While carmakers were already selling BS-IV compliant vehicles in Tier I cities, many bus and truckmakers were adopting a wait-and-watch approach as most of their customers were buying vehicles from Tier II and Tier III cities. But now, companies such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, VECV, Force Motors, etc., are going the whole hog by enhancing its presence in vehicles that are adherent to the current emission norms applicable pan-India.
The move comes close on the heels of the Supreme Court’s judgment on mandatory registration of BS-IV vehicles from 1 April 2017.
Tata Motors, the country’s largest truck and bus manufacturer, announced readiness of SCR (selective catalytic reduction) and EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) technologies for BS-IV compliant engines, powering its range of commercial vehicles (CV). The company has announced that its vehicles will be equipped with EGR technology spanning across small-to-medium segments with engine power requirements up to 180hp.
Ravindra Pisharody, executive director-commercial vehicles, Tata Motors, said in a statement, “We have always endeavoured to develop products and introduce future technologies ahead of regulations and have played a proactive role in regulation compliance. Because we strongly believe in offering the best-suited technology for various applications, we will offer both SCR and EGR technologies on BS-IV solutions. This will not only meet regulatory requirements for emission norms but also optimise the total cost of ownership, ultimately benefitting our customers.”
Ashok Leyland, the second largest CV manufacturer in India, recently showcased its full range of future ready products, based on intelligent exhaust gas recirculation (iEGR) technology, and industry-leading services at its annual Global Conference 2017 in Chennai. Pioneering the indigenous development and application of the iEGR technology, Ashok Leyland will be the only domestic original equipment manufacturer to implement this technology successfully for its products above 130hp. The company has claimed that iEGR technology is a simple yet innovative solution and much better than SCR technology to achieving the desired results in order to meet the BS-IV norms.
Sharing his views at the Global Conference 2017, Vinod K Dasari, managing director, Ashok Leyland, said, “This showcase of the iEGR technology across our product range bears further testimony of our capability to roll-out technology-led future ready products. For the environment, it will mean more efficient fuel combustion and improved emissions. The indigenous development of iEGR technology will also mean faster time to market and minimal cost of implementation. We will emerge as the only OEM in India to have achieved this.”
VE Commercial Vehicles, a joint venture between Volvo AB and Eicher Motors, has launched Eicher Pro 5000 series — a brand new range of heavy duty trucks from 16T to 40T with BS-IV technology. With the launch of this advanced technology trucks range at competitive prices, Eicher Trucks and Buses plans to strengthen its presence in the heavy duty segment. The company has maintained that the Eicher Pro 5000 series is powered by E694 engine E694 engine and also includes advanced features based on Volvo Group’s Engine Management system EMS 3.0 and offers first-in-the-industry features like fuel coaching and cruise control at a competitive price.
Commenting on the launch, Vinod Aggarwal, managing director and chief executive officer, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “With the launch of Pro 5000 series of heavy duty (HD) trucks, Eicher today has the widest range of HD trucks at various price points to deliver a superior value and suit the needs of all application segments of customers in basic, value and premium category of trucks.”
BW Reporters
The author is a Principal Correspondent at BW Businessworld.
