Review
Through its collaboration with Yorkshire-based Pelican Engineering, YuTong has had a presence in the UK since 2014 and has emerged as a sizeable player in the UK bus and coach sector. Building on its success in that segment, the Chinese manufacturer is now launching its first truck in the UK. The TE7 is a fully-electric 7.5-tonner.
While Chinese manufacturers have made major in-roads in the passenger car, LCV and bus sectors, the HGV segment is the final frontier. As a Chinese OEM, there’s no surprises that YuTong will only be offering the TE7 with an electric powertrain, which is capable of producing up to 268hp and 470Nm.
Although designed from the ground-up as an electric truck, YuTong has opted to build the TE7 on a dated looking ladder-frame chassis, which is available in two wheelbases; 3,360m and 3,850m and correlating body lengths of 4,245mm and 5,245mm.
All models currently are rated at 7.5t GVW and the two battery options (100kWh or 132kWh) are supplied by renowned heavy-duty battery manufacturer CATL. Despite using lower density LFPs, weight-saving elsewhere around the vehicle has resulted in an impressively low kerbweight of between 2,970kg and 3,290kg with the larger battery weighing in at around 90kg more.
Pelican has a long-standing relationship with Wakefield-based Micra Truck Bodies to offer a number of conversions, including box body, refrigerated body, tipper and dropside.
Like most Asian-derived trucks of this class, the cab is noticeably narrower than its European counterparts and lacks the sophistication and quality feel. Despite the aged feel, the TE7 is fitted with an array of modern features like a 10-inch touchscreen display, standard USB and USB-C charging, air conditioning with rapid defrost, heated mirrors and an electronic parking brake.
The seats are also lacking in comfort but there is good all-round visibility from the driver’s seat. Moving off, the TE7 is light and nimble with the quick acceleration and a tight turning circle making it easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces.
Even at the higher speeds, the powerful 200kW electric motor continues to deliver a spritely performance in ‘power’ mode (the highest of three drive modes) although the road noise starts to build noticeably over 40mph. The front and rear leaf spring suspension configuration also generated a lot of ‘bounce’, although our test vehicle was unladen.
In terms of range, the two LFP batteries (100kWh or 132kWh) offer ranges of up to 140 or 180 miles on the WLTP combined cycle and charge in as little as 35 minutes (20-80%) thanks to the 120kW charging speeds.
Unsurprisingly, pricing is another area where the YuTong impresses. Starting at £66,000 (short wheelbase 100kWh model), the TE7 is very competitively priced and is backed by three-year, 150,000km warranty, extending to eight years or 400,000km for the battery.
YuTong has entered the UK truck game with a strong hand. While the TE7 may fall short in terms of comfort and refinement, it’s a very capable product with a great payload, powerful motor and an impressive range.
