Mr. Kent Chang
VP of the Asia-Pacific Executive Committee (APC), Yutong.
Background
Mr. Chang is responsible for the market development planning and sales management of the company’s overseas Asia Pacific market. He has been involved in the related public transport industry over ten countries and regions such as Singapore, Hong Kong China, Taiwan China, Philippines and France for more than ten years, and has a deep understanding and study on the market characteristics and customer needs of the public transport industry. He has participated in a series of environmental activities such as Yutong’s COP26 campaign.
Brisbane City Hall
More than 150 guests from various countries and regions, including Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand, attended the Yutong Brand Night to explore sustainable transportation solutions in the Asia-Pacific region. Guests expressed great interest and recognition of Yutong’s latest YEA technology and new products such as the E7S.
To provide insights into electric buses, Tim Langdon, publisher of Eco Voice, had the pleasure of facilitating a Q & A with Kent Chang, VP of the Asia-Pacific Executive Committee (APC), Yutong.
Q1 . What is Yutong focused on in terms of innovation with regards to electric buses?
Yutong is committed to giving our customers the best new energy products that are not only green and smart but also super reliable and durable. We’re always pushing the boundaries with our tech innovations, especially when it comes to new energy buses.
– Yutong buses come with high-safety, long-lasting batteries and have created the best protection technology in the industry. They also feature a unique waterproof system to prevent leaking even after being submerged for 72 hours at a depth of 2 meters. Plus, they use a special sandwich fireproof insulation design and an innovative nitrogen protection system to keep oxygen out, which helps prevent internal fires. This setup ensures double protection against fire both inside and outside the battery pack, even at temperatures of 1300°C for up to 2 hours.
The latest generation of high specific energy cells are adopted. Through highly integrated structure design, the energy density of the battery pack is increased by 38%, and the battery life reaches 15 years and 1.5 million km with a super-long warranty period.
– Compared to the traditional central direct-drive system, Yutong's new generation of lightweight integrated electric drive axle cuts the system weight by over 49%, saves more than 30% in chassis layout space, and lowers the overall energy consumption of the vehicle by more than 15%.
– The multi-source ultra-low temperature heat pump allows for integrated and collaborative heat distribution in the vehicle. It smartly adapts to different working modes based on the system’s
temperature control needs, helping save over 30% in heating energy.
– Yutong intelligent cockpit offers functions like smart voice control, vehicle-cloud interaction, online services, and scenario-based services, giving you an experience similar to that of a passenger vehicle.
– Yutong Intelligent Connected Fleet Management System Vehicle+ITS enables smart management throughout the entire life cycle of vehicles. Focusing on three key scenarios—departure, driving, and recovery—it makes fleet management safer, smarter, and more energy-efficient with features like intelligent patrol inspections, remote A/C reservations, predictive maintenance, peak/valley charging, and smart maintenance.
Q2. What battery technology is Yutong using in its electric buses?
We have developed the industry’s strongest protection technology, which is the only water-proof technology capable of withstanding immersion in 2 meters of water for 72 hours without damage. Additionally, we have introduced a sandwich fireproof and thermal insulation structure, along with the industry’s first nitrogen protection system that isolates oxygen, completely preventing the possibility of internal combustion. The battery achieves dual isolation from fire, both internally and externally, at temperatures up to 1300 °C for 2 hours. The battery utilizes the latest generation of high-specific energy cells. Through a highly integrated structural design, the battery pack achieves a 38% increase in volume energy density, resulting in an over 40% improvement in vehicle space utilization. The energy density of the battery system reaches the highest level in the industry. The battery pack and module feature a reinforced multi-structure design, ensuring resistance to various harsh road conditions without being affected by vibrations. The high-precision battery management system (BMS) accurately estimates the state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and state of power (SOP). This enables effective management of the battery’s health throughout its lifecycle, mitigating degradation and extending battery life. Depending on the usage requirements in different scenarios, the battery can meet the lifespan demand ranging from 0.3 million kilometers to a maximum of 1.5 million kilometers for different
vehicle models.
Q3. Can you explain why YEA (YUTONG Electric Architecture) is industry-leading new energy technology?
YEA is the first EV-specific platform integrating software and hardware in the commercial vehicle industry, which is born for new energy commercial vehicles, so to speak. Its essence is to put an end to the technical patchwork in the petro-to-electro era and truly establish a technology platform for the new era of hardware integration and software OTA upgrading.
It can provide three major values:
– More economical: efficient operation, longer range, with driving range up by more than 10% and operating cost down by 20%
– More durable: stable operation, safer and more reliable with attendance rate up to 99% and stable running for as long as 1.5 million kilometers
– More convenient: intelligent operation to bring 24/7 worry-free and reassuring experience.
Q4. Why is the transition to electric buses important in Australia and, more broadly, Asia / Pacific?
– Electric buses cut down on carbon emissions, which helps improve air quality and tackle climate change.
– Promoting electric buses helps countries meet their sustainability goals. For example, APEC’s Green Growth Initiative aims to drive energy changes, cut carbon emissions, and boost sustainable transport solutions across the region. Australia, for instance, has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, focusing on reducing greenhouse gases, increasing renewable energy use, and promoting electric vehicles, including buses.
– Using electric buses reduces the energy used in transportation and makes it more efficient.
– It also drives tech innovation and economic transformation.
Q5. What are some initiatives governments can implement, or expand on, to support a faster uptake of electric buses?
– Provide financial support like subsidies and tax breaks.
– Expand Charging Infrastructure.
– Requiring a certain percentage of public transportation fleets to be electric by a certain date.
– Fund research into advanced battery technologies.
– Environmental Awareness Campaigns
Q6. How can publications, such as Eco Voice, play their part in promoting sustainability in your business sector?
– Raising Awareness: Media can educate the public and key stakeholders about the environmental and economic benefits of green technologies.
– Showcasing Success Stories: Publishing case studies of companies successfully implementing – -sustainable practices can inspire others in the industry to follow suit.
– Fostering Collaboration: Media can encourage partnerships between businesses, government agencies, and research institutions. Overall, publications like Eco Voice, which focus on environmental and energy issues, can shape public perception, drive industry-wide change, and speed up the adoption of sustainable practices in our sector.
ABOUT ECO VOICE
First published in 2003, Eco Voice is your go-to publication for sustainability news in Australia. Eco Voice prides itself as an independent news platform with a clear focus on sustainability, with articles coming from a diverse range of contributors – all levels of government, corporations, not-for-profits, community groups, small to medium sized businesses, universities, research organisations, together with input from international sources. Eco Voice values community, conservation and commerce. Eco Voice is a media partner of the prestigious Australian Banksia Sustainability Awards – The Peak Sustainability Awards.
About Yutong Australia
Founded in 2012, Yutong Australia has operated more than 1,600 buses for 12 years and provided high-quality and reliable green solutions to over 300 customers. Starting with importing complete vehicles, Yutong Australia has now partnered with VDI for local strategic cooperation, bringing in more locally sourced spare parts for vehicle assembly. The first E12 chassis prototype has rolled off the production line, and the complete vehicle co-manufactured with a renowned Australian vehicle body factory has been showcased at the National Bus & Coach Show. For more information, please visit yutong.com.au.
About Yutong Asia-Pacific
Yutong has achieved sales in 18 countries and regions in Asia, exporting more than 18,000 vehicles. Yutong has established a comprehensive presence in the Asia-Pacific region, covering traditional diesel, hybrid, electric vehicles (EV), and future hydrogen fuel (diesel/hybrid/ev/hydrogen) products. These offerings cater to a variety of market segments, including public transportation, highways, school buses, tourism, passenger transport, intercity vehicles, and airport special-purpose vehicles. Specifically, the public transportation market features product series ranging from 6 to 15 meters, while the highway market includes series ranging from 7 to 13 meters. This extensive product lineup is designed to provide “tailored” transportation solutions for the Asia-Pacific region.
About Yutong
Yutong is a large commercial vehicle group mainly engaged in bus and truck production, with its product lineup covering buses, trucks, construction machinery, special vehicles and sanitation equipment. It boasts 1 engineering technology research center, 2 listed companies (Yutong Bus, SH.600066; Yutong Heavy Industries, SH.600817), 4 complete vehicle plants and 5 parts bases. In 2023, it sold 45,378 units of new energy commercial vehicles, sustaining its leading position in the NEV industry. After 30 years of development, more than 190,000 new energy commercial vehicles have been sold, making it the world’s largest bus enterprise and new energy commercial vehicle enterprise.
About Yutong Bus
Yutong Bus, as the flagship division of Yutong Group, is a globally renowned leader in the bus industry. Its product range caters to diverse market segments, including long distance coaches, tourism coaches, buses, commuters, school buses, sightseeing vehicles, apron buses, autonomous driving micro-circulation buses and special vehicles. In 2023, the cumulative sales volume of large and medium-sized buses was 36,518 units, with an overall market share of 36.13%, leading the industry for 21 consecutive years. It has exported nearly 100,000 units in total, selling in batches to more than 40 countries and regions around the world, and covering the America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, etc., with a global market share of more than 10%. Thanks to its consistent high-quality and steady development, it has become one of the major bus suppliers worldwide.
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