CommercialVehicle_nov.2009_issue by Next Gen Publishing Ltd.

Special Report

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Busworld Kortrijk 2009

M&M launches ‘Gio’ compact truck • VRL - on its own steam

At the heart of the indian trucks & bus industry Volume 4 Issue 2 • November 2009

Straightdrive It is an idea; we had been toying with for more than a while. And now, we are happy that its time has come. We are happy to announce that Apollo – CV Awards 2010, the first ever awards dedicated to the CV industry will take place in early 2010. Needless to say, we are delighted to partner with Apollo Tyres. What makes this event unique is that besides recognising CV and ancillary makers, we also intend to accord due credit to fleet operators. Operators may apply for the categories that they think appropriate. The applications will be vetted by our research partner, Metric Consultancy. Moving on, we bring you a lavish spread, from the Mecca of bus shows, Busworld Kortrijk 2009. The cool climes of Belgium only topped the heady experience of sampling some cutting-edge hybrid technology. With more than 28,000 visitors from over 100 countries, the show was an undeniable success. The unique takeaway from the event was the MoU inked by Busworld, Interads Exhibitons and the Indian Association of Bus Manufacturers. The objective is to make the Indian bus and coach world-class and take it to the world. There is an array of other important stories. M&M has sprung a neat surprise on all those of us, who expected the company to launch a 0.75 tonne payload mini-truck first up. What we now have is a category-creating 0.5 tonne payload ‘compact truck’ that is just as fuel-efficient as the Mahindra Alpha and only slightly more expensive. The Tatas and Piaggio are working on similar vehicles to be launched in a couple of months. Not to be missed out in this issue is the cover story on Volvo Construction Equipment’s soon to begin product launch spree. The roster of new or upgraded products includes, pipelayers, articulated haulers, wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators and soil compactors. They will come into India from across the globe – Sweden, China and South Korea. For all we know, other construction equipment makers too may have also have a new product or two to show during the upcoming Excon 2010 in Bangalore. Next, we talk about unassuming VRL Ltd. The Hubli-based fleet operator aspires to own 4,000 trucks by 2011. But it is not just the scale of the operations that is mind-boggling. Just as amazing is the fact that the company does almost everything in-house – from building truck bodies, to tyre retreading to even deBesides recognising CV signing its own telematics system. Chennai’s Schwing Stetter India has also been and ancillary makers, we doing things its own way. After launching trailer- also intend to accord due mounted concrete mixers, the company has gone credit to fleet operators on to launch the S36, a 36-metre truck mounted mixer. In the same part of the country is Janatics. With a 32-year old lineage, the company has in its kitty, virtually any product used in the industrial tooling or automotive world that has the word ‘pneumatic’ attached to it. Last but not the least is Hoshiarpur-based International Tractors Limited (ITL). Chairman LD Mittal’s enthusiasm is infectious, as he talks about his company’s contract manufacturing arrangements with Japanese and Italian companies. And, by the way, ITL is not averse to make 120 HP tractors under its own brand name either. Sridhar Chari s.chari@nextgenpublishing.net

Commercial Vehicle Magazine 401B, Gandhi Empire, 5th Floor, 2 Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411 040. India Tel +91-20-32930291 / 2 Fax +91-20-26830465 Email us at cv@nextgenpublishing.net Executive Editor Test Editor European Editor Staff Writers Group Art Director and Production-in-Charge Art Director Senior Designers Assistant Designer Photographer Production Executive Administrative Executive Publisher Associate Publisher

Sridhar Chari Aspi Bhathena Michael Smith Ahfaaz Khan, Ram Kumar Ramaswamy, Kiran Bajad, Bunny Punia, Adhish Alwani, Ajay Joyson Atul Bandekar Ramnath S Chodankar Praveen B Nambiar Ravi Parmar Varun Kulkarni Sawan Sekhar Hembram Dinesh Bhajnik Roshni Bulsara Khushroo Bhadha Marzban Jasoomani

Regional Marketing Manager (North & East) Ellora Dasgupta Regional Manager (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) A. Mageshwar Assistant Manager Advertising (Delhi) Chanchal Arora Area Advertising Managers Niladri S Majumdar (Mumbai), Pramod Udupa (Bangalore), Y. Lingeswaran (Chennai) Response Executive Minocher Parakh (Mumbai) Sr. Response Executive Sachi Kumar (Delhi) National Manager — Circulation & Subscription K Srikanth Assistant Circulation Managers Kapil Kaushik (Delhi) Sanjeev Roy (West) Subscription Supervisor Sachin Kelkar Tel +91 22 67525220 Fax +91 22 24448289 Regional marketing offices Next Gen Publishing Ltd. 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai – 400016, India Tel +91 22 43525252 Fax +91 22 24448289 24 & 30 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, Okhla, New Delhi - 110020, India Tel +91 11 42345678 Fax +91 11 42345679 #903, 9th Floor, ‘B’ wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bangalore -560001, India Tel +91 080 66110116 Unit No. 30, 3rd Floor, Modern Towers, No. 35/23 West Cott Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014, India Tel +91 44 39149889/90/91 Fax +91 11 39149892 Chandan House, 3rd Floor, Mithakhali Six Roads, Ahmedabad - 380006, India iews and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily V those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. Published by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Printed by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Copyright 2006 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Commercial Vehicle does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only. Executive Editor Sridhar Chari

November 2009 / Commercial Vehicle /

What’s inside Straight Drive

what’s inside

Sridhar Chari

Letters

CV News

International Tractors’ intl. agenda

Contract manufacturing arrangements are in the works with Italian and Japanese companies. But the company has plans to make some big tractors on its own too.

Mahindra creates compact truck segment What we have here is a 0.5-tonne 4-wheeler that is just as fuelefficient as a 0.5 tonne 3-wheeler but only a shade more expensive

Doors open for Janatics

The Coimbatore-based pneumatic solutions provider is sitting pretty on a slew of orders from bus makers.

Navistar’s hybrids reach milestone

The US company’s hybrids have blazed a trail that is a whopping 5 million miles long and still counting.

Allison shows off two new 6-speeds

The T375 and T375R will take on the challenges thrown by the onset of Euro V emissions compliance in Europe.

Cover Story

Volvo CE’s upcoming product launch spree With as many as five new product launches and upgrades lined up in the near future, the company is surely working those joysticks.

Scania R-Series delights

This time-tested range, now comes in a more suave and ergonomic avatar.

Siam data

80 82 32

Busworld Kortrijk lives up to billing The flagship show of the bus and coach industry did not disappoint in its 20th edition. We tell you, why it was important for India. Also, a lavish spread of show stoppers.

YOUR VOICE

We welcome suggestions, feedback, comments, bouquets and brickbats on how the magazine is shaping up and what you would like to see and read more about. Write in to: cvindia@nextgenpublishing.net / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

To Subscribe turn to page

VRL – on its own steam

Schwing Stetter launches S36 pump

Not content with owning India’s largest fleet of trucks, VRL wants to up the tally to 4,000 by 2011. But that is not the story. It is how VRL believes in doing most things by itself.

This 36-metre truck mounted pump addresses the issue of height as well as manoeuvrability. Schwing Stetter has a portfolio of 17-61 metre truck-mounted pumps.

61 november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle /

What’s inside Straight Drive

what’s inside

Sridhar Chari

Letters

CV News

International Tractors’ intl. agenda

Contract manufacturing arrangements are in the works with Italian and Japanese companies. But the company has plans to make some big tractors on its own too.

Mahindra creates compact truck segment What we have here is a 0.5-tonne 4-wheeler that is just as fuelefficient as a 0.5 tonne 3-wheeler but only a shade more expensive

Doors open for Janatics

The Coimbatore-based pneumatic solutions provider is sitting pretty on a slew of orders from bus makers.

Navistar’s hybrids reach milestone

The US company’s hybrids have blazed a trail that is a whopping 5 million miles long and still counting.

Allison shows off two new 6-speeds

The T375 and T375R will take on the challenges thrown by the onset of Euro V emissions compliance in Europe.

Cover Story

Volvo CE’s upcoming product launch spree With as many as five new product launches and upgrades lined up in the near future, the company is surely working those joysticks.

Scania R-Series delights

This time-tested range, now comes in a more suave and ergonomic avatar.

Siam data

80 82 32

YOUR VOICE

To Subscribe turn to page

VRL – on its own steam

Schwing Stetter launches S36 pump

Not content with owning India’s largest fleet of trucks, VRL wants to up the tally to 4,000 by 2011. But that is not the story. It is how VRL believes in doing most things by itself.

This 36-metre truck mounted pump addresses the issue of height as well as manoeuvrability. Schwing Stetter has a portfolio of 17-61 metre truck-mounted pumps.

61 november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle /

A range of school buses that is purpose-built for students and

travel conditions in India. Designed aesthetically, Window guardrails

School bus logo

Anti-skid flooring

A special driver's work area

it provides comfort, convenience and protection to the children travelling in it. Available in 16/20/24/32/36/40/52-seater variants,

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Ask for an exclusive test drive! Call +919223356147 right away.

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Tata Starbus Skool is the largest range of school buses in the country.

For more details, write to us at businfo@tatamotors.com

A range of school buses that is purpose-built for students and

travel conditions in India. Designed aesthetically, Window guardrails

School bus logo

Anti-skid flooring

A special driver's work area

it provides comfort, convenience and protection to the children travelling in it. Available in 16/20/24/32/36/40/52-seater variants,

Lowered step

Fluorescent exterior

Comfortable seats

Ask for an exclusive test drive! Call +919223356147 right away.

Special racks

Tata Starbus Skool is the largest range of school buses in the country.

For more details, write to us at businfo@tatamotors.com

Rs. 100

letters to cv

Talking Heads Mysore’s public transport revamp • Mahanagar Gas in expansion mode

of Dedicated lanes dispensable for BRTS r e t Let month First of all, congratulations for a spar- out a negative message among the

kling anniversary issue. The past CV anniversary issues always had something special for readers and this issue is no exception. Apart from the story on amphibious coaches, the other two stories that really caught my attention were those on Mysore’s public transport system and the Prasanna Group’s plunge into city bus operations. On one hand there is the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation introducing a mix of high and mid range buses to modernise the public transport system in Mysore. On the other, we see a private player getting into the act with a fleet of decent buses, coupled with passenger information system in Jalgaon. In both these scenarios, one does not find dedicated lanes and therefore both these projects fall short of being a conventional BRT system. But if we take various ground realities into consideration, I feel that this approach is better suited as compared to a conventional BRTS to improve the quality of public transport system in the country. There are a number of reasons for this. The first and foremost is the ease of implementation. Since one does not need to construct dedicated lanes, the entire project can be rolled out in a very short time. Take the Pune BRTS for example. Even after three years of launch, the local body has not completely succeeded in setting up proper infrastructure. Moreover its inability to do so has sent

At the heart of the indian trucks & bus industry Volume 4 Issue 1 • October 2009

citizens as regards the BRTS. The success of any public transport system depends on the confidence it enjoys among Amphibious marvel citizens. And, considering our s congested roads, citizens’ conLow-cost hydrogen Kotkar’s mobile cellular fidence is more likely to be for 3-wheelers transmission tower achieved by the no-dedicated lanes approach as compared to dedicated lanes. Secondly because of a lower cost of investment, more and more transport bodies can roll out such a project. In a conventional BRTS, the transport corporation spends a substantial amount in setting up the infrastructure. Then, depending upon its financial condition, the transport body either procures the buses itself or ropes in a private player. But not many transport corporations across the country are healthy enough to incur even the cost of construction of infrastructure. Even those corporations who can invest on setting up the infrastructure might use the same amount of money to procure extra buses. After all, one needs buses before dedicated lanes to carry passengers. ■ Saleem Sheikh, Pune

Innovation is the name of the game Kudos to you and your team for bringing out a great anniversary issue. Innovation is the buzzword these days and this is pretty evident from a couple of your stories. Introduction of coaches that can run both on land as well as water is an excellent example of innovation. Apart from catering to tourists, the possibility of using these vehicles to evacuate people during floods is really heartening. At the moment, helicopters are used to reach out to people stuck in inundated areas. But, in instances where the helicopter is not available, it takes time to reach out to people. In places which are prone to experience floods every year, I think deploying a couple of amphibious coaches will help to send the necessary help with the least possible delay. The other example of an innovative product is the cell on wheels manufactured by Kotkar Energy Dynamics Private Limited. Mobile telephony is booming in India and with all the service providers jostling to tap as much of the rural market as pos-

sible, I won’t be surprised if we find a number of such mobile telecommunication towers during our visit to countryside. The only problem that might prevent their growth is the limitation with respect to height. If Kotkar energy dynamics can devise certain measures to knock this constraint off, there would be nothing stopping these mobile towers. Continuing with the theme of innovation, the RVCE’s students’ efforts to use hydrogen to partly power petrol three-wheelers is also commendable. If they manage to extend this technology on a wider scale, then we could be looking at a shift in the three-wheeler market. Currently, the reason for the higher demand of diesel three-wheelers is because of the lower retail price of diesel vis-à-vis petrol. Now, if a petrol three-wheeler can give 20 percent more mileage, then the fuel-economy disadvantage relative to diesel will be done away with. ■ Jaideep Ghosh, Kolkata

Pen down your views and queries to Commercial Vehicle, NextGen Automotive, 401 B Gandhi Empire, 5th Floor, 2 Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411040, INDIA. or Fax +91 20 26830465 or Email cv@nextgenpublishing.net

/ Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Rs. 100

letters to cv

Talking Heads Mysore’s public transport revamp • Mahanagar Gas in expansion mode

of Dedicated lanes dispensable for BRTS r e t Let month First of all, congratulations for a spar- out a negative message among the

At the heart of the indian trucks & bus industry Volume 4 Issue 1 • October 2009

/ Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

CV Monitor

news

news / cv monitor

ALL - Nissan LCV JV may yet morph

CV prices set to rise by 1-3 percent

t is reported that LCVs made by the Ashok Leyland-Nissan JV would be sold under distinct brand names. Also, importantly, both companies are expected to sell the 1.5 to 6 tonners through their respective dealership channels. While Ashok Leyland has its own dealership network, Nissan may need to invest in creating one. This seems like a move counter to the 2007 JV agreement that entailed a synergy in distribution – Nissan riding on Ashok

eset by rising input costs and buoyed by rising sales, CV makers expect to raise prices soon. The quantum of price increase is expected to be 1 to 3 percent. This translates

Leyland’s network in India and vice-versa in the global market. The JV signed in 2007, planning an invest Rs 2,300 crore in LCV manufacturing, powertrains and technology development in India As yet, it is not clear whether these brands would directly compete with one another. But the current distribution arrangement would mean that the JV is mainly about ‘manufacturing capacity sharing’. Ashok Leyland and Nissan have signed a MoU

with the Tamil Nadu government for allotment of land at Pillaipakkam, near Chennai on a 380-acre plot. But since that land has not yet been allotted, the JV will use Ashok Leyland’s Ennore facilities as a stop gap measure. This plant which currently only makes medium and heavy trucks now needs to be tooled for LCV production. The output is likely to be to the tune of 70,000 units, starting from 2011. Though in a recent interview with this magazine Ashok Leyland MD, R. Seshasayee confirmed that the project is on track, certain section of the industry still speculates. Last month, Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn indicated that his company(ies) were reviewing their India strategy. Currently, Renault has an arrangement with M&M to sell the Logan, while there is stagnated discussion with Bajaj on building a low cost car and LCVs in partnership with Bajaj Auto. And, even as Nissan entered into an LCV manufacturing and distribution arrangement with Ashok Leyland, it has also commenced independent passenger car operations. Then there is the whole aspect of a passenger car manufacturing facility being set up Renault-Nissan in Tamil Nadu. Therefore it is speculated that in these trying times Renault-Nissan, will rationalise on the number of partners or at least review some of its earlier plans/ arrangements. ■

Kobelco to make excavators in Chennai

obelco Construction Machinery will be setting up a hydraulic excavator factory near Chennai at an investment of Rs 46 crore. To begin with, 20 tonne excavators will be manufactured in the plant with a capacity of 1,200 units per annum. The reason is that, these machines account for nearly 50 percent of the 8,000 unit per annum market in India. The 15, 21 and 35 tonne excavators will continue to be imported. Kobelco India, the Indian subsidiary is targeting a turnover of Rs 200 crore this year. The Japanese earthmoving equipment manufacturer currently has 40 dealers across India. Kobelco is bullish about the Indian excavator market bouncing back considering that the segment grew 36 percent before the economic downturn. ■ 10 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

into an increase of anywhere from 3,000 to 90,000 depending upon the size and specification of trucks. The government had reduced excise duties on CVs from 16 to 8 percent, thereby providing some relief to OEMs during the finance crisis. There was also the benefit in the form of extended depreciation benefits until September 30, as also JN-

NURM funding for bus purchases. And indeed, a slew of discounts, incentives and reduced interest rates were offered by CV makers to push up volumes during these trying times. But, the party had to end in July this year, when at the first signs of revival, CV prices were increased by 2-2.5 percent. And now, further increments may now be needed especially as input costs such as those of steel have climbed 12 percent over the last 34 months. A tyre price increase is also imminent. The added trigger for the CV price hike may be the fact that the CV industry has been showing imminent signs of revival. Some reports indicate that companies can expect an 8 to 10 percent growth in the next 2 months. Therefore, CV makers are less wary of upsetting the applecart.

covered, with volumes growing by 4 percent to 17,345 units. This is in contrast to the overall 23 percent decline in sales between the April-August period. Meanwhile, sales of light commercial vehicles went up 32 percent to 23,279 units led by the popular Tata Ace and Winger models in the same month. CV makers are utilising this prospect of price hikes to push inventory with dealers. Customers may also buy more in advance of rising prices and also an expected increase in interest rates. It may be noted that 90 percent of trucks are bought through finance. ■

Promising signs In August, sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) re-

Tata Motors targets at least 10 percent growth in CV sales

ata Motors expect its CV sales to grow by at least 10 percent during this fiscal. Besides improving market trends and the 5,000 bus orders bagged under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the country’s largest auto maker has a series of launches up its sleeve. A ‘Super Ace’ truck will be launched in December, followed by the ACE EX with start-stop engine, to be launched nationwide in the coming months. After months of slowdown, light and medium CV sales have bounced back. Even heavy commercial vehicle sales are on an upswing. Tata has registered a total sales of 2,65,012 units of CV sales during FY 2008-09. The cumulative sales figures for the first half of the current fiscal jumped by 11 percent over the previous year, to stand at 1,61,700 units. It is expected that the second half will be even better, when traditionally 60 percent of sales happen. ■ november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 11

CV Monitor

news

news / cv monitor

ALL - Nissan LCV JV may yet morph

CV prices set to rise by 1-3 percent

eset by rising input costs and buoyed by rising sales, CV makers expect to raise prices soon. The quantum of price increase is expected to be 1 to 3 percent. This translates

Kobelco to make excavators in Chennai

Promising signs In August, sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) re-

Tata Motors targets at least 10 percent growth in CV sales

CV monitor / news

CV Tyre prices to go up by 2-4 percent

yre makers say that CV tyre prices are expected to rise shortly on the back of surging raw material costs. Over the last six months natural rubber prices have risen 50 percent to stand at Rs 10,500/100 Kg. During April-August 2009, rubber production in India fell 13 percent compared to the corresponding period last year to

2,73,575 tons. This has pushed prices up. In this scenario, even imports are not a viable proposition since overseas prices are only 2-3 percent lower per kg visà-vis rubber produced in India. JK Tyre and CEAT have confirmed imminent 2-4 percent price increases, with the latter already having hiked two and three-wheeler tyre prices. Apollo Tyres has already an-

nounced a 3 percent hike in prices for the replacement market. OEM prices are still being negotiated. The last time CV tyre prices were increased was in October 2008. But following that prices were actually reduced by 9 percent. The central Government had cut excise duties from 14 percent to 8 percent, even as the full impact of the economic slowdown was starting to weigh down upon the industry. Profitability despite exports dip JK Tyre’s net profits have zoomed 101.3 percent to Rs 40.75 crore, on the back of a 5.7 percent rise in net sales to Rs.897.67 crore in Q109. Ceat Limited’s operating profit margin which stood at 3 percent for FY 2009, improved to 16.3 percent during the same period. Yet, automotive tyre exports fell 22 percent in July 2009 to 4,46,418 units as against 5,71,479 units in July 2008. Exports have in fact, dropped steadily in the past few months. During the first quarter, exports came down 22 percent to 15,58,393 units against 20,42,428 units last year. A complete revival is expected in domestic and partly in overseas markets by March 2009. ■

VECV September sales zooms by 37 percent

E Commercial Vehicles has registered a 37 percent rise in sales during September 2009 - at 2,558 units against 1,865 units a year ago. The company’s total domestic sales grew 49 percent during the same period, registering 2,316 units versus 1,552 units in September ‘08. In contrast, September exports dipped 23 percent coming down from 313 units to 242 units in 2008. This performance is notable since the domestic CV industry 5 tonnes and above grew by just one percent. Eicher Trucks and Buses has registered a 49 percent growth, clearly outpacing market growth. VECV is a joint venture signed in 2008 between Eicher Motors and the Volvo 12 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Group. Its product portfolio combines Eicher’s trucks and buses and Volvo’s truck sales and service network for its trucks and buses. While the Eicher brand is established in the light and medium commercial vehicle space, Volvo’s product range includes the FM range of tippers and rigid trucks which finds applications as fire tenders, sky lifts, boom pumps, concrete pumps and concrete mixers. Its FM/FH range of tractors in different configurations are best suited for carrying petrochemicals, express cargo, bulk cargo, construction and special cargo. ■

CV monitor / news

CV Tyre prices to go up by 2-4 percent

VECV September sales zooms by 37 percent

CV monitor / news

Hino launches 500 series vehicles in Chennai

ino Motor Sales India Ltd (HMSIL) has opened a 3S dealership in Chennai in partnership with Kerala-based Popular group. The 500 series of vehicles, FM8J - 25 tonne GVW 6x4 truck applications and FL8J - 25 tonne GVW 6x2 vehicles were also thrown open to the public. Hino’s CRDI (Common Rail Direct Injection) Euro 3 compliant engines, the JO8E UD and JO8E UE will power the FM and FL series respectively. While the FM tippers are suited for the mining industry and for mounting concrete mixers, the FL would benefit logistics players as either bulk carriers, reefers or oil tankers. “We expect to sell 700 units in all, by the end of FY 2009, 70 percent of them would be 6x4 vehicles. As India’s roads are being constructed in a fast pace, the move to a hub-and-spoke model would happen sooner rather than later,’ says Amol J Sandil, Executive VP, HMSIL. These trucks will be imported from Hino’s Thailand facility that has been making trucks for as long as 50 years. ‘Whether it is Japan, Thailand or India, bet on three aspects: ergonomics, efficiency and technical competence,’ says Hiroshi Nakamura,

14 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Managing Director & CEO, Hino Motors Sales India Pvt Ltd. These vehicles would be brought down from Hino’s Thailand facility to Hino’s fitment and homologation center at Bhiwandi, at Thane near Mumbai as semi-knocked down kits. The Bhiwandi center was a natural choice as the nearby Mumbai port has the capacity to handle the kits. The fitments include around 15 parts that have been made mandatory for homologation clearance. Roughly, about 30 percent of the aggregates would be localised. These include tipper bodies, horn systems as well as a few electronic components. Kailash Vahan of Pune supplies the tipper bodies. The Bhiwandi centre would triple as the pan-India parts warehouse and technical training center

for the service engineers as well. There are localisation plans but on a distant horizon. ‘We would seriously start working on local manufacture when sales cross an annual figure of 15,000 units. But, this make take at least 5 years,’ Sandil expresses. Intercity coach Hino also plans to launch a premium intercity coach during December. The bus would be built in India on Hino’s top of the line RM1 E platform. JCBL India would build the buses in India. The expected price would be at par with that of buses put out by European bus makers like Volvo. Other than Popular for TN and Kerala, the Tribhuvan group will offer Hino’s products in Andhra Pradesh, while Saya Hino will retail them in Delhi. Overall, there will be seven dealers in the country by the end of November. To support the sales process, MoUs have been signed with ICICI, Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank and Sundaram Finance. Talks are on with SREI and HDFC currently. Hino Motors is a 100 billion yen global turnover company. ■

CV monitor / news

Hino launches 500 series vehicles in Chennai

14 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

CV monitor / news

ALL’s Alwar plant gets busy to meet DTC order

shok Leyland’s bus body plant at Alwar is abuzz with the production of ultra low entry (ULE) buses ordered by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). According to the schedule mutually agreed, the supplies against the total order of 875 buses will be completed in February 2010. This facility will also produce the 200 ULE buses ordered by the State Transport Undertakings of Rajasthan, Maharashtra

16 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

and Andhra Pradesh under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM). ‘We partnered DTC in this process of designing and developing the ULE bus. The specs were complex and stringent and hence it was a learning curve for both parties, albeit a steep one,’ said Rajive Saharia, Executive Director Marketing ALL. The ULE buses, with a floor height of 390 mm, have step-less entry. These 12-metrelong buses have an integral all-steel body, with 35-seats in 2x2 configuration. It will be powered by a 230 hp turbo-charged, inter-cooled engine and fitted with automatic transmission. The use of multiplex wiring is a unique feature influenced by a considerable amount of electronics employed in the bus.

The Alwar plant Ashok Leyland’s Alwar Unit is spread over 352 acres of land, a third of it being a green belt area! With the intention of providing fully built public transport solutions, the chassis assembly facility has been integrated with a modern bus building facility. These new facilities are set across approximately 20,000 square metres and best in class machinery have been installed. The tact time based, bus building process is carried out in the following three major manufacturing lines: The structure and paneling line, the body painting line and the trim and finishing line. Across various stages of manufacture, the movement of material is achieved through conveyors. The process of body building starts with cubing or the joining of the six sides of a bus body. This operation calls for an accuracy of +/- 2mm. The specialised 15,000 x 4,000 mm framing fixture, which is flexible can produce not only the ULE but also other bus models. Once the cubing is complete, the entire body is welded using the latest ‘Panasonic’ MIG welding machines.

CV monitor / news

ALL’s Alwar plant gets busy to meet DTC order

16 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

CV monitor / news

The body is then married with a fully-tested chassis with the body using 5 ton cranes. The integration of the chassis with the body is completed at this stage using a 4-post vertical lift of German-make (MAHA) having the capacity to lift up to 22 tons. This facility enables reach into the most intricate areas of the underbody of the structure for welding and thus ensures a robust body. Then, superior performance corrosion protection coating is imparted to the structure in a combi-booth. In a one of its kind operation for India, the steel and aluminum panels of the buses are stretched to their maximum elongation limits to ensure a smooth, dent and wrinkle-free surface. Another critical stage is the multiplex wiring system which features an enhanced level of electronics and the precise integration of all the electronics and electricals in the bus. Then, following the fabrication and attachment of fire and weather-proof flooring, the bus structure is put to tests. The next stage is painting. The bus body moves across seven clear stations to achieve the preparation, application of primer and top coat paints. The line consists of two preparation stations, two spray booths, two paint-drying ovens and a touch-up stage. The bus must now go in for trims. All internal and exterior parts are fitted onto the body at this stage. The exterior fitments include the front and rear windscreens, CNG cylinders and airconditioner fitments on the roof, windows, glass fixtures, mirrors, locks, and doors. The front and rear wind shield fitments are carried out through ergonomically designed vacuum assisted manipulators and hydraulically operated scissor lifts for the operators. The interior fixtures are heat and sound insulation, ABS trim, anti-skid vinyl flooring with silicon impregnation, seats, hand grips, grab bars and stanchions and electrical items like displays, lights and switches.

Pre-delivery inspection Once completely fitted, the bus then is taken for the shower booth test for leakage test in a state-of-the-art shower booth that conforms to IS-11865 standards. The bus is lifted and its underbody portion is given a coat of high performance Underbody Paint in a specially designed spray booth. After a final inspection, the bus is rolled out for a road test to be certified road worthy. ■ 18 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

UP revamps auto tax system

he UP government has planned to implement a ‘composite’ tax regime for all commercial and private vehicles. Till now, vehicles paid two separate taxes: road tax and other additional taxes. This will now be simplified to just one levy of composite tax, saving vehicle owners the extra paperwork and shuttling between officials’ desks. Now LCV operators who pay a low volume of taxes every three months, can do away with the hassle by paying once in lump sum. Such a tax would also get them a rebate of 10 percent, adding to the advantage. City buses too have been completely exempted from the additional tax that amounts to 70 percent of the taxes that they pay. In addition to this, new city buses will now enjoy lower tax compared to the existing fleet. This will encourage the State Transport Undertakings (STUs) to soon replace ageing buses. Moreover, the STUs can now avoid the method of realising the taxes per operation (distance plied in km) by paying an annual lump sum with a ten percent rebate on it. All these moves are clearly taken towards improving the public transport scenario in UP. Contract carriers such as school buses, staff buses for factories and educational institutions have been given a 50 percent rebate in road taxes. In a bid to encourage tourism, taxes on tourist coaches and taxis flowing in from other states would be reduced too .Battery operated and solar powered vehicles will be completely exempted from road taxes. Meanwhile, private vehicles that illegally ply as hired ones would attract extra tax. CNG operated taxis plying on the National Capital Region will not be required to shell out state specific taxes as an agreement has been made between Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and the state of Delhi. Meanwhile, even as taxes are reduced; the penalties for violation of traffic rules would get stricter. Surrendered vehicles if caught plying, would suffer a five-fold penalty over the current amount. ■

CV monitor / news

UP revamps auto tax system

CV monitor / news

Sleepers, double-deckers and vestibule buses from Volvo

Kolkata to get 60 Volvo Buses

olvo Buses India will be introducing its sleeper coaches in Gujarat and Karnataka by November following the rise in demand for them. Sleeper coaches will be the immediate focus as 10 to 12 hour night journeys in India demand them more than the seated vehicles. Following them will be double decker buses and vestibule buses for India in the next three to five years. Such vehicles are already being sold in Europe. While the sales figures for 2007 and 2008 stand at 200 buses and 440 buses, Volvo aims to sell about 600 to 700 buses for 2009, up by 40 percent compared to 2008.The government’s decision to reduce the excise duty on buses as well as the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission has helped Volvo set its targets high. Among this, the city bus sales have increased substantially of late. In 2008, 250 out of the total 440 vehicles sold were city buses. This year, 600 city-buses are expected to be sold by the company. ■

olkata will soon get 60 Volvo city buses as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Following positive feedback on the trial runs since April, the West Bengal State Transport Corporation has decided to expand their Volvo fleet. In September, five Volvo buses started plying on important routes such as the Airport - Tollygunge stretch. Spanning 27 kilometers, the new buses pass through the Eastern Metropolitan by-pass, Ruby General Hospital, Gariahat, Gold Park, and Prince Anvarsha.

Kanpur gets 20 ultra low floor buses

he first 20 ultra low-floor Tata Marcopolo buses have been flagged off at Kanpur under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. These spacious passenger friendly buses feature disabled-friendly, lowfloor entry, pneumatic doors, GPS tracking systems and LCD destination and route displays similar to those seen in buses plied by the Delhi Transport Corporation. The automatic transmission and tubeless tyres promise to transform the usually irksome urban journey into a pleasurable one. Ten each of these vehicles are AC and non-AC. While seven buses would ply on the 13-km long IIT - Phoolbagh road, the remainder will shuttle between Chakeri and the IIT route. According to Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation officials, these buses would cover a distance of 22 kilometers halting at 20 bus stations en route. Once these services prove to be successful, UPSRTC said, a special bus-services would be introduced exclusively for women and students connecting the engineering and medical colleges in Kanpur. Following this pilot run, another 150 mini-buses, 100 high floor buses as well as 30 semi-low floor buses will be deployed on Kanpur’s roads. ■

20 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Featuring automatic transmission, optimum power to weight ratio and excellent city-maneuverability, these buses have received popular approval. A survey reveals that 98 percent of passengers are willing to switch to public transport, after bearing the fare premium. The stepless entry has particularly gained good appreciation from commuters. Overall, 81 percent of participants rated Volvo’s comfort factor to be superior over driving their own vehicles. These buses will help decongest cities of masses of private vehicles. There will also be an emissions benefit. Having started out as a supplier of intercity buses, Volvo Buses has now made the city bus segment its very own. Starting with Bangalore in 2007, Volvo city buses will operate in over 10 Indian cities by the end of this year. ■

CV monitor / news

news / cv monitor

One time road tax on Golden Triangle

Trucks take fertilisers to remote areas

umbai based Fertilizer maker Aries Agro has hit upon a novel way to take its fertilisers to farmers in remote areas. The marketing platform, ‘Krishi Vigyan Vahan’ or Agriculture Science Vehicle was launched in June, creating positive vibes among farmers in places where fertiliser stores and modern irrigation systems are absent. Aries has invested almost Rs 5 crore in roping in 70 trucks for this purpose. An additional Rs 34,000 is expended towards operational costs per vehicle per month. Sitting in the Mumbai headquarters, a team keeps track of the vehicles via satellite and records data such as net weight, distance covered and time spent at each stop. The special white and lime green coloured trucks from Aries Agro go about spreading awareness about fertilisers and their usage in more than 2,600 villages across India. The shaded booths on the trucks prominently display their products to the gathering crowd. A marketing agent goes about promoting these products by informing the farmer about the importance of micro nutrients such as zinc, iron and

boron on the crops. An on-board projection screen plays out messages by local film stars promoting the fertilizers on display. The trucks also couple as a booking counter for the products on display. Aries provides an accident and health insurance coverage of Rs 50,000 for every purchase worth Rs 1,000. Aries has a production capacity for 84,000 tonnes of micronutrients and 60,000 tonnes of secondary nutrients and water soluble fertilisers. Last year’s net profits stood at Rs.5.7 crore. Instead of opting for trucks, Aries could have opted for locally outsourced onsite promotion activities at an eight of the cost. But the company feels that local promotion could not have achieved the

he Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will run a pilot project to have tourists pay only a one-time road tax on the triangular route between Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The route, popularly known as the Golden Triangle due to the heavy tourist traffic, will greatly boost commercial tour operators. These operators have often faced harassment and prolonged waiting times on account ofBottle multiple taxation. Come DePortable Chiller Portable Refrigerator cember, road taxes for all the three states A tour operator, travelling from Delhi hi Transport Corporation have planned for For Cars, Vans, SUVs, Chill a personal bottle of wine, juice, beer, water or can be paid at the state of the vehicle’s regto Agra can therefore ply without stopping a good number of AC Volvo buses connectHomes, Offices, soda at your dining table , bedside, TV couch , Studies, Hostels, istration. Therefore, Delhi would collect at the Haryana and Rajasthan toll booths. ing Delhi with Agra and Jaipur during the office table and even in your car ! Nursing Homes, Site Office taxes on behalf of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh The scheme would be available for opera- games. NHAI has been urged by the minAny Place You Wish ! — Fully portable and Haryana (on transit) besides its own tors authorised by the Ministry of Tourism. istry to identify 500 sites to provide wayEXCELLENT FEATURES! — Works on 230V AC mains/ 12V DC car battery thru the cigarette lighter socket. — Fullywould portable- be Carry easily home, work and car taxes through a single window process. In case of misuse, the privilege side between amenities for the games tourists. These — Cools /warms from 5 to 45 deg C by a CPU. Maximum cooling — 14 liters total volume- To fit 19 cans/bottles11 x 500 ml or 2 x 1.5 litre The20operator would be required immediately deregistered. —This willand include Runs onscheme 230 V AC mains 12 V DCparking car batterylots, eating joints, rest degree C below outside temperature. to pay taxCools want to 20 deg outsidetelephone temperature. booths, first aid centres, es— aMaxcouple of days in advance, following would benefit tourists who —may toC below rooms, bottle diameter 90 mm — Warms to 65 deg C in warm mode with thermostat cutoff which stickers designed by the visit the 2010 Commonwealth petrol repair shops on completed — Powerformatted Consumption 40 to 65 Watts — VeryGames low powerinconsumption , 56 pump, W maximum. — No Compressor , nobe gasissued , maintenance free, noiseless — No compressor , no gasfour/six , maintenancelanes free, noiseless. ministry would to the vehicles. Delhi. Meanwhile, UP Roadways and Delconnecting the capital. ■ For home delivery of a personal piece or for delivery to a friend Call Pragati Plastics at 011-24671402 or Fax 011-26110361 or E- mail to: portable.fridges@pragatiplastics.com LOOKING FOR FREELANCE AGENTS IN ALL INDIAN CITIES

same benefits as the trucks. Other companies like Coromandel Fertilisers and the Multiplex Group are also likely to take Aries’ lead and start selling fertilisers the mobile way. ■

Dunlop India resumes production at Ambattur plant

unlop India has resumed production at its Ambattur facility at Chennai after nearly one year of shutdown. The plant which remained closed on account of financial constraints, reopened on October 19. The plant with a capacity to produce 120 tonnes per day, will initially produce 40 tonnes per day. Thereafter, the capacity will be scaled up gradually. The company would also diversify into making two wheeler tyres apart from making tyres and tubes for trucks and tractors. The company staged several rounds 22 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

of discussion with the workers of the plant’s union since last October, on which a salary hike of Rs.3,000 per month for the next three years, as well as a one-time benefit of Rs 5,000 in view of the factory resuming operations were agreed upon. Though Dunlop signed the wage pact with the employees in August, the production had delayed till October due to lack of power supply. On the day of inauguration, 542 out of the total 650 employees joined work. Meanwhile, Dunlop’s West Bengal factory at Sahagunj is yet to start production as the state power department has refused to supply power. ■

CV monitor / news

news / cv monitor

One time road tax on Golden Triangle

Trucks take fertilisers to remote areas

same benefits as the trucks. Other companies like Coromandel Fertilisers and the Multiplex Group are also likely to take Aries’ lead and start selling fertilisers the mobile way. ■

Dunlop India resumes production at Ambattur plant

CV monitor / news

AFS to help develop CNG version of Tata Xenon XT

ata Motors has selected Canada-based Alternative Fuel Systems (AFS) to develop engine control systems for an upcoming CNG-powered version of Xenon XT, extended cab pickup. AFS states that the objective of the project is to refine Xenon engine control systems to provide optimal driveability and performance across a wide spectrum of operating conditions. AFS has put a production vehicle provided by Tata under rigorous testing to assure appropriate performance levels. With the arrival of the Xenon, there are now four different Tata Motors’ vehicles at AFS’ Calgary centre. These vehicles are under production in India and/or neighbouring countries. As Tata Motors grows the sales of such vehicles, AFS will see licensing revenues from the former’s account rising. In countries as India and Thailand, CNG prices are considerably lower than those for petrol or diesel. This makes it economically advantageous to both OEMs as well as systems suppliers for CNG vehicles. AFS designs, develops and produces components for CNG vehicles. ■

Tractor makers lament reduced credit

M&M FES sales grow 56.29 percent in September

eficient rains and the lack of finance availability from leading PSU banks are expected to hit tractor sales hard, feels the tractor making industry. They feel that the brakes which were applied on credit availability last year following the global economic meltdown which in turn sent interest rates up, has not been corrected yet. Some quarters say that this is in sharp contrast to banks’ enhanced lending drive to the agricultural sector witnessed a couple of years ago. Interest rates have climbed to the same double digit rates as seen in four-wheeler finance. During the thrust on lending to the farm sector, the same was 9 percent. Secondly, even the margin money, (the money needed to be invested upfront before availing of finance) has doubled from 10 to 20 percent. Even last year’s mammoth 60,000 crore ‘farm loan waiver’ from the central government has not motivated lenders to ease their purses. In fact, grappling with increased levels of non performing assets from agricultural loans, banks have made lending norms that much more stringent. But banks deny that they have cut lending to the farm sector. ■

ahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES) has registered a massive 56.29 percent increase in its September tractor sales. A total of 16,986 tractors were sold in September 2009 against 10,868 during September 08. Domestic sales in the same period grew 58.72 percent from 10,307 to 16,359 units. The cumulative domestic sales during the first half of FY 2009 have registered a jump of 47.79 percent, growing from 54,543 units in 2008 to 80,610 units this year. The cumulative sales figures during April to September 2009 stands at 83,865 units compared to 58,893 units during the first half of 2008. This however does not include the 11,643 units sold by Punjab Tractors Ltd (PTL) between April to July 2008. PTL merged with Mahindra FES on August 1 2008. ■

24 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Measures mulled to reduce accident rates

he Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will soon set up well-endowed test centers across India for vehicle certification. Road designs will also be reviewed under a proposed tougher Motor Vehicle Act to ensure the roads’ fitness in handling the increasing traffic. These tests, which are to be mandated every year, were proposed by the ministry at a road safety conference in Delhi organised by the International Road Federation (IRF). The ministry feels that, the archaic driver license issuance in India needs changes, the recommendations for which would follow two months from now.

India accounts for the largest number of road accidents. A whopping 1,30,000 Indians died in 2008 alone, out of which 40 percent were on the national highways. This figure accounted for 10 percent of the world’s total fatal accidents in the year. Road maintenance continues to be under-funded, as annual passenger vehicle sales are projected to nearly double at 2 million and CV sales, more than double to one million units by 2010. Quality driver training is neglected too. Only 2 states out of the 13 that have received funding have so far established their modern driver training schools as recommended. Some of the global best practices discussed during the conference were Sweden’s initiative in replacing traffic lights by roundabouts. It was found that, accident rates have fallen by as much as 40 percent since drivers no longer speed before the lights turn red. Delhi’s roads were also analysed in terms of the growing number of flyovers and high-speed roads that are an impediment to safety. ■

CV monitor / news

AFS to help develop CNG version of Tata Xenon XT

Tractor makers lament reduced credit

M&M FES sales grow 56.29 percent in September

24 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Measures mulled to reduce accident rates

CV monitor / news

Fully loaded BRTS launched in Ahmedabad

hmedabad has come out with its Bus Rapid Transport System. Civic officials claim that it is India’s first true BRTS, because unlike Delhi or Pune, Ahmedabad has dedicated buses, lanes, control rooms and IT infrastructure. Named ‘Janmarg’ and funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the 12.5 km stretch entailing investments of Rs 80 crore was the first section to be inaugurated in Phase one. Now 25 BRTS buses will ply between RTO to Chandranagar in the city. The first few lines near the bus station would be alloted for three-wheelers, followed by space for two wheelers and cars. At 500 metre intervals, vibrant bus stops will dot the BRTS stretch. The 55 km long Phase one would stretch from Naroda to Civil Hospital. The first phase is expected to be competed by March 2010. Phase 2 is expected to cover areas as Bopal, Aslali, Chandkheda, Odhav and Kalupur, which would include an elevated route from New Cloth Market to Prem Darwaja near Ka-

26 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

lupur. The estimated total funds allotted for the project is Rs 1,000 crore. AMTS terminals to be upgraded The much-criticised Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) bus terminals

will soon be upgraded to modern standards. The renovation project, to cost Rs.5 crore will modernise four of the city bus terminals at Akbarnagar, Millatnagar, Nava Vadaj and Srinath as well as the Jamalpur head office. This effort to be completed by December 2010 is intended to contemporarise public transport infrastructure in the lead up to the imminent arrival of a BRTS in the city. Significantly, AMTS will also set up a public information system for realtime arrival and departure of buses along routes passing through Akbarnagar, Naroda, Sarangpur, Vasna and Maninagar. The real time display will draw its information from the AMTS control centre to which it will be linked. Recently, AMTS officials toured some south Indian cities to understand the functioning of public transport systems and business models. ■

Considerable bus fare hikes expected in Delhi

elhi’s bus commuters will soon have to pay 50-100 percent more. This proposed fare hike, currently up for approval before the Centre will apply to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), Blueline as well as metro feeder buses. In addition to regular fares, even the heavily subsidised season tickets will be up for revision. Delhi bus fares were last revised in 2002, when the lowermost slab (between 0-4 km) was hiked from Rs 2 to Rs 3. However, the rest of the slabs were left untouched. This flew in the face of rising inflation and increased manpower costs to the tune of 70-80 percent. What lends further support to this rate revision is that Delhi’s government does not have a mechanism to systematically revise prices in tune with inflation. Secondly, the acquisition of new low floor buses by the DTC has imposed additional capital investment burden at a time, when operating costs themselves have risen by

more than 100 percent over the last few years. Thirdly and more importantly, there is enough headroom to raise fares since Delhi’s fares are lower than those in all metroes except Kolkata. The conclusion of elections in Delhi has also diluted potential political interference in this economic decision. ■

CV monitor / news

Fully loaded BRTS launched in Ahmedabad

26 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

lupur. The estimated total funds allotted for the project is Rs 1,000 crore. AMTS terminals to be upgraded The much-criticised Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) bus terminals

Considerable bus fare hikes expected in Delhi

Big splash

M&M Gio

M&M Gio / big splash

M&M pips competition in ‘compact truck’ race

Brakes Front and Rear brake > Hydraulic, Drum Parking brake > Internal expanding type on rear wheels, hand lever cable type Suspension Front > Independent suspension with Mc-Pherson strut Rear > leaf sprint with Telescopic shock absorber

Engine Single Cylinder, Direct injection Bore x stroke (mm) > 86 x 76 Displacement (cc) > 441.5 Compression ratio > 20.3:1 Max. Engine output (kW@rpm) > 6.8+0.3 kW@ 3600rpm Max. Torque (Nm@ rpm) > 21+Nm@2000 rpm

Dimensions Wheel base (mm) > 2005 Overall width (mm) > 1460 Overall length (mm) > 3180 Overall height (mm) > 1815 Min. ground clearance (mm) > 180 Cargo box dimensions (mm) > 1570 *1460*380

Gear box Sequential shift, Constant mesh gear box No of gears > 4 forward, 1 reverse Clutch Multi plate wet type clutch Weights Maximum GVW (kg) > 1110 Kerb weight (kg) > 610

The Gio represents an impressively disruptive innovation. M&M has played its cards well, not least because of the smart pricing. The game will be truly afoot once competition arrives. Story Sridhar Chari

ntil about a year ago, hardly anyone spoke about 0.5 tonne, 4wheelers. Then all of a sudden, the grapevine brought news about moves from the Tatas, Piaggio and M&M in that order. In launching the ‘Gio’ M&M

seems to become the surprise sprinter in the race to create a new category of ‘compact trucks. This is significant, even if as speculated the other two players are going to come out with their products within the next two months. Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive Sector, M&M, explains the reason behind this frenzy. ‘Manufactur-

ers go where volumes are. The 0.5- tonne four-wheelers bring four-wheelers within the reach of traditional three-wheeler buyers. We are happy to first to bring out this compact truck, at a price which is only marginally higher than that for a 0.5 tonne cargo three-wheeler.’ The Gio is available at an on road price

Fuel tank capacity (L) > 10.5

Wheels and tyres 4.50- 10 LT BPR

Turning radius (m) > 3.8 Seating capacity > D & D+1

From (L-R), Rajan Wadhera, EVP, Engg & Devpt., Dr. Pawan Goenka, President Automotive Sector and Rajesh Jejurikar, COO, Automotive Sector

28 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

of Rs 1.8 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai Rs 1.65 lakh for BS II and Rs 1.68 lakh for the BS III version), which is only 30,000 to 35,000 dearer vis-à-vis the 0.5 tonne Mahindra Alpha three-wheeler (ex-showroom Mumbai Rs 1.38 lakh). In EMI terms, the Gio will only amount to Rs 500 more than that for the Alpha. The Gio also has the same mileage of 27 kmpl, as the Alpha, despite its bigger engine. Moreover, the compact truck is equipped with various comfort enhancing features that one normally associates with passenger cars. Besides the distinctive Mahindra front grill, the Gio features a tall and wide cabin with extra leg room for easy entry and exit of the driver and multi focal reflector halogen lights, side indicators and bigger rear view mirrors for optimum visibility. Other

noteworthy features include adjustable cushioned buckets seats, roll down windows for superior ventilation and superior suspension for a smoother ride. The Gio has a small turning radius of 3.8 metres, dashboard mounted gear shifter and ‘car like’ steering wheel that enables it to negotiate the narrowest of roads with ease. But, beyond ergonomics, M&M is quick to emphasise on the safety aspects of the Gio. ‘The vehicle has been run for 1,00,000 km and it meets all crash norms as mandated for any other four-wheeler,’ states Vivek Nayar, VP, Marketing, Automotive Sector, M&M. But the biggest story lies in the 9.1 HP Kohler engine. Especially developed for the Gio in Kohler’s US centre, the engine will be manufactured in the company’s

Electrical system System voltage (V) > 12 DC

Aurangabad plant. The USD 5 billion, Kohler which has 55 plants in the world, manufactures 1 million engines a year. This engine can also be made on a petrol platform, thereby making it compatible with CNG – necessary if the Gio has to operate in markets like Delhi and Gujarat. Significantly, M&M has coupled the engine with its own 5-speed gear box. ‘We have especially designed the transmission to maximise power delivery and fuel economy, thereby differentiating our product from similar vehicles that may be rolled out by competitors in the future,’ remarks Dr. Goenka. The home grown transmissions are an important difference because the same Kohler engine can also be made available to M&M’s competitors. A source from Piaggio told CV, that the company november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 29

Big splash

M&M Gio

M&M Gio / big splash

M&M pips competition in ‘compact truck’ race

Dimensions Wheel base (mm) > 2005 Overall width (mm) > 1460 Overall length (mm) > 3180 Overall height (mm) > 1815 Min. ground clearance (mm) > 180 Cargo box dimensions (mm) > 1570 *1460*380

Gear box Sequential shift, Constant mesh gear box No of gears > 4 forward, 1 reverse Clutch Multi plate wet type clutch Weights Maximum GVW (kg) > 1110 Kerb weight (kg) > 610

Fuel tank capacity (L) > 10.5

Wheels and tyres 4.50- 10 LT BPR

Turning radius (m) > 3.8 Seating capacity > D & D+1

From (L-R), Rajan Wadhera, EVP, Engg & Devpt., Dr. Pawan Goenka, President Automotive Sector and Rajesh Jejurikar, COO, Automotive Sector

28 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Electrical system System voltage (V) > 12 DC

big splash / M&M Gio

(A) Comfortable steering wheel (B) Tough load body and (C) Tiwn bucket seats form a neat package.

is evaluating between two engines including this Kohler engine. Also, a 0.5 tonne, 4-wheeler powered by such an engine will be launched by end-December. The pricing too, the source claims, will be at par with that of the Gio. Tata Motors too is expected to showcase the 0.5 tonne ‘Penguin’ at the upcoming Auto Expo. It remains to be seen how competitive products will stand up to the Gio’s aggressive pricing, considering that the latter broadly borrows from the Alfa platform. Using this platform and homegrown dies and tooling at the Haridwar plant, M&M’s R&D department managed to keep the Gio’s development costs down to a paltry Rs 25 crore. ‘We believe that anyone building a four-wheeler from a three-wheeler up is at a price advantage vis-à-vis someone coming down from a truck platform,’ says Dr. Goenka. Incidentally, the Tata Ace, known for its robustness is very much a truck platform. But, the Tatas have proven their low-cost engineering skills with the Nano may yet spring a surprise. Cutting it both ways Currently the market for 0.5 tonne cargo three wheelers in the country stands at 68,000 units per annum. M&M’s Alfa range of 0.5-tonne, three wheelers command a market share of 13 to 14 percent. ‘With the new range we expect some cannibalisation of the market of Alfa, but that is acceptable since the Gio will not only bring in better margins and also target customers traditionally opting for (0.75 tonne) mini-trucks,’ reasons Rajesh Jejurikar, COO, Automotive Sector, M&M. Currently the market for sub-one tonne four wheelers is pegged at 1.1 lakh units per annum. ‘A sub-one tonner four wheeler is designed for doing both intra and inter30 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

city operations. But we have seen that most Manufacturing and distribution customers, who purchase mini-trucks, use M&M will manufacture this compact truck them for intra-city operations only. Such at its Haridwar plant. In the first phase, a breed of customers will now be drawn M&M will manufacture 20,000 units of towards the Gio,’ adds Nayar. Gio every year, while in the second phase; The Tata Ace has an on-road price production capacity will be increased by ranging from Rs 2.75 - 3 lakh, and a lower another 10,000 units. Around 70 to 80 venfuel economy of 18-20 km per litre. But it dors has been finalised for sourcing varimust be said that though the tough mini- ous components for the Gio. truck has been known to take on loads Within three months, as part of phase twice it legal payload and yet go at some I, the Gio will be rolled out in North, West speed. Though the Gio may not be able to and East India. Shortly thereafter, the take on such loads, sources at M&M say compact truck will be introduced in South that it can easily take on 40-50 percent India. The compact truck will be available extra loads. The Gio features a spring leaf in 500 outlets across 150 dealers. suspension with a rigid axle for enhanced One only needs to look at what the load stability. The load body comprises of Tata Ace did to 0.75 tonne three-wheelers a fully corrugated 5ft cargo box for im- to imagine the disruption that the Gio may proved life. cause – downwards and upwards. Time But, to directly take on the challenge will tell! ■ thrown by the Ace, M&M is working on its own 0.75 tonne minitruck. It has been widely speculated that the mini-truck will be powered by a threecylinder engine. The launch is expected to happen in endJanuary. Without confirming such a product’s launch, Dr. Goenka says, ‘We will carefully segment the last mile market.’ M&M already has pickups in the above 1tonne payload The Gio will flank and even partially cannibalise bracket to serve M&M’s successful Alpha three-wheeler. the last mile.

big splash / M&M Gio

(A) Comfortable steering wheel (B) Tough load body and (C) Tiwn bucket seats form a neat package.

Fleet-Footed

VRL

VRL prefers to do things on its own, whether it means building bodies, maintaining trucks or even fashioning its own IT architecture. A monster truck and bus fleet demands just this kind of attention.

FLEET TRAC

Story Ram Kumar Ramaswamy and Kiran Bajad Photography Kiran Bajad and VRL Ltd

VRL self reliance mantra 32 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

ver a period of three decades, Vijay Anand Road Lines Ltd (VRL Ltd) has carved quite a presence for itself. The Rs 650 crore company based out of northern Karnataka town of Hubli has posted a 20 percent growth in 2008-09 despite the slowdown. The reason for this strong performance is that 85 percent of the cargo carried by VRL was from the FMCG side, the flows of which did not come down during this period. But that is not all that there is to VRL. The company has been recognised by the Limca Book of Records for a fleet of 2,691 vehicles (as on August 15, 2008), qualify-

ing it to be the biggest private logistics player in the country. This tally included 2,495 trucks and 196 tourist coaches. The fleet operator has 911 branches and a presence in 2,629 locations. Further, it has transit centers in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Going forward, plans are afoot to acquire even more trucks and a better national presence. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We will add 300 new trucks in the current fiscal, and thereby cross the 3,000 vehicle mark. By 2011, we aim to have 4,000 trucks, while expanding our bus fleet as well. Also, a bigger transit hub would be started in Delhi within the next three months,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; reveals Vijay Sankeshwar, the Chairman and Managing Director of VRL. Accordingly, a turnover projection of Rs 970 crore has been charted for the 2010-11 fiscal.

Vijay Sankeshwar reveals a gamplan to own 4,000 trucks by 2011.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 33

Fleet-Footed

VRL

FLEET TRAC

Story Ram Kumar Ramaswamy and Kiran Bajad Photography Kiran Bajad and VRL Ltd

VRL self reliance mantra 32 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Vijay Sankeshwar reveals a gamplan to own 4,000 trucks by 2011.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 33

fleet-footed / VRL

FLEET TRAC

VRL’s courier services, started in the 1990s, cover 100 locations in India.

So why are things looking so ebullient? To find out, we visited the corporate office and the integrated transit hub at Varur, a few kilometers away from the picturesque townscape of Hubli. Sankeshwar has not forgotten his past. ‘We started the venture in 1976 as a partnership firm, with just one truck.

Only gradually have we seen the fleet grow to current levels. Today, we handle 6,000 metric tons of cargo a day or 216 million metric tons annually. And just as far back as 1994, we started our first bus service across Karnataka and also proceeded to enter the courier business,’ he recounts. Bangalore is the primary point of action for VijayAnand Travels with as

Banking on a fleet of 200 buses, the company runs 250 schedules in Karnataka and Maharashtra

34 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

many as 60 schedules every day. Ashok Leyland coaches form the majority of the 200-strong fleet besides the 24 air-conditioned Volvo buses. Initially, VRL built 100 bus bodies on its own, but then has moved towards completely built units of late. This month, there will be an addition of 15 multi-axle Volvo B9Rs to the fleet. Permit restrictions have come in the way of a pan-India presence. But Vijay Anand Travels currently has 250 schedules across Karnataka and Maharashtra. As far as the courier business is concerned, it was only incidental to the main cargo business. ‘Since we could handle other cargo well across dispersed centres, the courier business was set up in the early 90s an extension of this capability,’ offers Sankeshwar. Though not a major focus yet, VRL covers more than 100 domestic locations across India. The operations extend to other international centres such as Singapore, Dubai and Colombo. Immense scale Let’s move back to the truck business. The sprawling 42 acres of land at Hubli houses

fleet-footed / VRL

FLEET TRAC

VRL’s courier services, started in the 1990s, cover 100 locations in India.

Banking on a fleet of 200 buses, the company runs 250 schedules in Karnataka and Maharashtra

34 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

fleet-footed / VRL

FLEET TRAC 2,500 employees. Each of these employees seems happy, especially the drivers. VRL has championed the pay per kilometer approach. This means that within a billing month, if a driver manages to do an extra trip, he takes home an incentive package. But that said, fixed schedules are valued too ‘Each driver is assigned fixed timings at work. This ensures that drivers can enjoy uninterrupted family lives,’ explains Sankeshwar. Most of VRL’s trucks are 25-tonne rigids from the stables of Ashok Leyland. There are some 49-tonne AMW tractor trailers as well as a 1,000 strong LCV fleet for last mile connectivity. The interesting aspect to these trucks is that VRL builds its own truck bodies. This operation which started in the early 1990s can now accounts for 40 truck bodies a month. A typical body built on an Ashok Leyland rigid chassis takes 7 days. The bodies are made of aluminum a more expensive but lighter material. ‘It costs about Rs 3 to 4 lakh per truck body. But the lighter trucks can carry an additional tonne of cargo visà-vis trucks with steel bodies. In sum, it takes just 1-2 years to reclaim the extra investments,’ asserts Sankeshwar. Strong maintenance practices About 100 trucks are built or repaired each

FLEET TRAC

VRL also makes on its own, aluminium bodies for its truck fleet. Despite being initially expensive, these bodies are more fuel-efficient.

month in the sheds. ‘Only 0.3 percent of the fleet is under break-down at any point of time. We believe that repair is costly and maintenance is cheap. As such, we fix or replace all parts when they attain 90 percent of their expected life,’ explains Sankeshwar. The service facility is immaculate. VRL, which has completely radialised its fleet, retreads 40 - 50 tyres on its own each month.

Attention is paid to infrastructure like a de-mineralised distilled water plant for radiators; Teflon based greasing for inner parts and centrifugal units on engines. Supplementing this effort is Ashok Leyland’s Leyparts. A Leyparts (spares) depot in-house and a team of service engineers stationed across VRL branches ensures that vehicles do not have to wait too long to be serviced. The cost of spares amounts to Rs.30 lakh per month. Repairing damaged FRP sections and wheel alignments are done punctually on the trucks to keep them road fit. VRL, which completely moved to radial tyres in 2007 also retreads 40 to 50 tyres per month and replaces 1,500 of them annually. The benefits of using radials are for all to see. ‘It has been found that despite the 35 percent costlier radials, profits have improved, because the radials last 50 to percent more than bias tyres,’ says Sankeshwar. In-house IT VRL’s Chief Technical Officer, Ramananda Bhat, has been working with the company since 1994. He is proud of the company’s in-house IT architecture. ‘We are proud to say that, the software which runs the business, as well as most of the

36 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Ashok Leyland’s Leyparts has set up its own parts depot to ensure time - efficient servicing.

hardware have been designed and built inhouse This is important, because for a national logistics operator, handling, maintaining and retrieving cargo documents bookings itself is a tough task. Add to this, the hardships of tracking and tracing vehicles and caring for unclaimed cargo. This calls for big investments of space, time and

workforce,’ he says. There is an in-house team of software professionals, who code and maintain the software platform and hardware designs. ‘Our earlier experience with third party software solutions providers has been a failure since they miss out on understanding our business models, often leading to

The inside of a telematics unit, also designed and made by VRL itself.

huge errors,’ asserts Bhat. An important point to note is that, many of the nodes in the network are designed on DOS platform, which makes it highly robust and impervious to virus attacks. Bhat’s team designs the hardware too. The GPS units and the encrypted cards and reader systems are all designed by VRL’s engineers. The circuit board design and embedded software are done in-house, with just the fabrication being outsourced. ‘Having our own GPS systems and driver database management is a huge advantage. The price advantage is supplemented by a flexibility to tailor them according to our needs,’ Bhat explains. The drivers use their cards, to mark attendance, ply vehicles, refill diesel, and calculate salary. There are other interesting uses to the smart cards. ‘Card readers at our transit centers can also read RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips on radial tyres. Thereby, we receive a prompt, if the tyre needs to be replaced,’ adds Bhat. Clearly, when one does things their own way and succeeds at that, the joy is doubled! ■ november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 37

fleet-footed / VRL

FLEET TRAC

VRL also makes on its own, aluminium bodies for its truck fleet. Despite being initially expensive, these bodies are more fuel-efficient.

36 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Ashok Leyland’s Leyparts has set up its own parts depot to ensure time - efficient servicing.

The inside of a telematics unit, also designed and made by VRL itself.

Smart Move

Schwing Stetter

chwing Stetter India has launched the S 36 truck-mounted concrete pump. As the name suggests, the Rs 1.3 crore application is capable of pumping concrete to a vertical height of 36 metres. With an average capacity to pump 90 cubic metres of concrete per hour, the S36 can be mounted on four different three-axle chassis options. These include the Ashok Leyland 2516, AMW

Reaching concrete to the top of tall structures will now be less of a ‘tall’ order. Story Ram Kumar Ramaswamy

Schwing Stetter India launches S36 concrete pump 38 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

schwing stetter / smart move

2518, MAN CLA 25.280 and the Volvo FM 340. These chassis are priced between Rs.16 to 65 lakh. At Schwing Stetter’s Sriperumbudur plant, the chassis will be mated to the pump and supplied as fully built units to customers. The process of fitment and delivery may take three weeks, but it is essential. ‘Fully built units, not only ensure uniform quality but also avoid hassles associated with registration and finance. Moreover, the process of mounting itself demands technology,’

states Anand Sundaresan, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India The company targets to sell 30 units this calendar year. The machines have been undergoing trials for a year now. The tests have proven successful to the extent that 20 pumps have already been sold to big construction equipment companies. The customers include Soma Enterprise Ltd, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Larsen & Toubro and CCCL. Fresh orders can be expected in the future especially as foreign construction companies step into the fray. The S36 is placed in the middle of Schwing Stetter India’s 17-61 metre concrete pump range. A fully-owned subsidiary of Germany’s € 850 million Schwing group, Schwing Stetter India started manufacturing operations in 1998. The company makes a wide range of concrete mixers,

concrete pumps and batching plants from its three plants in Chennai. The company had launched the trailermounted SP 1400 concrete pump last year. This product, priced at Rs 17 lakh has sold more than 70 units so far. ‘In fact, one of these machines has pumped more than 20,000 cubic metres of concrete without needing a service,’ claims V.G. Shakti Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, Schwing Stetter India. The question then is, why launch a relatively expensive product at a time, when economic recovery is not yet complete? Technological advantage is the chief reason. Compared to a single site operator, a city contractor may simultaneously be undertaking three different projects in the city. In places like Mumbai or Delhi where traffic is heavy and sites are spread over the urban sprawl, it makes sense for the contractor to own truckmounted pumps. Further, work is upto 300 percent faster, owing to the speedy set-up time. The pump becomes fully ready to pour concrete in as little as ten minutes, and needs no other scaffolding or material support. In other words, the S36 feeds concrete directly at the columns and pillars with high speed and consistent homogeneity.

‘Finance might be more easily available now as compared to the recent past, but lenders accord priority to customers who have a record of finishing projects on time. Moreover, only if a project is completed before time, will the contractor receive fresh orders. With typical project values being Rs 500-1,000 crore, the incremental investment in a truck mounted concrete pump, is justified,’ asserts Anand. Even then, costs of the truck-mounted pump will be brought down, once an increase in volumes boosts localisation efforts. Currently, most components for the pump are imported from Schwing’s German plant. Technology to the fore This truck mounted pump has an impressive list of features. ‘The pump is capable of turning around a full 720-degree from a single truck position. What this means is that, the delivery system can easily make two full revolutions. Not only does this save time, but also provides logistical benefits when other pump vehicles need to come in from the opposite side of a site,’ adds Shakti Kumar. On the electronics side is the ‘vector control’ - intelligent help feature and voice guide system. The owner can now

V. G. Shakti Kumar and Anand Sundaresan aspire to sell 30 units of the S36 pump this year.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 39

Smart Move

Schwing Stetter

Reaching concrete to the top of tall structures will now be less of a ‘tall’ order. Story Ram Kumar Ramaswamy

Schwing Stetter India launches S36 concrete pump 38 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

schwing stetter / smart move

V. G. Shakti Kumar and Anand Sundaresan aspire to sell 30 units of the S36 pump this year.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 39

smart move / Schwing Stetter

schwing stetter / smart move

As buildings get taller, there is a greater need to have pumps that can throw concrete to a great height.

in churning rough aggregates. ‘Thanks to this technology, the concrete that is poured is uniformly homogeneous. The performance is also speedy, thereby bringing down maintenance costs,’ explains Kumar. Maintenance is a key aspect. ‘In the case of pumps using alternative flat gate valves, the replacement of the valves will cost the owner, Rs.23,000-24,000. This will amount to Rs 3 - 4 per cubic metre of concrete pumped. The replacement of our robust rock valves, including welding costs amount to only Rs 6,000 – 6,500. Considering the longer life of our machines, the maintenance costs will come down to a mere Re 0.5 per cubic metre of concrete,’ says Sundaresan. An overview Schwing Stetter India which had consistently posted growth every year barring 2007-08, expects 20 percent negative growth for 2009-10. ‘In order to prepare for this situation, the company has involved itself into cost-cutting measures. We have

Concrete mixers may be moved considered flagship products from batch for Schwing Stetter India. production system to a line production system,’ adds port a wide array of products from its SripShakti Kumar. erumbudur facility in Chennai. The S17, But with as many as 30 product launches low-end truck mounted concrete pump in India over the last decade, Schwing Stet- is now being sent to the US and Europe. ter sees good potential for its products. The Regional exports are also building up. company has deployed company personnel Recently, concrete pumps and batching as well as those from the support staff to plants were sent to Afghanistan and many places as flung as Arunachal Pradesh. SAARC countries such as Sri Lanka, Schwing Stetter India continues to ex- Bangladesh and Nepal. ■

The SP 1400 trailer-mounted pump.

W o r l d Record claim Schwing Stetter India has created a world record by pumping concrete to a vertical height of 715 metre. This was achieved by Gammon India using Schwing’s BP 4000 super concrete pump for National Hydroelectric Corporation’s project in Himachal Pradesh. The Parbati Hydroelectric Project Stage-II proposed harnessing hydro-electric potential of the lower reaches of the river Parbati. Concrete was pumped from the bottom of a tunnel to the top, covering a total length of 1,500 metres at an elevation of 30 degrees. ‘If you translate that to an equivalent vertical height, our achievement is a clear 715 metres,’ claims Shakti Kumar.

cations via GPS systems. The on-board computer, on which this SIM card may be installed, can also be connected directly to a printer, which gives a detailed report of running/idling time as well as poured quantities for any schedule. Made of high quality Swedish steel, the S-36 pump can put up with extremely corrosive ingredients, and continuously churn out concrete around the clock. The

X-H stabilising system which anchors the whole pump system and the vehicle occupies only 6.21 metre of width. The S 36 X four-section roll and fold pipe system retracts quickly to a compact length of 7.13 metre. But the core technology of the pump is Schwing’s patented ‘rock valve’ technology. Highly wear resistant and fuel-efficient, the long stroke concrete pump with these rock valves is designed for daily use

Schwing Stetter India’s spanking Coimbatore plant.

sit comfortably in the office and monitor concrete volumes poured in remote lo40 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 41

smart move / Schwing Stetter

schwing stetter / smart move

As buildings get taller, there is a greater need to have pumps that can throw concrete to a great height.

The SP 1400 trailer-mounted pump.

Schwing Stetter India’s spanking Coimbatore plant.

sit comfortably in the office and monitor concrete volumes poured in remote lo40 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 41

APOLLO - CV AWARDS 2010

The race has begun!! Commercial Vehicle magazine, the voice of the Indian CV industry, announces the first ever dedicated awards for the industry. We are delighted to partner with Apollo Tyres for this unique event. These awards will not stop at recognising superlative efforts of CV and ancillary makers. Fleet operators will be accorded their due too – since they are very basis for the CV industry to exist.

The background Until a few months ago, it would have been blasphemy to talk about awards dedicated to the CV industry. OEMs, suppliers and other stake holders could think no further than cutting losses for a month in question. Even as that scenario has been steadily changing, we have been pleasantly surprised by a slew of launches in the latter half of this year. While new players aspire to join the fray, the current pack of CV makers are all set to unveil a new generation of vehicles starting this year. This only leads us to believe that we are reaching an inflection point, where technology will fashion new paradigms in efficiency, ergonomics and safety. And, hopefully, the burst of infrastructure creation should support a new boom phase in the notoriously cyclical CV industry. If things pan out as expected, ancillaries associated with the CV industry will also come to the party. So the recovery should be wholesome in about 12-18 months from now. Fleet operators, whether truckers or STUs plying buses will be more than happy to take in the change in the air. They would also have quite a story to narrate of deploying innovative

means to survive the slowdown. It is only a blip in the radar for most of them. Strong economic fundamentals have given them huge headroom to grow in the recent past. Nuts and Bolts A jury made up of experts internal and external to CV magazine will evaluate products and companies and arrive at winners for all categories except those involving fleet operators. To determine the fleet operator category award winners, we have enlisted the services of Metric Consultancy, an organisation reputed for delivering quality solutions in the areas of research, mentoring, consultancy and strategic sourcing. We invite both truck and bus fleet operators to apply for category/categories that they think appropriate. Metric will then evaluate the self-assessment forms. The Rendezvous We expect to host a galaxy of CV OEMs, ancillary makers and fleet operators for the awards to be held in early 2010. Watch this space for more information!!

Methodology The evaluation process comprises of the following steps. 1. All the prospective candidates or their sponsors will fill in the ‘Nomination / Application Form’ 2. All the applicants will be given a self assessment form with the required guidelines. They will carry out selfassessment and submit it to CV / Metric. 3. Metric will study and compile all the selfassessment forms. 4. Metric will visit the top 10 applicants in each category of applicants to understand the merits of the self evaluation done by the applicants 5. Top performers will then be decided based on their self-assessment and independent assessment carried out by Metric using the BQF model for Journey of Excellence.

British Quality Foundation (BQF) has been established by the

The BQF model for Journey of Excellence

British Government and large industrial and service organisations in private sector. BQF has had a long and successful record of grooming over 20,000 organisations on a Journey of Excellence. The entire process will be under active participation of experts trained by BQF.

To be successful, organisations need to establish appropriate management systems. The Excellence Model is a practical tool to help organisations do this by measuring where they are on the path to excellence; helping them understand the gaps; and then stimulating solutions. The Excellence Model is a nonMetric Consultancy Ltd. prescriptive framework that recognises that (Metric) is the exclusive national partner there are many approaches to achieving of BQF in India. sustainable excellence. Metric is not new to the automotive The core part of the assessment sector, having become known as a premier framework will be the famous RADAR research, training and consultancy firm. approach which examines applicants During its own journey of excellence Results, soundness of Approach taken to spanning two decades, Metric has pioneered achieve the results, the rigour with which a number of initiatives starting with first the approach is Deployed and if systematic time formal training of automotive dealers’ Assessment and Review is an integral part staff, monitoring individual dealers’ service of management process to capture and delivery using CSI methodology, initial institutionalise leanings on a continuous quality survey for two-wheelers in India, basis. direct marketing of mopeds and scooters and professionalising the automotive aftermarket.

Organisations are evaluated, based on seven criteria. The marks allocated for each criterion is indicated in brackets against it. Business Excellence is a non-prescriptive philosophy that recognizes there are many approaches to achieving sustainable excellence. Hence the assessment framework will endeavor to ascertain if the applicant organisation holds the following fundamental beliefs which underpin all the Excellence Models. These core beliefs are: • Result orientation • Customer Focus • Management by processes and facts • People development and involvement • Continuous learning, Innovation and improvement • Leadership and constancy of purpose • Partnership development • Societal responsibility

SN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Criteria Marks Leadership 120 Strategic Planning 85 Customer Focus 85 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 90 Workforce Focus 85 Process Management 85 Results 450

Total marks in this evaluation are 1,000. The level of the organisation as indicated by the scores is as follows: 1. 0 – 250 Early Development 2. 251 – 350 Early Results 3. 351 – 450 Early Improvements 4. 451 – 550 Good Performance 5. 551-- 650 Emerging Sector Leader 6. 651 -- 750 Sector Leader 7. 751 – 850 Benchmark Leader 8. 851 – 1000 World Class Leader

APOLLO - CV AWARDS 2010

British Quality Foundation (BQF) has been established by the

The BQF model for Journey of Excellence

SN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Criteria Marks Leadership 120 Strategic Planning 85 Customer Focus 85 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 90 Workforce Focus 85 Process Management 85 Results 450

cover story

Volvo

volvo / cover story

Volvo CE

The L180F wheel loader will be powered by a tier III engine.

to embark on product launch spree

The construction equipment major is going the Tier III way. A new generation of wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators, soil compactors, articulated haulers and pipelayers are coming soon to India. Story Ahfaaz Khan

Volvo Construction Equipment through its Indian arm Volvo India Private Limited is set to heat up the construction segment this winter. Starting with EX-

CON 2010 which kicks off this month, the company will unfurl a bevy of products including pipe layers, wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators, soil compactors and articulated haulers. According to Eberhard Wedekind, president-Asia region, Volvo Construction Equipment, ‘after the Lehman Brothers crash, things became tough because of the contraction in the market as well as shortage of liquidity. But I think we have overcome that phase very efficiently. Now the market is back on a growth path and we are optimistic about performance next year’. The pipelayers will be launched in three models - PL406, 4611 and PL 7105, with tipping capacities of 80, 110 and 150 metric tonne respectively. Built on an excavator platform, pipelayers offer significant advantages over conventional side booms built on tracked tractor platforms. When not being used for pipe laying, a pipelayer can be quickly converted into an excavator or it can also be used as a crane in a variety of applications. Moreover a pipelayer offers a 360degree swing with full lifting performance and functionality at all radius positions, something which is not available with a tractor-mounted side boom. Volvo pipelayers are also very stable on account of a lower centre of gravity. Moreover the

48 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Eberhard Wedekind, says that Volvo is looking at the backhoe loader segment closely.

lifting platform which has a boom-mounted inboard of the track frame and closer to the machine’s centre-line enhances stabil-

ity. As a result, a pipelayer can work comfortably on steep slopes with lift capacities as high as 29 percent compared to that of a track type tractor side boom. Boom lengths of pipe layers are also relatively larger, ranging from 7.3m to 11.3m as compared to 6.1m to 8.5m of tractor side booms. What adds to the appeal of pipelayers is the ease of transportation. Larger models of the Volvo pipelayers can be easily dissembled into track side frames, counterweights and booms. The process of disassembling and reassembling a pipe layer does not take more than an hour. On the wheel loader front, customers will be presented with two variants, L180F and SDLG 958. The former with an operating weight ranging from 26-29 tonne is widely used in log handling and rock loading applications. This wheel loader will most probably be introduced with a tier III V-ACT engine. This new range of engines features advanced combustion november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 49

cover story

Volvo

volvo / cover story

Volvo CE

The L180F wheel loader will be powered by a tier III engine.

to embark on product launch spree

Volvo Construction Equipment through its Indian arm Volvo India Private Limited is set to heat up the construction segment this winter. Starting with EX-

48 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Eberhard Wedekind, says that Volvo is looking at the backhoe loader segment closely.

lifting platform which has a boom-mounted inboard of the track frame and closer to the machine’s centre-line enhances stabil-

cover story / volvo

After LG938, the LG958 will be the second wheel loader from Lingong’s stable to be introduced in India.

technology with reduced cycles and consequently reduced combustion. L180F also comes with a unique, patented, and highly reliable lift arm system TP-linkage that imparts optimal breakout torque and outstanding parallel movement throughout the entire lifting range. The entire range of Volvo wheel loaders also features an intelligent load-sensing hydraulic system that provides exact distribution of power at the desired location, regardless of engine rpm. This machine will be brought into India from Volvo’s Canadian plant On the other hand, the SDLG 958 will be brought in from Lingon, Volvo’s Chinese acquisition. Last year, Volvo had introduced in India a 10-tonne wheel loader, the SDLG 938 from the same source. The SDLG 958 is a 16.5 tonne machine that is claimed to have one of the fastest operating speeds. This wheel loader comes with enlarged engine housing, efficient radiator and the optimised wind passages - all 50 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Mrityunjay Singh says that the new customer cum operating centre will allow Volvo Construction Equipment to improve its servicing capabilities.

of which help to reduce the engine water and oil temperature in hydraulic systems and improve the cooling efficiency of the

machine. Overall SDLG 958 is claimed to be a machine with as many as 65 improvements on the key aggregates such as transmissions, drive axles, buckets, hydraulics and electric components. Volvo will also introduce an upgraded version of the SD110 soil compactors. This upgraded model will offer a wide range of frequencies for compaction. Also on the cards are Tier III ‘prime’ models of hydraulic excavators in the 15 to 46 tonne range to be imported from Volvo’s Korean plant. The prime models of hydraulic excavators will feature a Tier III V-ACT engine. Volvo claims that these upgraded excavators will offer 10 percent improved production capacity as compared to the currently sold Tier II excavators. Volvo will also the launch the FS range of articulated haulers in India by the end of this year. The FS (full suspension) technology constantly monitors load and ground conditions and automatically adjusts level

cover story / volvo

After LG938, the LG958 will be the second wheel loader from Lingong’s stable to be introduced in India.

Mrityunjay Singh says that the new customer cum operating centre will allow Volvo Construction Equipment to improve its servicing capabilities.

of which help to reduce the engine water and oil temperature in hydraulic systems and improve the cooling efficiency of the

cover story / Volvo

control for a smooth and safe ride. This feature also enables the hauler to run faster on uneven roads resulting in a decrease in turnaround time. Volvo offers the articulated FS haulers in two variants, A35E FS and A40E FS with a loading capacity of 37 sh tn and 43 sh tn respectively. A fully loaded body can be raised and lowered in only 9-12 seconds. These haulers will be imported from Sweden. In addition to the FS range of haulers, Volvo has also decided to roll out a couple of transport solution like batch mix plants on the conventional range of haulers. Customer cum operating centre Volvo CE has also unveiled a customer cum operating centre at its Hoskote plant. ‘This is only the fourth such centre after the USA, Sweden and South Korea. With this centre, we will be able to serve our customers more efficiently,’ remarked Mrityunjay Singh, managing director, Volvo India Private Limited. Volvo Construction Equipment will start an eco-training course

volvo / cover story

The upgraded SD110 will feature a range of frequencies to enable best possible compaction.

for operators. Designed in line with Volvo’s global standards, this course will consist of both theoretical as well as practical training. Operators will be taught about correct operating methods and regular checks on different components of a machine that will help to decrease fuel consumption, increase overall production and reduce major maintenance expenses. This centre will also house Volvo’s IT division which will assist the Volvo Group to offer various technology-enabled solu-

tions. By the middle of next year, Volvo IT will launch Caretrack, a fleet optimisation solution that will incorporate GPS-based tracking and Volvo’s proprietary analytical tools. Caretrack will simulate site conditions by considering a number of parameters. These parameters include hardn e s s a n d density

A diversified product basket is a key reason for Volvo Construction Equipment to see itself through difficult times.

of material, schedule of completion, nature of haulage routes with accompanying curve angles and ground structures, expected delays in operation, type of loading unit, angle of loading and bucket capacity. This will help operators arrive at the optimum number of vehicles and cost per cubic meter for the project under consideration. In addition to this, Caretrack will also help in mapping and tracking of machines, getting operating reports and compliance with prescribed maintenance practices. The data collected will be sent to a central server from where customers will be able to download data on a computer or mobile phone. A customer will need to log on to www.caretrackvolvo.com to access data. After logging in, a customer will be able to see the live status of his machine. Upon clicking on that machine, the customer can also see operation reports like hours of op-

The FS range of articulated haulers helps to maintain high speeds even on uneven terrain.

52 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

eration, engine running and idling time, fuel levels and fuel consumption rate. A green light against a machine will indicate that the information has been updated over the last three days. Caretrack will also assist in service and maintenance of the machine. It will be possible to set various alerts before specific hours of servicing or scheduled replacement of any component. ‘In addition to helping

customers, this feature will also aid dealers in planning their parts inventory better,’ says Singh. Launching a bevy of new products is a challenge, as is meeting the needs of existing customers. Here’s hoping the Volvo CE can have the best of both worlds. ■ Caretrack will be launched in India by the middle of next year.

Eco training programme is an important component of the operator training module.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 53

cover story / Volvo

volvo / cover story

The upgraded SD110 will feature a range of frequencies to enable best possible compaction.

A diversified product basket is a key reason for Volvo Construction Equipment to see itself through difficult times.

The FS range of articulated haulers helps to maintain high speeds even on uneven terrain.

52 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Eco training programme is an important component of the operator training module.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 53

different strokes

international tractors

international tractors / different strokes

International tractors bids to be truly international Yanmar’s 100-150 HP engines for some of our exports to developed markets and even China,’ reveals Mittal. Along the same lines as with Yanmar, collaborations have been lined up with US and Italian companies. ITL is offering 7590HP tractors branded under the names of the respective partners. Incidentally, a few EPA certified tractors have already been supplied to the US. Supplies of similar tractors to Europe under an Italian brand have also kicked off. The question that we ask of ITL is, why not acquire a company of its own in Europe to secure a footprint in developed world? ‘We did think of that possibility including a company in Turkey, but considering the situation in Europe, we have decided to wait for a couple of years, before making a move like this. Besides, it is always cheaper to make and export tractors from India, rather than set up and maintain

In addition to ample ambition in the domestic market, ITL is also looking very keenly at global markets. The mantra is simple: high technology products to be made in India. Story Sridhar Chari

onalika Group’s International Tractors Limited (ITL) is preparing to plough global furrows on farm of international alliances. The roster of overseas partners includes Japanese tractor major Yanmar as well as undisclosed Italian and US companies. Yanmar, which has a 12 percent stake in ITL seeks to have one of its 40-45 HP 54 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

tractors made by the Indian company at the latter’s Hoshiarpur facility. In fact, the first prototype of the machine recently arrived from Japan. In meeting this mandate, ITL is banking upon its superior technology and low cost base. ‘Our costs are a third of that in Europe and significantly lower vis-à-vis our Indian competitors. The key is indigenisa-

tion of technology coupled with a low cost and highly productive labour base, drawn from the local population in Hoshiarpur,’ explains LD Mittal, Chairman, Sonalika Group. Yanmar will target these mid-ranged tractors at the hobby farming segment in Japan as well as for adjacent markets like South Korea. Even before this project came along, ITL has been supplying its transmissions and axles to Yanmar. The technology could easily flow the other way too. ‘In the near future, we may use

LD Mittal (centre), Chairman Sonalika Group with an international delegation.

dealerships in Europe,’ sets out Mittal.

International Tractors sells tractors in the 25-90 HP range.

This model of exporting out of India has so far been working fine for India’s no.4 tractor maker. ITL already exports to 55 countries across the globe, and it boasts of assembly facilities in African countries like Egypt and Nigeria. Close to 3,000 or 10 percent of the company’s 2008-09 sales came from overseas markets. The target is even higher this year. ‘We expect to do 10,000 units in export markets this year, even while there is a projection to do 45,000 units this year,’ claims Mittal. That is a massive jump at a time when the domestic tractor industry grew by only 5 percent to 3,15,000 units in 2008-09. ‘This is not as difficult as it seems. There is a huge backlog in terms of farm mechanisation in India. The country has an average of 12 tractors per 1,000 hectares of land holding. In sharp contrast, the global average is 34 tractors per 1,000 hectares. november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 55

different strokes

international tractors

international tractors / different strokes

In addition to ample ambition in the domestic market, ITL is also looking very keenly at global markets. The mantra is simple: high technology products to be made in India. Story Sridhar Chari

LD Mittal (centre), Chairman Sonalika Group with an international delegation.

dealerships in Europe,’ sets out Mittal.

International Tractors sells tractors in the 25-90 HP range.

different strokes / international tractors

It is only a matter of finance being made easily available and with less stringent terms. If that happens, we can easily see 25 percent growth rates for the industry,’ asserts Mittal, who is also former President of the Tractor Manufacturer’s Association. In recent times, banks have started to lend more to the farm sector, but they still impose conditionalities like the size of the family of the lender and also the misplaced policy of taking The new RX series of into account the tractors feature a Diesel NPA history of Saving Unit. the entire village in which the potential borrower resides in. It is to tide over these issues that ITL has entered into an exclusive tie-up with Magma Finance. ITL sells tractors in the 25-90HP range. In terms of a breakup, 50 percent of sales occur at the 35-50 HP range, while 25 percent is below 35 HP and the rest is over 50 HP tractors. The latter is the most interesting of the lot. India has considerable potential to deploy these large tractors for non farm

applications. During the non-agricultural season they can be used for people and cargo movement. ‘Some of these big tractors costing only Rs 4 lakh can pull trolleys. The same would otherwise need an Rs 11 lakh truck. The fuel savings are for all to see as well,’ adds Mittal. On the subject of fuel saving, ITL’s new RX series of tractors stand out. In conventional tractors, a hydraulic pump constantly releases power to the detri(Left 1&2) Snapshots from Sonalika’s Hoshiarpur factory. (Right) Sonalika Tractors on display at a marketing event in Punjab.

ment of fuel efficiency. But, the Diesel Saver Unit (DSU) in the new RX series of tractors disengages the tractor’s hydraulic pump whenever the extra power is not required. The 39, 42 and 47 HP tractors in this range feature the DSU, while tractors in the 60HP range feature a turbocharger. Barring a few engines, ITL makes most of the aggregates for its 2590HP range by itself. With so much going on, it is natural to expect ITL to harbour strong ambitions. And it does. The company wants to become India’s biggest tractor maker in 5 years. With 800 sales and service points across India, distribution is not a challenge; it is only a matter of ramp up. ‘Most of our competitors have been around for a long period of time. Whereas we have been making tractors for only slightly more than a decade now. Secondly unlike competition, we have not acquired any companies. But, still, by growing on our own steam, while remaining debt free and happy with leaner margins, we aspire to become India’s pre-eminent tractor maker within 5 years,’ elaborates Mittal. ■

9 - 11 March 2010 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre United Arab Emirates

Join the INDIAN Pavilion at this exclusive regional showcase for Commercial Vehicles, Parts & Services

Join the Middle East’s largest commercial vehicles trade event for as little as US$3,600 Includes: • 12 square meter stand, including fascia with nameplate, carpet tiles, spotlights, power supply, waste basket, table & 2 chairs Plus… •

Complimentary invitations to the event gala dinner

•

100 word write-up in the official show catalogue

•

Allocation of printed visitor invitations

Featuring… • 3-day exhibition in the Dubai World Trade Centre, the region’s number one tradeshow venue

•

Hosted Buyer Program delivering buyers to your stand

•

International conference focusing on technology and operational issues affecting the Middle East commercial vehicles industry

•

Indoor vehicle display area

•

On-site workshops and seminars

Commercial Vechicles Middle East provides a targeted opportunity for you to promote your products, services and technologies to key buyers from across the region To find out more about how your company can join the Indian pavilion at this exciting event, please contact: Sameer Khedkar, Focussed Events (Official Sales Agent for India), Tel: +91 (0) 22 3201 9137 s.khedkar@focussedevents.com To find out how your company can benefit from this exciting event, please contact the Organisers: Tel: +971 4 3329029, Fax: +971 4 3329648 Email: mail@commvehicles.com

56 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Organised by:

Supported by:

Media partner: SMMT

different strokes / international tractors

9 - 11 March 2010 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre United Arab Emirates

Join the INDIAN Pavilion at this exclusive regional showcase for Commercial Vehicles, Parts & Services

Complimentary invitations to the event gala dinner

•

100 word write-up in the official show catalogue

•

Allocation of printed visitor invitations

Featuring… • 3-day exhibition in the Dubai World Trade Centre, the region’s number one tradeshow venue

•

Hosted Buyer Program delivering buyers to your stand

•

International conference focusing on technology and operational issues affecting the Middle East commercial vehicles industry

•

Indoor vehicle display area

•

On-site workshops and seminars

56 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Organised by:

Supported by:

Media partner: SMMT

Key enabler

Janatics

Doors open for Janatics

Janatics / key enabler

t is no longer a rare sight to see city buses hissing open their doors at bus stops. Initially, this ‘unusual’ bus feature was frowned upon by commuters, because they could not hop-on or hop-off at their own fancy. But the idea of better safety caught on soon enough. ‘Be it footboard Romeos or children standing near the door, everyone is spared the danger of falling off when the bus brakes suddenly or turns swiftly,’ says G.C.Venkatesan, Executive Director, Janatics India Pvt Ltd. He should know. Janatics has supplied 1,50,000 pneumatic door operating systems across the globe. At the start of this century, the company exported the first of these products to European, American and African markets. But, with the Indian CV industry catching up with more developed markets, the demand for such systems is now gathering steam in India. The company has bagged a major chunk of orders for these products, from cities acquiring buses under the JNNURM. Besides major OEMs like Tata Motors,

The Rs 70 crore company was founded by G.C. Nageswaran (L) and K. Jagannathan (R) in 1977.

Ashok Leyland and Volvo, the company counts ACGL, Antony Garages, Ruby Coaches and KMS Bangalore, Shakti, DVN and Indian coach among its clients. ‘The enhanced focus on quality fully-built buses has helped sell products to both OEMs and body builders. Three years from now, we plan to set up assembly plants in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune,’ reveals Venkatesan.

Pneumatic door operators basically consist of a cylinder and push rod system which draws its air inputs from the common compressor of the vehicle. The cost of these systems ranges from Rs 3,000 to Rs.1.5 lakh. The high-end product is loaded with as many as 14 safety features. Some of the features are automatic entry and exit proximity detection sensors, shutting doors whenever the engine starts to run, as well

Pneumatic door operating systems have been a good foil for the Coimbatore-based company’s industrial automation business. Story Ram Kumar Ramaswamy

Between the industrial and automotive sector, Janatics, puts out as many as 65,000 different pneumatic products.

58 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 59

Key enabler

Janatics

Doors open for Janatics

Janatics / key enabler

The Rs 70 crore company was founded by G.C. Nageswaran (L) and K. Jagannathan (R) in 1977.

Pneumatic door operating systems have been a good foil for the Coimbatore-based company’s industrial automation business. Story Ram Kumar Ramaswamy

Between the industrial and automotive sector, Janatics, puts out as many as 65,000 different pneumatic products.

58 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 59

key enabler / janatics

aaa / aaa

Janatics benefits from a strong local supplier base in Coimbatore.

C.Venkatesan (L), Executive Director, Janatics India Pvt Ltd. and R.Ramesh (R), Assistant General Manager - Marketing and IT

as retreating were someone to get accidentally caught in between the doors. Janatics may see competition from various domestic and global manufacturers, but its chief edge lies in the fact that it has a strong local manufacturing footprint. It stands tall at Coimbatore’s SIDCO area.Deriving its name from its founders K.Jagannathan and G.C.Nageswaran, the Rs.70 crore ‘JaNa’tics started life in 1977 by manufacturing actuators. With more than 200 skilled workmen on the shop floors spread over 1.5 lakh sq ft, the company offers as many as 65,000 different permutations and combinations of pneumatic products. The company banks on a huge vendor base, with the majority of fabrication activity being outsourced to smaller players. The Coimbatore plant handles design, assembly and storage activities alone. ‘We are very strong when it comes to design and quality of local manufacture. This helps us offer better and faster servicing vis-à-vis competitors who import their systems from China,’ says Venkatesan. Among other innovations, Janatics expects to add other features such as pneumatic extendable foot boards that will benefit the elderly and the physically challenged. Such innovations are expected to be adopted by progressive state players such as DTC as well as Volvo. Currently, the Swedish major brings in such systems from its home country.

the key bread winner for Janatics. Manufacturing lines at Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Schwing Stetter, Hyundai, Mahindra and General Motors incorporate Janatics’ technologies. ‘Pneumatics are a major part of any automotive manufacturing line, owing to their being a cheap and robust technology. Our pneumatic applications, contribute to bottleneck elimination during repetitive jobs as well as improving the overall ergonomics,’ says Ramesh R, AGM - Marketing & IT, Janatics India Pvt Ltd. Combined with robotics, numerous repetitive ‘pick-n-place’ or welding, bolstering jobs are now done with ease. ‘Our expertise comes in wherever compressed air is needed during automation and assembly,’ adds Ramesh. Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) are where Janatics are strong about.

‘One of the instances where we have made a difference is in coming up with a solution to fix seats inside vehicles, hitherto a major headache for OEMs. We made a suggestion to Tata Motors to incorporate our pneumatic robotic intelligent systems. We have even taken a fully working pneumatic kit unit to Tata Motors, where we trained 60 employees free of cost,’ says Ramesh. Even otherwise the company has adopted significant initiatives to train students. Its trainer kits now work soundly in educational institutions such as the IITs, teaching students and attracting research potential. ’We aim to become a Rs 100 crore company. The recession has been only a small setback since we have a balanced portfolio in terms of industrial and automotive businesses,’ states Venkatesan. ■

The use of robotics lends both efficiency and finesse to manufacturing operations.

Industrial automation systems Before the pneumatic door operating systems came onto the scene it was the industrial automation systems business that was 60 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 61

Special Report

Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Busworld

Kortrijk 2009 lives up to billing Even as it managed a generous catch of exhibitors and visitors, the flagship show for the global bus and coach industry, was quite the showcase for cutting-edge hybrid technology.

omething major must happen for a small Belgian town bordering France to draw 28,127 visitors from a whopping 118 countries. The answer must be obvious if one is aware of the Busworld movement that has been going strong since 1971. The town in question is

Story Sridhar Chari Kortrijk and we are of course referring to the 20th Edition of Busworld Kortrijk. Despite the recession affecting the global bus industry, Busworld was confident enough to expand the facilities from 7,500 square metres to a massive 50,000 square metres. This confidence was not misplaced. The show, held from October 16-21, boasted of 389 exhibitors from 34

countries. This number included 70 bus builders and OEMs. The highlights very aplenty as you will note from the following pages (see ‘Highlights’). Scania launched the Touring coach in collaboration with Chinese body builder Higer. Volvo announced commercial production of its 7700 hybrid. MAN has also leapfrogged to EEV compliance

The show has been going strong for 38 years now. The latest edition drew 389 exhibitors from 34 countries.

In association with

62 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

An important MoU was signed by (L-R), Rajan Sharma, MD, Interads Exhibitions, Marc Van den Bossche, Chairman Busworld International and KS Wilkhu, President, Indian Association of Bus Manufacturers.

when even Euro V compliance has just begun in Europe. Daimler Buses on the other hand saw international recognition for the Mercedes-Benz Travego, Citaro as well as the Setra 416 GT-HD. Turkish bus maker Temsa which occupied an entire hall, showed off its new Avenue hybrid that is plug-in ready. Polish premium bus specialist Solaris was not to be left behind – it launched the Urbino 12 hybrid. Also to be noted was Chinese company Anhui Ankai’s fully electric bus with a range of 200 km. And, by the way, both Scania and Temsa tell us that they are very keen to enter India. The component/aggregate makers were in full flow too. Allison Transmissions put out two new six-speed transmissions, while Bosch Rexroth surprised many with its hydraulic hybrid drive train. German Passenger Information Systems’ specialist Lawo is plotting an entry into India. But, British competitor Hannover Displays is already setting up an assembly plant in Pune. Meanwhile, door systems major Vapor Ricon is getting manufacturing operations underway in Kolkata. Gerfloor, the French flooring company is trying to make some headway into India. But fellow floor fabricator Forbo is already in India. Some other exhibitors such as AB Thoreb, His-

pacold, Mobitec, Isri are known names in India. Busworld joins forces with IABM Three prominent bus makers, Sutluj Motors, JCBL and Corona Bus Manufacturers have come together to form the Indian Association of Bus Manufacturers (IABM). This body seeks to introduce a culture of world class buses into India. ‘For too long have we lived with nothing but boxes slapped on truck chassis,’ says KS Wilkhu, President, IABM and also Director, Sutluj Motors. Now, the show has 50,000 square metres of hall space as against 7,500 square metres earlier.

IABM has decided to enter into a mutually beneficial understanding with Busworld International as well as partner and exhibitions organiser Interads Exhibitions. To this effect, a MoU was signed by KS Wilkhu, Marc Van den Bossche, Chairman Busworld International and Rajan Sharma, MD, Interads Exhibitons in the presence of Belgian Federal Ministers. As per the MoU, IABM will support Interads and Busworld International in its initiatives in India as well as across the globe. In return, Interads and Busworld International will assist IABM in raising the profile of the Indian bus industry and facilitating contacts with international players. ‘We believe that there is huge demand for quality buses in India as well as international markets. In co-operating with IABM, we intend to provide a global platform to establish the credentials of the Indian bus manufacturing industry,’ states Rajan Sharma. The big picture, as KS Wilkhu explained during Busworld’s India Day is that India has 1 bus for a population of 1,850, whereas in Singapore, there is 1 bus for a population of 200. There is a need for 15,000 city buses in 68 cities across India. Even otherwise, as against the estimated need for 1.2 lakh buses every year, just 50,000 are put out each year. All this represents a huge opportunity for independent bus manufacturers. But so far,

Special Report

Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Busworld

The show has been going strong for 38 years now. The latest edition drew 389 exhibitors from 34 countries.

In association with

62 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

An important MoU was signed by (L-R), Rajan Sharma, MD, Interads Exhibitions, Marc Van den Bossche, Chairman Busworld International and KS Wilkhu, President, Indian Association of Bus Manufacturers.

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

‘Coaches are not allowed by the authorities to park at the centre of cities but their own parking spaces outside the cities are usurped by cars and trucks,’ he lamented. The same views were expressed at the 6th European Bus and Coach Forum on ‘Boosting European Coach Tourism & Travel through Business-friendly rules’, attended by some 200 coach and travel policy and business European leaders. They were meeting to underscore the need for business-friendly policies to be implemented at local, national and EU level to meet the ambitious objectives of the European Transport Policy for 2010-2020. The forum noted the rather chaotic

From (L-R), Mieke Glorieux, Director, Busworld Kortrijk, Patrick Van Impe, CEO, Busworld, Marc Van den Bossche, Chairman Busworld International and Luc Glorieux, Founder Busworld

Busworld also handed out a few ‘Grand Awards’

The logo of the new ‘Smart Move’ campaign

such bus makers have not managed to secure big orders because of question marks over their perceived size and technological capabilities. IABM has a solution to this issue. ‘We want to bring many other body builder associations under our fold and give them a voice. There is also potential to licence technology to members so that they can bid for prestigious orders,’ states Wilkhu. Currently, the chief issue preventing independent (integral bus) manufacturers from coming to the party is that are few domestic sources of supply of aggregates like engines, axles and transmissions. If IABM succeeds in equipping body builders to adopt state-of-the-art technology, more global aggregate makers may want to set up shop in India. And, they will then provide localised products at lower prices. In the same breath, IABM is also working with regulatory authorities and potential 64 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

customers to create awareness about the need for better quality buses. Balraj Bhanot, architect of the bus code and former Director of the ARAI states that to have world class buses, one must have proper parameters in place. ‘There is still no commonly accepted definition of a monocoque bus. Some manufacturers still cut long members of the structure to make cargo space,’ he asserted. It was to prevent such ambiguity that Bhanot had crafted stringent specifications for the 2,500 ultralow floor buses DTC order. Smart Move Joining forces, Busworld and the International Road Transport Union (IRU) have launched the SMART MOVE campaign. A logo and promotional film have been devised to accompany this campaign. An initial amount of Euro 50,000-60,000 Belgian bus maker Van Hool displayed its fuel cell hybrid that will now be will be initially supplied to customers in the US. committed,

with another Euro 40,000 to be infused at a later date. The campaign, involving prominent bus manufacturers in Europe, focuses on establishing the environment-friendly, traffic decongesting, fuel-efficient, flexible and user-friendly credentials of buses. The target audience will be regulatory authorities, the mass media and indeed the general public. For instance, buses have reduced emissions by as much as 98 percent since 1990. Continuing on his favourite theme of ‘A truck is not a coach’, Luc Glorieux, founder of Busworld emphasised on the need for coach-friendly policies from the regulators.

Busworld Kortrijk Grand Award Coach The Setra S 416 GT-HD got the award for its passive safety systems, including a front collision protection system. Busworld Kortrijk Grand Award Bus With more than 20,000 units of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro Low Entry being sold so far, the credentials are not in doubt. The bus got the jury’s nod for a mix of safety and an ergonomic and comfortable space for both driver and passengers. Busworld Kortrijk Grand Award Midi Coach The Otokar Vectio 250T was recognised, because, the midi-coach has thoughtful facilities for tourists such as creating space for a laptop as well as a range of electronic docking facilities.

From (L-R), Balraj Bhanot, Ex-Director ARAI, S. Sandhu, Deputy Director ARAI, Doug Jack, International Consultant and KS Wilkhu, President IABM

zones preclude the entry of coaches. Says Graham Smith, President IRU Passenger Transport Council and President Confedration of Passenger Transport, Small fleet owners, who have only recently invested Euro 2,00,000 in Euro IV coaches now find that in certain cities, they are fined as if they are Euro 0 compliant. Hence, there is a need to have uniform regulations and documentation as regards such low emission zones.’ It is here that Stockholm comes to the fore. The Swedish capital, also recognised as the green capital of Europe, has coachfriendly policies. Stockholm, won the IRU City trophy 2009. The policy includes creating parking areas at all city entrances, deterring the use of private cars through a congestion tax, allowing tour-

Busworld Kortrijk Environment Award The Van Hool hybride brandstofcelbus A330FC was noted because the small Belgian coach-builder has managed to put together a fuel cell hybrid that guarantees zero emissions. The buses are off to the US. Busworld Kortrijk Innovation Award The VDL Bus SB4000, Citea CLF 120 got the nod, because of the use of infrared CCTVs, automatic fire-extinguishing system and an alco-lock for the driver.

introduction of access restrictions for coaches in many European cities. In simple words, arbitrarily created low emission

An 18 metre vestibule bus from Belarus-bus maker Maz.

Events to look forward to Another edition of the show in Kortrijk may be two years away. But in the interim, the bus and coach industry can look forward to the Busworld in Turkey (25-28, March 2010), China (6-8 May 2010), and Russia (30 June-2 July 2010).

ist coaches to use lanes dedicated to public transport, offering some 40 dedicated coach parking spaces close to touristic sites, facilitating travel and co-modality through the newly-refurbished, userfriendly coach terminal for travellers, operators and drivers. The wheels are truly in motion.

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

From (L-R), Mieke Glorieux, Director, Busworld Kortrijk, Patrick Van Impe, CEO, Busworld, Marc Van den Bossche, Chairman Busworld International and Luc Glorieux, Founder Busworld

Busworld also handed out a few ‘Grand Awards’

The logo of the new ‘Smart Move’ campaign

From (L-R), Balraj Bhanot, Ex-Director ARAI, S. Sandhu, Deputy Director ARAI, Doug Jack, International Consultant and KS Wilkhu, President IABM

introduction of access restrictions for coaches in many European cities. In simple words, arbitrarily created low emission

An 18 metre vestibule bus from Belarus-bus maker Maz.

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Volvo open to offering articulated city buses in India

‘W

e soon look forward to sales of 1,000 buses in India. The country is an important market, considering that the European market is yet to recover,’ said Hakan Karlsson, President Volvo Bus Corporation. He is also open to bringing in articulated buses into India. ’If customers ask for it, we can surely consider bringing in articulated city buses into the country,’ he adds. The population of Volvo buses in India exceeds

66 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

2,000 units. In contrast to this, Volvo’s bread and butter European market has slumped by 10-15 percent – city bus sales were down 5-6 percent, while coaches, declined by a massive 35 percent. But Volvo which has marginally grown its European bus market share to 14.6 percent, is looking to the future with hybrid technology. After undergoing tests in London, Volvo’s 7700 hybrid bus has now entered European roads and has taken a big step toward serial production in spring 2010. The first five months’ passenger-traffic operations have demonstrated very low fuel consumption of 26 l per 100 km for the Volvo 7700 Hybrid, corresponding to a 30-percent decline compared with the diesel model. Volvo’s hybrid concept known as ISAM consists of a combined starter motor, electric motor, generator and an electronic control unit. I-SAM works together with a diesel engine and Volvo’s acclaimed I-shift gearbox. In addition, a lithium-ion battery is used that is charged during braking via the electric motor/generator. This battery then provides energy

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

to the electric motor for drive power. As a result, the bus could be equipped with a smaller 5-litre diesel engine compared with the 9-litre engine in the diesel version of the Volvo 7700. All hybrid components have been developed by Volvo. The bus weighs only 200 kilograms more than a diesel version As Europe makes the transition to the new tougher Euro V exhaust emission standards, Volvo Buses is taking the step of r e -

placing the previous 12-litre engine with a new 13-litre engine, the Volvo D13C, in the Volvo 9700 and Volvo 9900 coaches and for the chassis Volvo D13R. The new engine is a straight six-cylinder diesel with turbo and intercooler. The engine will be offered in 420hp and 460hp versions. ■

Scania eyeing Indian bus mart

wedish CV maker Scania is currently undertaking a feasibility study to examine the possibility of entering the Indian bus market. Indications are that an intercity coach may be on Indian roads by 2011. ‘Our feasibility study should be concluded by the middle of 2010. The important thing is to find the right partner. If things go well thereafter, we may bring in an intercity coach by 2011,’ reveals Martin Lundstedt, Executive Vice President Franchise and Factory Sales, Scania. Currently the company sells the P380 mining tipper in India, in partnership with L&T. ‘We are happy with the performance of the tipper. Our first choice for the bus venture partnership will be L&T, but we are open to talking to other partners as well. Chances are that we may introduce the new Scania Touring HD into India,’ Lundstedt reveals. The 12 metre Touring, launched dur-

ing Busworld Kortrijk has been built in partnership with Chinese bus bodybuilder Higer. The interior features 49 reclining passenger seats. The luggage space is large at 9 cu m. The coach is available in two trim levels, comfort and premium, both including mid-mounted toilet cabinet and an optional kitchenette. The all-Scania powertrain comprises Euro 4 and Euro 5 engines from 380 to 440 hp, a 12-speed gearbox, as well as a choice of fully automated or electronically controlled gear changing. The coach has full air suspension, with optional independent suspension for the front wheels. Electronically controlled disc brakes with ABS are standard. Starting with a launch in Europe by early 2010, Scania plans to take the coach to the Middle East, Africa as well as Asia. A right hand drive bus is already ready development. Low cost by European stand-

ards at Euro 1.9-2 million, the bus will cost lower in India on account of the less stringent standards for emissions compliance as well as passenger comfort. ■

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Volvo open to offering articulated city buses in India

‘W

66 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Scania eyeing Indian bus mart

ards at Euro 1.9-2 million, the bus will cost lower in India on account of the less stringent standards for emissions compliance as well as passenger comfort. ■

Temsa reiterates India-entry strategy

urkish bus maker Temsa has reinforced its commitment to India. ‘We are watching the recent spurt in demand for Indian buses very closely. As such, we will surely come into India. But for the moment, our priority is to tide over the slowdown,’ said Omer Suzutek, international relations and business development director, Temsa Global. Currently, the company’s domestic market has shrunk badly and only a partial recovery is expected to happen in 2010. Besides Turkey, the integral bus maker has a plant in Egypt. So far as the India plan is concerned, Temsa is to locally manufacture its Safari RD integral coach, most likely in collaboration with auto component major, JBM Group. Temsa, which occupied an entire hall at Busworld Kortrijk, unveiled its smart new brand logo. Also on display was the new Temsa Avenue hybrid that promises 30 percent better fuel-efficiency. The city bus uses ultra capacitors instead of batteries. The former are more expensive but offer a reduction of 100 kg in dead weight and therefore improve fuel efficiency. Temsa claims that this bus, which will be a ready fit for low emission zones is plug-in ready. The Turkish company has been a fast mover in the city bus market. It presented its first every diesel bus in September 2008. By June 2009, the company had exhibited its first CNG bus. The hybrid therefore becomes the crowning glory. ■

68 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Lawo ‘displays’ interest in India

he Euro 24 million German passenger information systems specialist Lawo is plotting an entry into India. ‘Having started looking at India since the beginning of this year, we are currently in discussions with a couple of potential partners. We hope to close negotiations by the end of this year,’ says Robert Gels, Export Sales Director. If all things go as per plan, the company could put out 1,000 display boards in India next year. Currently, the passenger information systems are designed in Germany, but the boards are made in China. For starters, the entire display board could be sent to India in a CKD form. As volumes pick up greater localisation is possible. ‘Beginning with the manufacture of the boards themselves, in due course of time, we could look at even the software coming out of India. We have already been sourcing components such as PCBs from India and have found the quality to be very good,’ adds Gels. The 24-year old company has supplied to 20 countries in Europe, Asia, South Africa and the Middle East. It is part of MARK IV Industries Inc., which achieves annual revenues of USD 1.2 billion. Lawo co-operates with affiliates like Luminator (USA), SLE (France) and Focon (Denmark) ■

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Solaris unveils Urbino 12 hybrid

olish premium bus maker has been doing rather well despite the slowdown. The company expects to sell more than 1,000 buses this year. The Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid uses a parallel hybrid system supplied by experienced component supplier Eaton. This system already is in use in a variety of applications from North America to New Zealand. The hybrid system of this bus was designed especially for buses of up to 12 metres length. In this parallel hybrid system, an electric engine recuperates energy during braking and stores it in lithium-ion batteries. When the bus accelerates again, this energy is put to use. The electric motor’s

peak output is 44 kW. The four lithium-ion batteries used for energy storage are mounted under seats. They have a nominal voltage of 340 V and are fed exclusively by the electric engine. There is no need to plug the bus into an external power supply. With peak power requirements being met electrically, the diesel engine has been downsized to reflect the reduced load. The Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid uses a 6.7-litre

Cummins diesel engine rated at 162 kW (220 PS), which meets demanding EEV emissions standard. The Eaton hybrid system is mated to an automated six-speed gearbox. Further, Solaris – in partnership with Eaton – has included an automatic startstop system. The Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid will only cost EUR 70,000 more than a conventional diesel bus of the same size and specification. ■

Vapor Bus International to create own doors to India

apor Bus International, a division of Wabtec Corporation is pretty keen to make headway in the Indian bus door equipment market. The company is the largest door equipment supplier for buses in North America. ‘We will set up a plant near Kolkata to assemble door equipment. By 2011, the plant should have a capacity to put together 1,000 doors per annum,’ reveals David C. Griffis, Manager, Business Development, Bus Door Systems. Vapor Bus International. The localisation levels will initially be low because CKD kits will be imported for assembly from either US, UK or Italy. Localisation will climb with volumes. Vapor’s first order is for semi low floor (650 mm) Ashok Leyland buses. ‘We are looking at more orders from airport tarmac coach makers as well as intercity coaches,’ adds Griffin. ■

Temsa reiterates India-entry strategy

68 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Lawo ‘displays’ interest in India

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Solaris unveils Urbino 12 hybrid

Vapor Bus International to create own doors to India

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Here are two horses from the Mercedes-Benz stable that caught our eye

he European bus and coach jury at ‚Busworld Kortrijk’, has crowned the third generation Mercedes-Benz Travego as ‘Coach of the Year 2010’. The Travego emerged victorious after the jury of experts from 17 European countries put the Travego through its paces against four other European competitors at the Coach Euro Test in June 2009 in Senlis, Paris. This coach Euro test takes place every two years The three-axle 13-metre Mercedes Benz Travego M impressed the jury with its safety systems, including ABS, ASR, Electronic Stability Programme, Active Brake Assist, Lane Assist, Front Collision Guard and Proximity Control (ART).

Mercedes-Benz combines features of wellproven Mercedes-Benz fuel cell buses, the diesel-electric Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid and further technical developments. The developers of the Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid expect hydrogen consumption to be reduced by almost half vis-à-vis the first generation of fuel cell powered buses, for example. The fuel cell also has a longer operating life of six

years or 12,000 operating hours. As in the first-generation fuel cell Citaro, most of the Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid’s technology is mounted on the reinforced roof of the vehicle beneath an elegant cover to save space. The compressed gas tanks containing hydrogen are accommodated in the front area. These a r e

the only features to have been adopted from the previous model, all the other components being new developments. Lithium-ion traction batteries are arranged just behind the gas tanks, a first for fuel cell powered buses. The batteries have a capacity of 27 kWh, sufficient to drive the electric motors at a con¬stant 120 kW. Despite the additional batteries, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid with a kerb weight of around 13.2 t weighs about one tonne less than the Citaro Bluetec hybrid. Mercedes Benz is also celebrating the delivery of the 25,000th Citaro bus. ■

Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid The future has become the present with the new Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid. First presented at the 2009 UITP Congress, this first fuel cell powered hybrid bus from

Hannover Displays prepares to assemble display boards in India

he UK-based Hannover displays is proceeding with plans to assembly its display boards in Pune. The company has had contacts with leading bus makers like Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors. Hanover Displays is Europe’s leading manufacturer of electronic destination signs for the public transport industry. There are well over 250,000 Hanover destination displays installed on public transport vehicles around the world. The company also supplies Global Positioning Systems, voice announcement systems, wireless data transfer systems, multimedia on-bus passenger information displays, as well as static, street-based displays. ■ 70 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Allison Transmission

llison Transmission has introduced the new T375 and T375R bus transmissions at Busworld Kortrijk held last month. The new transmissions have been launched to complement the gradual increase in power and torque of Euro 5 bus engines. Both the new transmissions are being offered in six speed automatic variants for buses and coaches featuring power and torque of upto 360bhp and 1450Nm respectively. ■

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Here are two horses from the Mercedes-Benz stable that caught our eye

Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid The future has become the present with the new Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid. First presented at the 2009 UITP Congress, this first fuel cell powered hybrid bus from

Hannover Displays prepares to assemble display boards in India

Allison Transmission

llison Transmission has introduced the new T375 and T375R bus transmissions at Busworld Kortrijk held last month. The new transmissions have been launched to complement the gradual increase in power and torque of Euro 5 bus engines. Both the new transmissions are being offered in six speed automatic variants for buses and coaches featuring power and torque of upto 360bhp and 1450Nm respectively. ■

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Setra presents a couple of gems from MultiClass family area, an enhanced version of the 32-kw roof-mounted air conditioning system for the passenger compartment and pneumatically controlled outward swinging doors. The high-floor S 416 H bus also had its world premiere at Busworld 2009. This bus is a new MultiClass 400 model which will be available in the form of 12 and 13-metre variants with two axles (S415/416). The advantage of the new rural-service bus, which will be available from March 2010, is obvious. With its aisle at about 1040 mm above the road, it has been possible to design the high-floor vehicle with an attractive luggage capacity of up to 7.9 m³. This makes it a classic double-earner for bus and coach operators. The vehicle premiered in Kortrijk can seat 56 passengers. It is equipped with an OM 457 hLA engine developing 260 kW (354 hp) and a GO 190 transmission with a VR 115 retarder. ■

art of the MultiClass 400 family, is a two-door S 415 NF. Introduced in 2006 to extend the Setra product range in the regular-service and excursion sectors, the low-floor bus was voted ‘Bus of the Year 2009’ by a team of European judges who assessed competing vehicles on the basis of their suitability for everyday use as well as build quality, design concept and economy. The S 415 NF on show on the Setra stand can seat 40 passengers and includes features such as air conditioning for the driver’s

Bosch Rexroth displays hydraulic hybrid drive train

n a departure from the diesel electric hybrids dominating the show, hydraulic drive specialist, Bosch Rexroth showed off its hydraulic hybrid system for buses. The hydraulic hybrid vehicle uses hydraulic and mechanical components instead of electrical ones. A variable displacement pump replaces the motor/generator, and a hydraulic accumulator (which stores energy) replaces the batteries. The hydraulic accumulator, which is essentially a pressure tank, is potentially cheaper and more durable than batteries. Capturing the energy released during braking, the hydraulic hybrid system can power the vehicle for certain lengths of time, without the internal combustion engine being on. Such a technology could be more useful for India, given the lower costs vis-à-vis conventional hybrid systems. ■ 72 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Thoreb wants to replicate Romanian experience in India

The ZF EcoLife will soon be available as a hybrid variant.

wedish bus fleet management systems specialist, AB Thoreb has an Indian presence in the shape of a JV with Castmaster India Private Ltd. Globally, Thoreb offers real-time information system and intelligent electrical systems. Thoreb also supplies intelligent multiplexing for buses that places I/O control nodes in key areas of the bus. Not only will these nodes provide precise intelligent control of all devices on the bus, they can also collect data from sensors and other sub-systems on a bus in real-time. There is also an on-board computer which will transmit information to fleet operators using the GPS network. Some of these systems have been seen on the ultra-low entry buses plying in Delhi. In June, 1,000 Mercedes buses fitted with Thoreb’s fleet management equipment were delivered to Romania’s capital Bucharest. Here is a bird’s eye view of the system: Two displays, located just above the driver’s eye line provide instructions as well as visual directions in the form of a map. Inside the bus, another display informs passengers about the next stop, the bus route, and may also show some com-

mercials. The display is controlled by the ‘Thoreb DV19’ unit, which also controls audio announcements of next bus stops. But the best part of the system is the vigil over the drivers. Statistics generated by the on board C90 ++ computer can be transmitted to the control room. ‘We can offer information about fuel consumption, the number of ‘kick downs’ and speed and route violations. The system can also be used for traffic planning and for calculating the driver’s salary,’ states Dr. Thore Brynielsson, Chairman and CEO, AB Thoreb. Considering that both fleet management practices and driver behaviour are below par in India, Thoreb’s systems can be useful for our country. ‘In many ways, Romania is similar to India, therefore, many of these systems could be deployed here,’ adds Dr. Brynielsson. ■

German company Voith Turbo, which already supplies hydrodynamic products in India, is keen to latch on to some business on the transmissions side. ‘We are talking to Tata Motors to supply our transmissions for their bus exports to Senegal. In such parts of Africa, our transmissions are better known than competition,’ claims Thierry Constantin, MD, Voith Turbo, France.

The Euro 212 million (2007) automotive division of French Group Actia specialises in a variety of communication, safety, multimedia and diagnostics systems. The company with a presence in Noida has seen its systems fitted onto 1,00,000 buses.

H i g h l i g h t s

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Bosch Rexroth displays hydraulic hybrid drive train

Thoreb wants to replicate Romanian experience in India

The ZF EcoLife will soon be available as a hybrid variant.

H i g h l i g h t s

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Van Hool does not disappoint

esides offering a bevy of hybrid and double-decker buses, Belgian coach builder Van Hool, brought out two new buses:

The Astronef The most remarkable feature of this multi-axle bus is the ascending theatre floor, giving passengers a totally different feel because they no longer have to look at the back of the seat in front of them. The new bus is 3,73 m high, 2.55 m wide and is supplied in 2 lengths: the T916 Astronef is 13.2 m long and the T917 Astronef 14.04 m. In the 4-star version, there is good for 50 and 54 comfortable seats respectively. The Astronef combines a

MAN Lion’s impressive Regio intercity bus

he MAN Lion’s Regio with a floor height of 860 mm and a vehicle height of 3.4 metres occupies the intercity segment, whose representatives are often put to use for short tours on weekends. With a luggage

compartment volume of between 5.6 and 6.8 cubic metres, this double-income earner is perfectly equipped for both types of operation. Although Euro 5 emission limits come into force in the European Union for all new buses and coaches registered on or after 1 October 2009, MAN has decided to go straight to the even more

stringent EEV (Enhanced Environmentally- friendly Vehicle) limits, which are well on the way towards the next level, Euro 6. MAN has reached EEV standard without any liquid additive in the exhaust system, only the patented PM-KAT filter which is entirely service-free. ■

large luggage compartment with a highly luxurious interior. The Atlon This bus is a combination of aesthetics and comfort of a coach for holiday tours and the fairly low saloon floor of a real dual earner. This is because the bus offers easy accessibility to regular services during weekdays and ample underfloor luggage space for weekend coach tours. But the overall vehicle height is still restricted to 3.37 m. ■

anking on Chinese government subsidies on electric vehicles, Chinese company Anhui Ankai Automobile Company has come out with a plug in electric bus. Dr. Jimin He of the company claims that the bus can do 200 km on a single charge. And remarkably, the charging time is only 4 hours. The costs can be further lowered, because Ankai has come out with a concept to lease out the power cells. The bus has been tested for 1,00,000 km over the last three years. Some 400-500 such electric buses are sold every year in China ■

74 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Six and four cylinder reciprocating compressors for bus air conditioning from Bitzer.

erman Company Kendrion Linning GmbH makes a variety of products ranging from engine-cooling systems, air-conditioning compressor drives, switchable clutches for auxiliary units, fire-protection technology, eddy current brakes, clutch / brake combinations, magnet clutches and brakes and control systems. The company has a presence in Pune. ■

Denso shows off its new variable stroke compressor for bus ACs

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

Busworld Kortrijk 2009 / special report

Van Hool does not disappoint

esides offering a bevy of hybrid and double-decker buses, Belgian coach builder Van Hool, brought out two new buses:

MAN Lion’s impressive Regio intercity bus

74 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Six and four cylinder reciprocating compressors for bus air conditioning from Bitzer.

Denso shows off its new variable stroke compressor for bus ACs

H i g h l i g h t s

special report / Busworld Kortrijk 2009

H i g h l i g h t s

VDL’s latest city offering

utch-bus maker VDL has showcased the Citea CLE 137 city bus. Powered by Euro V compliant 310-360 HP DAF engines and driven by six-speed ZF automatic transmissions, the bus is as fast as it is maneuverable. Independent front suspension and hydraulically assisted power steering make the in-bus experience that much more pleasurable. The bus offers a choice of two classes - 1 or 2 combined with low floor construction all the way to the rear axle. This high degree of modularity makes the Citea CLE suitable for both city and regional transport. ■

talian bus maker Breda Menarinibus, showcased the ZEUS M 200 E, a premium electric minibus. The bus has an updated traction module, as well as a new and more powerful AC water cooled electric motor, an IGBT inverter and new lithium ion batteries. The Italian company has been successful in reducing 500 kg of the bus’ weight. This increases speed and efficiency. The new lithium batteries allow a range of 120 km in a typical urban duty cycle. With the new batteries it is possible to halve the recharge time. Breda has put out 30,000 buses in its 90 years of existence. ■

elebrating the 120th anniversary of its parent company the IRIZAR GROUP, Spanish bus body builder Irizar showcased the IRIZAR i4 LE (low entry). This city bus, built on a 12.5 metre Volvo chassis, has been launched in the Spanish market to a good response. It must be noted that Irizar is also present in India through a three-way JV with Ashok Leyland and the TVS group. ■

iamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd has been named ‘Coach Builder of the Year 2010’ at Busworld Kortrijk. This is the third time that KingLong has taken part in Busworld Kortrijk. KingLong brought two monocoque bus models here, the XMQ61200 and the XMQ 6900. KingLong buses are sold in India too, through Indian partner, JCBL. ■ 76 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

urkish bus manufacturer BMC presented the ALYOS a 59-seater school bus powered by Cummins Euro 5 ISBe5 285PS engine, with a ZF 6 forward manual gearbox. ■

Navistar

Miles Ahead

Navistar hybrid vehicles clock 5 million miles

avistar has become the first OEM to clock five million miles through its range of hybrid International trucks and IC Bus brand of school and commercial buses sold across the globe. Recent years have seen a surge in the popularity of hybrid vehicles and Navistar has been at the forefront of this wave. ‘With a wide range of hybrid trucks and buses, we continue to be a leader in providing energy-saving and environmentally-friendly transport solutions. These technologies reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and thereby help customers to enhance their bottom line and also reduce overall carbon footprint,’ said Jack Allen, President, Navistar’s North American truck group. In less than two years, Navistar has established itself as a leader in hybrid tech-

nology. With the launch of Class 6 medium-duty International DuraStar Hybrid in November 2007, Navistar has became the first OEM to enter assembly-line production of hybrid commercial trucks. Continuing further, Navistar expanded its hybrid product portfolio in October 2008 with the introduction of Class 7 International DuraStar Hybrid tractor for general freight haulers and food/beverage distributors. In March 2009, Navistar introduced the Class 7 severe service International WorkStar Hybrid 4x4, the industry’s first hybrid four-wheel-drive commercial truck. Depending on specific applications and operating conditions, International hybrid trucks can deliver up to 40 percent fuel savings in stop-and-go driving applications. Apart from fuel savings, the hybrid trucks produce zero emissions when auxiliary equipment (like an overhead utility

bucket) operates solely on the truck’s hybrid battery power. In addition to hybrid trucks, Navistar affiliate IC Bus, with its range of school and commercial buses, is also a significant contributor in Navistar’s accomplishments. In February 2007, IC Bus was the first to enter assembly-line production of hybrid buses. IC Bus offers a battery-powered hybrid electric system similar to that used in commercial trucks. IC Bus is also the first and only manufacturer of a factory-built plug-in electric hybrid vehicle. An IC Bus hybrid school bus can deliver fuel savings of up to 65 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 40 percent. About a month ago, Navistar also witnessed President Barack Obama travelling to the company’s Wakarusa, Ind., manufacturing facility to celebrate the award of a USD 39 million federal grant to develop and build all-electric delivery vehicles. Through this grant, Navistar plans to build 400 all-electric vehicles in 2010 and then scale annual production to several thousand within a couple of years. This zero emission all-electric delivery vehicle would primarily be used in stop- and-go driving applications which otherwise consume a large amount of fuel. ■

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 77

talking point

allison

allison / talking point

Allison rolls out two new transmissions What is on offer here is a neat package of speed, safety and better fuel-economy for buses and coaches.

llison Transmission has introduced the new T375 and T375R bus transmissions at Busworld Kortrijk held last month. The new transmissions have been launched to complement the gradual increase in power and torque of Euro 5 bus engines. ‘Tighter emissions control and the need to deliver performance are pushing engine Taalpower outputs higher. The new transmissions will ensure excellent reliability and performance efficiency,’ remarks Manlio Alvaro, Allison’s marketing manager for Europe. Both the new transmissions are being offered in six speed automatic variants for buses and coaches featuring power and torque of upto 360bhp and 1450Nm respectively. The T375 and T375R feature Allison’s 4th generation controls that allow full integration with CAN-based vehicle architectures for improved powertrain control. The new transmissions enhance drivetrain performance b e -

Temsa Global has selected the Allison T375R as the standard transmission for the recently introduced CNG version of the Avenue city bus.

78 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

cause of features like closed-loop adaptive logic for outstanding shift quality, auto neutral, RELS, new eco calibration and Load Based Shifting Scheduling (LBSS) technology. The eco-calibration operates an engine within a narrow operating speed band and prevents unnecessary fluctuation in the speed. The LBSS technology automatically selects between predetermined shift schedules depending upon various parameters like topography and vehicle load and thereby enables maximum fuel economy.

On-road tests on buses using the new transmissions have demonstrated upto 14 percent reduction in fuel consumption. For Shift Energy Management (SEM) capable engines which are slated to be launched next year, LBSS will be enhanced with Super Economy Shift Schedule (SESS). The SESS shifts the transmission to higher gear at high speeds and minimises traction requirements. Furthermore, Vehicle Acceleration Control system (VAC) will be available for customers who require bus acceleration limitation via torque management. The T375 and T375R models incorporate all key features from the trusted busspecific Torqmatic® range. The Allison patented Polak gear scheme provides sixspeeds with the same number of planetary gear sets as in four-speed transmissions and assures superior durability and power transmission efficiency. The precision helical cut gears reduce noise inside and outside the bus. The cooling system has also been significantly upgraded and now includes an enhanced 17 plate integral cooler and optional integral sump cooler. To assure

optimum cooling during retarder operations, the integral sump cooler core has been provided with two compartments, one for the retarder oil and another for sump oil. This provides an additional circuit for oil flow during retarder operations, resulting in lower transmission sump temperatures therefore causing less oil degradation and improved product life. As part of Allison Transmission’s continuous product improvement initiative, all Allison Torqmatic transmissions are now available with prognostic solutions that determine the health of the transmission and issues alerts whenever a specific maintenance function is required. ‘These solutions eventually translate into lower downtime, lower life-cycle costs and increased productivity,’ comments Alvaro. Allison customers for the new T375 and T375R models will also have access to Allison’s optional Extended Transmission Coverage package, providing up to 5 years of coverage. The T375 and T375R models are part of Allison’s extensive range of gearboxes offering solutions for buses and coaches ranging from 200bhp to over 500bhp. Temsa Global has selected the Allison T375R as the standard transmission in the CNG-fuelled version of its recently introduced Avenue city bus. Shows mettle during emergency Fire engines equipped with Allison auto-

The two-section full-track carrier ‘Vityaz DT-2P’ can transport people in harsh road and climatic conditions with temperatures as extreme as –40 to +45 ºC

matic transmissions demonstrated exceptional performance during a recent field exercise held by the Russian government to showcase the latest advances in Russian emergency vehicle technology. The event, known as ‘Actions during elimination of the consequences of terrorist acts, natural and technological disasters’ was held in Noginsk, Russia. The emergency vehicles that participated in the event included two fire engines, a tank vehicle ZIL 4331M, an airfield fire engine AA13, 5/100-100/3 and a two-section full-track carrier known as ‘Vityaz DT-2P’. All these vehicles were

Quick reaction time is very important for emergency and rescue vehicles operating in sub zero conditions.

equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions featuring Allison’s fourth generation controls. ‘When every second counts and even a small delay can result in the loss of human life, deploying a vehicle capable of rapid reaction is of paramount importance. We have found the Allison fully automatic transmission to be the most reliable and efficient means of reacting swiftly to challenges encountered en-route to an accident and during rescue operations,’ remarked Arkady Krasovsky, Chief Technical Officer, OJSC Pozhtekhnika, the manufacturing company which supplied vehicles for the event. In addition to this, Krasovsky also highlighted the advantages of using fully automatic transmissions in terms of reduced wear and tear of driveline components and consequent reduction in maintenance cost. The airfield fire engine AA13, 5/100100/3 is currently the only Russian vehicle to meet strict requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The vehicle is equipped with a 710-horsepower engine, a fire pump with a feed rate of 100 litres per second and a bumper installation with an estimated feed rate of 1,600 litres per minute. The vehicle can carry 13.5 tonnes of fire-fighting agents and accelerates up to a speed of 80 km/h in 35 seconds. The vehicle has a maximum travelling speed of 110 km/h. ■ november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 79

talking point

allison

allison / talking point

Allison rolls out two new transmissions What is on offer here is a neat package of speed, safety and better fuel-economy for buses and coaches.

llison Transmission has introduced the new T375 and T375R bus transmissions at Busworld Kortrijk held last month. The new transmissions have been launched to complement the gradual increase in power and torque of Euro 5 bus engines. ‘Tighter emissions control and the need to deliver performance are pushing engine Taalpower outputs higher. The new transmissions will ensure excellent reliability and performance efficiency,’ remarks Manlio Alvaro, Allison’s marketing manager for Europe. Both the new transmissions are being offered in six speed automatic variants for buses and coaches featuring power and torque of upto 360bhp and 1450Nm respectively. The T375 and T375R feature Allison’s 4th generation controls that allow full integration with CAN-based vehicle architectures for improved powertrain control. The new transmissions enhance drivetrain performance b e -

Temsa Global has selected the Allison T375R as the standard transmission for the recently introduced CNG version of the Avenue city bus.

78 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

The two-section full-track carrier ‘Vityaz DT-2P’ can transport people in harsh road and climatic conditions with temperatures as extreme as –40 to +45 ºC

Quick reaction time is very important for emergency and rescue vehicles operating in sub zero conditions.

Worth Watching

scania

scania / worth watching The pull-out beds offer enough headroom for the driver.

Scania T R-Series delights

he top-of-the-line Scania R series has sold more than 200,000 vehicles across the world since its launch in 2004. Loaded with thoughtful details, Scania R-series trucks are here to be seen. On the back of useful feedback from customers, the R-Series now feature enhanced aerodynamics, improved cooling capacity and a dynamic frontal treatment and styling. The interiors too, extensively modified with upgraded materials lend a new level of comfort.

Ergonomics is the buzzword. That makes the Scania R-Series more than just a collection of new creature comforts.

Here are a few highlights: Exterior make-over The frontal styling has become sharper, with more pronounced horizontal lines. A new vertical theme running all the way from the window to the bumpers spell Scania’s image more boldly than before, with a bigger logotype than before. The new grille, with more distinct horizontal bars, sports a brighter colour that contrasts better with the paintwork. The shape sends in more airflow to the radiator and into the engine compartment. The new bumper design blends into the strength of the frontal styling. LED daytime running lights (optional) and highpressure cleansers are now integrated in the design. Also optional are a fold-out dining-cumwork table and a coffee maker.

Optional wooden and brown leather wheels heighten the trucks’ aesthetics.

80 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

The tractor units with new sideskirts painted in the cab colour come as standard now. This harmonises well with the sharper front and the lines from boarding steps. These aerodynamic sideskirts improve fuel efficiency by 0.6 percent over the current model. These new sideskirts can accommodate a larger fuel tank, a step upto the catwalk. With an integrated LH side exhaust outlet, 1,500 litre tanks can now be specified on 4x2 tractor units, with either EGR or SCR engines. Customised and ergonomic interiors The cabin, has also been modified to offer safety, comfort, storage and driver appeal in style. The colour choice and styling reflects different functional areas of the cab. The workplace, resting area and the sleeping quarters are all tied-together coherently, in customisable colours. The dashboard features new styling and materials which improves the look and feel. Optional wooden and brown-leather wheels and a wooden or dark chrome dashboard trim-strip add aesthetic sense. New buttons for cruise control, adaptive cruisecontrol and down-hill speed control appear at the bottom of the steering wheel. Audio controls on LH steering wheel spoke and a trip computer on RH spoke are further loaded features. The new central storage console has a larger upper tray with lighting, an antislip mat and closed storage for stationery items. A large storage drawer for an A4 binder, four cup-holders, and moveable

ashtray are sure to make life easy for the driver too. On the passenger side, a fold-out dining-cum-working table fitted with antislip lip conceals in comfortably when not needed. An optional coffee machine can be mounted too. A long list of factory options enables the working environment and living environment to be customised to maximum comfort. Scania is now launching an optional new bed with high comfort, featuring a pull-out concept to adjust width even when seated on it. The standard lower RSeries bed which was introduced in late 2008, features 155 mm thick mattresses with pocket springs and small fill-in sections that can be permanently in place for most drivers. There are added new upper beds available on Highline and Topline. The TopLine beds are accessible by a new attached ladder. Sleeping comfort can be tailor-made for drivers, without encroaching on the highly adjustable driver station. The bed width can be adjusted from 730 to 900 mm, by lifting the front of the bed. This pull-out bed pulls out to become the bedroom at once. Additionally, the lower bed provides comfortable sitting height and ample headroom. There is additional bedside storage behind the doors too.

ducing two new audio systems – the 1DIN and the 2-DIN. The 2-DIN radio has a navigation system with directions display on the central instrument. A new 1-DIN FM-Radio is also available with features of CD/MP3 playback, Aux-in connector availability and speed-adaptable volume. All these finer elements blend into the easy to clean and robust soft-touch dashboard. Other added features The seats can be now adjusted via small pedals on the bed. Door storage bins now feature two big bottle holders and an optional armrest and leatherette door panel, which comes embossed with Scania griffin. Further, storage bins are available above doors, easily accessible from the upper bed (Topline as well as now on Highline). Hooks for litter bags are aptly placed behind the doors, and an added Sunvisor blind on the driver’s side adds to driving comfort. A new-styled remote control has buttons for central locking, approach light, panic alarm and warning light. ■

Navigation and audio systems Scania is intro-

The tractor’s sideskirts improve fuel economy by as much as 0.6 percent.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 81

Worth Watching

scania

scania / worth watching The pull-out beds offer enough headroom for the driver.

Scania T R-Series delights

Ergonomics is the buzzword. That makes the Scania R-Series more than just a collection of new creature comforts.

Optional wooden and brown leather wheels heighten the trucks’ aesthetics.

80 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Navigation and audio systems Scania is intro-

The tractor’s sideskirts improve fuel economy by as much as 0.6 percent.

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 81

the numbers game

siam data

siam data / the numbers game

3.5 tonners exports stay down for Tata and M&M Production

Manufacturers

Domestic Sales

VECV puts up strong show in 7.5-12 tonners sales

Exports

Production

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

M1 Category : Upto 8+1 seats (Passenger Carrier) B: Max.Mass upto 3.5 tonnes B1: No. of seats including driver not exceeding 7 BMW India Pvt Ltd 0 0 0 0 30 36 145 320 0 0 Force Motors Ltd 1 3 20 8 2 3 22 8 0 0 Ford India Pvt Ltd 259 275 1,673 884 248 221 1,650 861 0 0 General Motors India Pvt Ltd 739 596 3,710 2,665 812 743 5,409 3,449 0 0 Hindustan Motors Ltd 178 107 1,101 761 183 139 1,186 783 0 0 Honda Siel Cars India Ltd 0 0 0 0 127 1 1,427 108 0 0 Hyundai Motor India Ltd 0 0 0 0 4 1 29 12 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 6,377 6,964 36,097 43,997 6,943 8,965 33,564 41,881 160 54 Maruti Suzuki India Ltd 0 0 0 0 19 9 194 59 0 0 Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd 0 0 0 0 5 11 54 50 0 0 Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd* 0 0 0 0 10 36 10 36 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 1,262 1,608 11,716 9,449 1,838 1,644 11,381 9,089 42 15 Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd 1,653 2,541 10,847 10,852 1,493 2,662 10,527 11,023 0 0 Total B1 10,469 12,094 65,164 68,616 11,714 14,471 65,598 67,679 202 69 B2: No. of seats including driver exceeding 7 but not exceeding 9 (7+1 & 8+1) Force Motors Ltd 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 General Motors India Pvt Ltd 163 123 926 901 131 114 896 1,442 0 0 International Cars & Motors Ltd 525 94 1,944 463 477 101 1,876 595 6 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 2,447 3,937 13,718 26,168 2,273 4,759 12,824 25,013 93 21 Maruti Suzuki India Ltd 690 217 3,886 1,352 746 217 3,550 2,096 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 256 230 4,661 1,816 403 175 4,255 1,750 9 21 Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd 2,109 2,110 14,779 11,880 1,858 2,158 14,301 11,862 0 0 Total B2 6,190 6,711 39,914 42,590 5,888 7,524 37,702 42,758 108 42 Total B (B1+B2) 16,659 18,805 105,078 111,206 17,602 21,995 103,300 110,437 310 111 C: Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) - Van type vehicles & Max. Mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes Van Type (M1) Maruti Suzuki India Ltd 7,278 8,308 38,308 45,060 7,416 8,297 40,970 44,433 117 148 Tata Motors Ltd 2,250 4,317 13,761 23,234 3,047 4,116 13,892 22,445 42 15 Total C 9,528 12,625 52,069 68,294 10,463 12,413 54,862 66,878 159 163 Total of all M1 Category (B+C) 26,187 31,430 157,147 179,500 28,065 34,408 158,162 177,315 469 274 N1 Category : Max. Mass upto 3.5 tonnes (Goods Carrier) Max Mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes Force Motors Ltd 322 334 827 1,190 276 307 1,083 1,101 3 0 Hindustan Motors Ltd 0 44 0 132 3 29 5 127 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 5,231 6,366 28,524 33,708 5,418 6,665 24,278 30,571 569 406 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 1,106 1,110 5,171 5,172 1,100 1,100 5,141 5,163 0 10 Tata Motors Ltd 9,973 12,643 55,133 62,271 9,711 10,811 45,772 55,615 911 745 Total of all N1 Category 16,632 20,497 89,655 102,473 16,508 18,912 76,279 92,577 1,483 1,161 M2 Category: More than 8+1 seats & Max. Mass upto 5 tonnes (Passenger Carrier) A: Max. Mass upto 5 tonnes A1: No. of seats including driver not exceeding 13 Force Motors Ltd 287 570 3,040 2,813 293 583 3,164 2,818 1 4 General Motors India Pvt Ltd 540 553 4,194 2,613 615 595 4,032 2,316 0 0

08-09

Manufacturers

09-10

0 6 0 0 0 0 0 1,125 0 0 0 238 0 1,369

0 0 0 2 0 0 0 264 0 0 0 58 0 324

0 0 6 586 37 53 0 682 2,051

0 0 38 207 30 90 0 365 689

500 42 542 2,593

637 46 683 1,372

10 0 3,929 42 5,234 9,215

2 0 1,759 28 2,973 4,762

11 0

4 5

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

0 1,162 761 2,750

2009

0 0 1 0 0 2 4 0 1,119 5,861 6,759 1,425 1,572 5,715 6,536 15 772 6,451 5,422 1,313 683 7,404 5,790 31 3,014 19,546 17,608 3,646 3,433 20,317 17,464 47 A2: No. of seats including driver exceeding 13 Force Motors Ltd 512 569 2,024 2,646 428 579 2,104 2,603 29 Hindustan Motors Ltd 0 2 0 2 5 10 5 10 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 324 191 1,994 1,674 162 237 1,830 1,489 0 Tata Motors Ltd 223 304 1,971 2,418 347 246 2,088 2,867 21 Total A2 1,059 1,066 5,989 6,740 942 1,072 6,027 6,969 50 Total of all M2 Category (A1+A2) 3,809 4,080 25,535 24,348 4,588 4,505 26,344 24,433 97 N2 Category : Max. Mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes (Goods Carrier) A: Max. Mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes A1: Max Mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 5 tonnes Force Motors Ltd 257 201 998 786 255 210 1,027 800 4 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 172 106 574 500 152 111 641 512 0 Tata Motors Ltd 98 539 177 1,672 0 0 0 0 14 Total A1 527 846 1,749 2,958 407 321 1,668 1,312 18 A2: Max Mass exceeding 5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes Force Motors Ltd 14 21 29 72 2 15 23 56 11 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 377 349 1,449 1,567 278 264 1,255 1,164 95 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 151 122 1,055 922 298 197 1,007 841 81 Tata Motors Ltd 1,712 2,000 12,117 10,829 1,667 2,240 8,600 11,266 584 VE CVs - Eicher 380 418 2,242 2,082 240 317 1,498 1,557 115 Total A2 2,634 2,910 16,892 15,472 2,485 3,033 12,383 14,884 886 A3: Max Mass exceeding 7.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 210 137 1,254 700 183 136 810 532 34 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 358 333 1,420 1,655 525 512 1,384 1,562 30 Tata Motors Ltd 1,231 1,596 7,657 8,980 1,467 1,587 7,687 8,310 91 VE CVs - Eicher 890 1,415 6,761 7,098 1,065 1,565 6,480 6,781 60 Total A3 2,689 3,481 17,092 18,433 3,240 3,800 16,361 17,185 215 Total of all N2 Category (A1+A2+A3) 5,850 7,237 35,733 36,863 6,132 7,154 30,412 33,381 1,119 M3 Category: More than 8+1 seats & Max. Mass exceeding 5 tonnes (Passenger Carrier) A: Max. Mass exceeding 5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes No. of seats including driver exceeding 13 Ashok Leyland Ltd 34 69 375 447 31 50 290 320 66 Force Motors Ltd 1 7 55 103 10 9 108 98 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 105 20 1,775 1,773 138 86 1,916 1,704 4 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 221 102 1,541 1,050 287 94 1,325 891 2 Tata Motors Ltd 799 1,123 7,889 7,881 922 913 5,236 7,158 450 VE CVs - Eicher 79 106 1,072 1,220 54 136 934 993 74 Total A 1,239 1,427 12,707 12,474 1,442 1,288 9,809 11,164 596 B: Max. Mass exceeding 7.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes No. of seats including driver exceeding 13 Ashok Leyland Ltd 95 104 543 717 76 141 403 610 2 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 415 207 1,376 1,076 521 195 1,349 879 0

afpmi^v

Vlro ebob ql do^_ qeb jlpq bvb_^iip 82 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Exports

Cumulative

2008 Hindustan Motors Ltd Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Tata Motors Ltd Total A1

Domestic Sales

For the month of

08-09

09-10

0 27 45 76

0 57 157 225

0 53 123 185

22 0 40 3 65 141

67 0 40 66 173 398

58 0 111 20 189 374

0 0 24 24

10 0 80 90

9 0 36 45

0 83 103 193 56 435

19 251 201 4,028 454 4,953

2 401 287 1,038 354 2,082

46 9 154 62 271 730

129 147 368 193 837 5,880

182 68 639 285 1,174 3,301

30 0 22 1 217 12 282

195 0 80 33 2,775 191 3,274

165 0 84 21 802 236 1,308

42 0

86 4

118 0

Amlr_ar8 @S J^ohbqfkd Lccf`b Ksk`_g8 )7/ 00 45303030 Bcjfg8 )7/ // 20123456 @_le_jmpc8 )7/ 6. 44//.//4-5 Afcll_g8 )7/ 22 17/27667

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 83

the numbers game

siam data

siam data / the numbers game

3.5 tonners exports stay down for Tata and M&M Production

Manufacturers

Domestic Sales

VECV puts up strong show in 7.5-12 tonners sales

Exports

Production

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

Manufacturers

09-10

0 6 0 0 0 0 0 1,125 0 0 0 238 0 1,369

0 0 0 2 0 0 0 264 0 0 0 58 0 324

0 0 6 586 37 53 0 682 2,051

0 0 38 207 30 90 0 365 689

500 42 542 2,593

637 46 683 1,372

10 0 3,929 42 5,234 9,215

2 0 1,759 28 2,973 4,762

11 0

4 5

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

0 1,162 761 2,750

2009

afpmi^v

Vlro ebob ql do^_ qeb jlpq bvb_^iip 82 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Exports

Cumulative

2008 Hindustan Motors Ltd Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Tata Motors Ltd Total A1

Domestic Sales

For the month of

08-09

09-10

0 27 45 76

0 57 157 225

0 53 123 185

22 0 40 3 65 141

67 0 40 66 173 398

58 0 111 20 189 374

0 0 24 24

10 0 80 90

9 0 36 45

0 83 103 193 56 435

19 251 201 4,028 454 4,953

2 401 287 1,038 354 2,082

46 9 154 62 271 730

129 147 368 193 837 5,880

182 68 639 285 1,174 3,301

30 0 22 1 217 12 282

195 0 80 33 2,775 191 3,274

165 0 84 21 802 236 1,308

42 0

86 4

118 0

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november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 83

the numbers game / siam data

siam data / the numbers game

MHCV numbers still in the red Production

Manufacturers

Domestic Sales

Exports

Production

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2008 Tata Motors Ltd VE CVs - Eicher Total B

Bajaj Autoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petrol pass 3-wheelers drive momentum

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

136 538 1,957 2,615 352 537 1,928 2,571 6 103 136 1,174 1,074 92 126 913 1,042 13 749 985 5,050 5,482 1,041 999 4,593 5,102 21 C: Max. Mass exceeding 12 tonnes but not exceeding 16.2 tonnes No. of seats including driver exceeding 13 Ashok Leyland Ltd 1,740 1,616 12,022 6,770 1,829 1,251 8,990 5,248 459 Swaraj Mazda Ltd 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 9 0 Tata Motors Ltd 1,060 1,378 6,945 7,167 1,009 1,126 5,968 6,082 387 VE CVs - Eicher 46 11 140 102 22 3 94 98 0 Volvo Buses India Pvt. Ltd. 52 56 264 279 37 41 251 263 0 Total C 2,898 3,061 19,371 14,331 2,897 2,421 15,303 11,700 846 D: Max. Mass exceeding 16.2 tonnes No. of seats including driver exceeding 13 (Passenger Carrier) Volvo Buses India Pvt. Ltd. 0 10 0 34 0 4 0 27 0 Total D 0 10 0 34 0 4 0 27 0 Total of all M3 Category (A+B+C+D) 4,886 5,483 37,128 32,321 5,380 4,712 29,705 27,993 1,463 N3 Category: Max. Mass exceeding 12 tonnes (Goods Carrier) A: Max. Mass not exceeding 16.2 tonnes Max. Mass exceeding 12 tonnes but not exceeding 16.2 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 839 1,277 7,422 5,859 873 872 5,781 4,784 171 Tata Motors Ltd 3,137 3,269 21,470 14,610 4,135 2,824 19,641 13,368 520 VE CVs - Eicher 138 189 925 827 95 101 704 365 41 Total A 4,114 4,735 29,817 21,296 5,103 3,797 26,126 18,517 732 B1: Max Mass exceeding 16.2 tonnes - Rigid Vehicles (a) Max. Mass exceeding 16.2 but not exceeding 25 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 1,601 1,534 15,085 5,563 2,016 1,523 12,537 5,743 0 Asia Motor Works Ltd 278 216 1,467 829 317 180 1,807 973 0 Force Motors Ltd 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 3,340 4,442 28,165 24,246 4,791 4,562 26,665 22,873 151 VE CVs - Eicher 11 52 339 139 -1 27 339 156 10 VE CVs - Volvo 30 0 224 0 1 0 4 0 24 Total (A) 5,260 6,244 45,280 30,778 7,124 6,292 41,352 29,745 185 (b) Max. Mass exceeding 25 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 110 341 1,141 367 112 398 1,034 609 0 Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd 0 7 193 21 0 16 116 83 0 Tata Motors Ltd 127 871 1,993 4,030 267 998 2,049 3,679 0 Tatra Vectra Motors Ltd 0 0 10 0 0 0 6 0 0 VE CVs - Eicher 9 49 46 107 0 40 105 132 0 VE CVs - Volvo 70 70 549 284 70 107 452 373 0 Total (B) 316 1,338 3,932 4,809 449 1,559 3,762 4,876 0 Total B1 ((A)+(B)) 5,576 7,582 49,212 35,587 7,573 7,851 45,114 34,621 185 B2: Max. Mass exceeding 16.2 tonnes- Haulage Tractor (Tractor-Semi Trailer/Trailer) (B) Max. Mass exceeding 16.2 tonnes but not exceeding 26.4 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (B) Max. Mass exceeding 26.4 tonnes but not exceeding 35.2 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 114 243 1,523 761 174 269 1,202 767 0

2009 5 0 47

08-09

Manufacturers

09-10

14 82 186

41 2 161

165 0 204 13 0 382

1,933 0 1,905 32 0 3,870

701 0 1,502 38 0 2,241

0 0 711

0 0 7,330

0 0 3,710

248 456 84 788

958 2,204 166 3,328

1,008 2,092 499 3,599

0 0 0 243 15 0 258

5 0 0 797 31 210 1,043

124 0 0 1,302 53 0 1,479

0 0 18 0 0 0 18 276

0 0 0 0 0 45 45 1,088

95 0 104 0 12 0 211 1,690

130

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

35 149

0 1,597 1 360 636 2,391 2,092 12 0 243 3,120 762 534 905 3,593 2,859 12 10 (C) Max. Mass exceeding 35.2 tonnes Ashok Leyland Ltd 130 156 1,868 343 160 173 1,279 783 0 11 Asia Motor Works Ltd 53 109 361 268 35 116 618 323 0 0 Tata Motors Ltd 97 0 2,574 0 340 750 2,467 2,447 18 0 VE CVs - Eicher 0 0 21 0 -15 1 26 32 0 0 VE CVs - Volvo 32 0 128 0 1 8 39 27 11 0 Total (C) 312 265 4,952 611 521 1,048 4,429 3,612 29 11 Total B2 ((A)+(B)+(C)) 461 508 8,072 1,373 1,055 1,953 8,022 6,471 41 108 Total of all N3 Category (A+B1+B2) 10,151 12,825 87,101 58,256 13,731 13,601 79,262 59,609 958 1,172 TH Category: Three Wheelers A: Passenger Carrier A1:No. of seats Including driver not exceeding 4 & Max.Mass not exceeding 1 tonne Atul Auto Limited 973 459 3,456 1,600 238 442 1,400 1,599 725 11 Bajaj Auto Ltd 24,521 30,672 126,834 142,929 12,785 16,007 61,631 80,289 13,125 14,190 Force Motors Ltd 0 15 44 54 1 9 76 48 0 0 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 3,739 3,019 14,568 13,567 3,911 2,932 15,160 13,681 2 45 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 10,205 12,290 55,360 63,858 9,975 12,101 53,961 62,574 214 180 Scooters India Ltd 316 191 1,458 1,277 311 199 1,529 1,290 0 0 TVS Motor Company Ltd 553 1,142 2,464 5,395 435 1,106 1,991 5,204 0 94 Total A1 40,307 47,788 204,184 228,680 27,656 32,796 135,748 164,685 14,066 14,520 A2:No. of seats Including driver exceeding 4 but not exceeding 7 & Max.Mass not exceeding 1.5 tonnes Force Motors Ltd 85 58 554 387 83 38 306 158 0 56 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 101 0 1,227 20 129 42 590 153 0 0 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scooters India Ltd 317 189 1,226 1,295 304 225 1,651 1,281 0 0 Total A2 503 247 3,026 1,702 516 305 2,547 1,592 0 56 Total A (A1+A2) 40,810 48,035 207,210 230,382 28,172 33,101 138,295 166,277 14,066 14,576 B: Goods Carrier B1: Max. Mass not exceeding 1 tonne Atul Auto Limited 394 695 2,162 3,100 383 691 2,158 3,121 0 10 Bajaj Auto Ltd 809 927 5,820 4,611 977 924 6,307 4,661 0 0 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 4,040 4,600 24,544 23,361 4,025 4,587 24,073 23,525 34 16 Scooters India Ltd 340 213 1,667 1,453 342 224 1,718 1,467 0 0 Total B1 5,583 6,435 34,193 32,525 5,727 6,426 34,256 32,774 34 26 B2: Others Force Motors Ltd 291 97 1,011 605 226 103 1,346 608 0 9 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd 1,492 672 8,182 6,531 1,900 1,288 9,981 6,917 8 5 Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd 5 0 122 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 Scooters India Ltd 201 203 906 1,240 216 219 1,056 1,233 0 0 Total B2 1,989 972 10,221 8,376 2,342 1,610 12,383 8,758 14 14 Total B (B1+B2) 7,572 7,407 44,414 40,901 8,069 8,036 46,639 41,532 48 40 Total of all TH Category (A+B) 48,382 55,442 251,624 271,283 36,241 41,137 184,934 207,809 14,114 14,616

afpmi^v

Vlro ebob ql do^_ qeb jlpq bvb_^iip 84 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Exports

Cumulative

2008 Tata Motors Ltd Total (B)

Domestic Sales

For the month of

09-10

19 19

0 26

0 0 40 0 73 113 132 4,548

49 0 10 0 0 59 215 5,504

2,054 65,124 0 2 1,632 0 0 68,812

11 63,538 0 108 1,902 0 300 65,859

332 0 18 6 356 69,168

266 0 0 0 266 66,125

9 0 501 0 510

16 0 167 0 183

9 58 126 0 193 703 69,871

9 88 0 0 97 280 66,405

Amlr_ar8 @S J^ohbqfkd Lccf`b Ksk`_g8 )7/ 00 45303030 Bcjfg8 )7/ // 20123456 @_le_jmpc8 )7/ 6. 44//.//4-5 Afcll_g8 )7/ 22 17/27667

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 85

the numbers game / siam data

siam data / the numbers game

MHCV numbers still in the red Production

Manufacturers

Domestic Sales

Exports

Production

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2008 Tata Motors Ltd VE CVs - Eicher Total B

Bajaj Autoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s petrol pass 3-wheelers drive momentum

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009 5 0 47

08-09

Manufacturers

09-10

14 82 186

41 2 161

165 0 204 13 0 382

1,933 0 1,905 32 0 3,870

701 0 1,502 38 0 2,241

0 0 711

0 0 7,330

0 0 3,710

248 456 84 788

958 2,204 166 3,328

1,008 2,092 499 3,599

0 0 0 243 15 0 258

5 0 0 797 31 210 1,043

124 0 0 1,302 53 0 1,479

0 0 18 0 0 0 18 276

0 0 0 0 0 45 45 1,088

95 0 104 0 12 0 211 1,690

130

For the month of

Cumulative

For the month of

Cumulative

September

April-September

September

April-September

September

April-September

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

09-10

2008

2009

08-09

35 149

afpmi^v

Vlro ebob ql do^_ qeb jlpq bvb_^iip 84 / Commercial Vehicle / november 2009

Exports

Cumulative

2008 Tata Motors Ltd Total (B)

Domestic Sales

For the month of

09-10

19 19

0 26

0 0 40 0 73 113 132 4,548

49 0 10 0 0 59 215 5,504

2,054 65,124 0 2 1,632 0 0 68,812

11 63,538 0 108 1,902 0 300 65,859

332 0 18 6 356 69,168

266 0 0 0 266 66,125

9 0 501 0 510

16 0 167 0 183

9 58 126 0 193 703 69,871

9 88 0 0 97 280 66,405

Amlr_ar8 @S J^ohbqfkd Lccf`b Ksk`_g8 )7/ 00 45303030 Bcjfg8 )7/ // 20123456 @_le_jmpc8 )7/ 6. 44//.//4-5 Afcll_g8 )7/ 22 17/27667

november 2009 / Commercial Vehicle / 85

RNI NO. MAHENG / 2006 / 20842