Draft:Yutong U11DD

The Yutong U11DD is a battery electric double-decker bus manufactured by Yutong in Zhengzhou since 2023, launched initially for the United Kingdom bus market in right-hand drive configuration.

Design
Announced in September 2022, the Yutong U11DD was developed extensively at Yutong's Zhengzhou manufacturing plant before the first demonstrators were shipped to the United Kingdom in June 2023. Externally, the U11DD shares design similarities with the tri-axle Yutong E12DD double-decker buses produced for Singapore's Land Transport Authority bus services in 2020, and seats a maximum of 70 passengers, with 43 seats in the upper deck and 27 seats in the lower deck. Wheelchair and buggy spaces, as well as air conditioning, are provided as standard.

The Yutong E11DD is powered by a 220 kW permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, and can be optioned with lithium iron phosphate batteries with a maximum charging capacity of either 385 or 442kWh. The bus shares electric driveline technology used in Yutong's other electric buses, such as the UK market's Yutong E10 and E9, allowing for a projected maximum range of up to 386 km on a single charge.

Operators
Two demonstrators were first shipped to the United Kingdom for evaluation by bus operators in late 2023. The first operator to take delivery of U11DDs was Welsh municipal Newport Bus, a popular operator of electric Yutongs, who took delivery of two U11DDs in April 2024.

The first major order of U11DDs was placed by the FirstGroup in July 2024, with 127 set to be delivered during 2025 with funding from the central government Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) scheme to First Essex, First West of England and The Buses of Somerset for service in Basildon, Bristol, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare respectively.