As a part of the Government of India’s sustainability vision, there are a host of alternate fuel vehicles and smart solutions on display at the 2023 Auto Expo
VE Commercial Vehicles – a JV between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors has unveiled a host of mobility solutions from the Eicher and Volvo brands at the 2023 Auto Expo. The VECV has been doing well in terms of sales with a 17 percent YoY growth in sales to 7,221 units in December 2022 from 6,154 units sold in the same month last year. Of these sales, 7,003 units were of the Eicher brand while there were 218 units of Volvo sold during the month.
The Eicher brand showcased the country’s longest electric intercity coach. Measuring 13.5 meters, this coach was showcased along with Eicher Pro 2049 electric 4.9 T GVW truck and Eicher Pro 8055 LNG/CNG truck.
India’s Largest Electric Bus
The former is designed to cater to last mile applications while the latter is best suited for long haul travel. The 8500 is designed to alternate to CNG fuel via a switch for a cleaner and greener operation allowing users to not only reduce vehicle emissions but to also improve fuel efficiency levels to a greater extent.
Volvo Trucks on the other hand has its Volvo FM LNG 420 4X2 on display at the show while Volvo Buses is showcasing a 15 meter Volvo 9600 luxury coach. The tractor which is based on diesel cycle technology offers 15-20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over pure electric powered vehicles. The Volvo LNG FM 420 4X2 truck gains in terms of advanced driver assist functions among which are lane departure warning and Automatic Emergency Braking System.
Volvo 9600 is a state of the art coach in seater and sleeper configurations for a more enhanced travel experience. The Volvo 9600 coach is powered by a D8K 8 liter diesel engine offering 344 hp power at 2,200 rpm and 1,350 Nm torque 1,200-1,600 rpm mated to Volvo’s I-Shift automated manual gearbox.
It gets electronic braking and hill start assist as a part of its on-board features along with push back seats, individual USB chargers, AC louvers and reading lights while sleeper coaches get ladders and restraints for children along with privacy curtains, storage shelves and reading lamps.
VECV Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Hybrid Trucks
Along with these models, VECV has also showcased a prototype Eicher Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck and Hydrogen ICE technology engine as a part of the Government of India’s Green Hydrogen Mission and offer a promising path to zero tail-pipe emissions. Each of the Eicher and Volvo trucks and buses receive support solutions with App based 100 percent connected fleet and an uptime center thus enhancing productivity and efficiency while at the same time reducing carbon footprint.
Mr. Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VECV, said, “As a successful Volvo Group and Eicher Motors JV, VECV was the first to build and introduce modern BS VI technology in India. Eicher and Volvo trucks and buses are backed by our 100% connected ecosystem which helps deliver on our promise of Productivity and Uptime for our customers.
The electrification of the CV industry has already started with buses, and we believe that a range of alternative fuels, including LNG, Ethanol and Hydrogen are essential to lead decarbonisation of the CV industry. Under the banner of Smart Sustainability, VECV is well poised to harness this opportunity and play a transformative role for the Indian CV industry.”
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
