO.
The well-appointed cab has seating for three and the single standard specification includes air conditioning, a 10-inch central infotainment screen, a DAB radio with Bluetooth, twin USB-A and USB-C charging points and an electric parking brake.
The entry-level short wheelbase 100kWh truck starts at £66,000, while a 132kWh version of the same chassis will set you back £71,000. That’s before the Plug-in Truck Grant comes into play. The trucks come with a three-year/150,000km warranty and an eight-year/400,000km battery warranty.
Pelican Engineering has 23 service engineers and 10 people dedicated to Yutong working across the UK. Customers will also be able to access nationwide support from Sapphire Vehicle Services, which has more than 100 engineers. The business currently has a Yutong bus and coach parts stockholding of around £6.5m and is adding truck lines to its parts centres to provide rapid backup.
Pelican Engineering will sell around 750-800 Yutong buses and coaches this year and there are already more than 1,000 electric buses operating in the UK. The company also has DAF and MAN dealerships in Yorkshire, having sold trucks for more than 100 years. The firm has fairly conservative plans for the TE7 over the coming months, as the market continues to develop.
“We anticipate that it will take time,” says managing director Richard Crump.
“The price and payload are close to diesel, so we are hoping to sell around 250 by the end of next year. But by the end of 2035 every vehicle in this sector will be cable-charged.”
Pelican says that around 3,000 7.5-tonne trucks were sold in the UK in 2023. It claims that the electric TE7 should prove ideal for return-to-base urban distribution, utility and local authority customers. Demonstration vehicles will be available in May and Pelican is already working with UK conversion specialists and bodybuilders such as Brit-Tipp.
