A Niti Aayog report recently said that India's trucking market is expected to grow over four times by 2050. This came as no surprise with a recent truck launch in Pune – not a regular truck launch, mind you, but a liquefied natural gas (LNG) one at that. The truck was launched by Blue Energy Motors last week at its plant in Chakan, Pune. The truck comes with a major focus on developing LNG as an alternative fuel. Its market entry is starting with the introduction of the 5528 4x2 truck as the first model. The truck was inaugurated earlier this month by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.

Moreover, Blue Energy Motors has collaborated with FPT Industrial – a brand of Iveco Group dedicated to the design, production and sale of powertrains for on-road and off-road vehicles, as well as marine and power generation applications – for this truck. For example, the 5528 truck uses FPT Industrial’s multipoint stoichiometric combustion engine to ensure better fuel consumption and lower noise than diesel engines.

The truck was launched by Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO, Blue Energy Motors. Sylvain Blaise, President of Iveco Group’s Powertrain Business Unit, and Prakhar Saxena, Chief Marketing Officer at Blue Energy Motors, were also present at the launch.

Sharing his thoughts, Bhuwalka said, “As individuals, it is our responsibility to do something about climate change. In my mind, there is an immediate need for decarbonisation. We have several alternatives for decarbonisation, like electric vehicles (EVs). However, EVs have some major issues, like range and cost. LNG solves all the major problems of technology that we talk about. It’s cheaper and cleaner. When the Honourable Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, was here, he said that LNG is the fuel of the future.”

Furthermore, throwing some light on the Blue Energy and FPT Industrial partnership, Bhuwalka cited, “Both the companies are committed to an active and swift decarbonisation path in the commercial transport segment and share the same strong belief that LNG trucks are a sustainable option for the market.”

Blaise said, “We are thrilled that FPT Industrial has joined Blue Energy Motors to begin this exciting journey towards advancing Indian commercial transport. India is one of the largest vehicle markets in the world and our cutting-edge technology and natural gas engines are key enablers of the ecological transformation and generating value for the transport operators.”
 

The 5528 4x2 truck is built at the Blue Energy facility. Giving more insights on this latest truck, Saxena informed, “The LNG truck is built with world-class aggregates. With a 990-litre truck tank onboard, one can get a range of 1,400 kilometres on a single fill. Plus, it comes with a one-of-its-kind service support, from an assured quality of repair and services to fully experienced and trained technicians.”

Saxena further added, “Due to connected trucks with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, there is a 75 percent reduction in breakdown events, 30 percent improvement in driver behaviour, 30 percent increase in asset availability and 10 percent reduction in maintenance cost.”

Blue Energy Motors has installed a capacity to produce 10,000 trucks/annum, which can be augmented further as the ecosystem matures and the demand ramps up. 

Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, has opened a new dealership for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in Siliguri, West Bengal. With this new facility, which happens to be the fifth LCV dealership in West Bengal, the company now has a robust LCV distribution network with more than 800 touchpoints.

Located at Eastern Bypass Road, SBM Warehouse, Eastern Bypass, Bhaktinagar, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, the new dealership will be managed by channel partner Happie Trucking. The main workshop facility (service and spares) is also strategically located at Debgram, Ware House, Thakur Nagar, New Jalpaiguri, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Equipped with advanced tools, quick service bays and sophisticated infrastructure, the facility is all set to ensure superior customer experience.

Viplav Shah, Head – LCV Business, Ashok Leyland, said, “We are excited to further strengthen our presence in this region. West Bengal and Eastern India, at large, have been a key market for us. We have always recognised the potential this region has, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in this geography. We have been working on creating a strong foothold in the region, and the new dealership in Siliguri will bolster our presence in this geography. The overwhelming success of our ‘DOST Range’ and now the ‘BADA DOST’ can be attributed to the robustness of our products and the extensive reach of our network. All our products have been receiving great responses from our customers, thanks to their best-in-class mileage and class-leading performance, backed by extensive sales and aftersales support. We are extremely proud that our track record of service retention levels is exemplary, with close to 70 percent of our customers returning to our dealer workshops even after the warranty period. We, as always, would remain committed to maintaining and even enhancing the level of customer service and satisfaction. This new dealership is being opened to further strengthen our reach, in line with our commitment.”

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), recently hosted Jan Thesleff, the Ambassador of Sweden to India, at its manufacturing facilities in Pithampur. He was accompanied by Markus Lundgren, Counsellor and Head of Trade section, Embassy of Sweden and Sofia Hogman, Swedish Trade Commissioner, Business Sweden.

The CV maker states that its VE Powertrain plant is a successful symbol of India-Sweden collaboration. The facility leverages India’s skilled workforce and technical expertise while positioning VECV as a hub for development and manufacturing that meets global standards. Notably, VEPT has been producing Euro 6 (BS VI) compliant engines since 2013, supplying over 40 countries.

Jan Thesleff said, “Currently, more than 280 Swedish companies operate in India, contributing to sectors ranging from automobiles and communications to healthcare and defence, directly generating over 240,000 jobs. The Eicher-Volvo joint venture exemplifies the strategic benefits of this partnership by harnessing the strengths of Sweden and India and fostering mutual growth and technological advancement. I am thoroughly impressed by the advanced technology products and sustainable manufacturing processes I witnessed today at VECV. Their remarkable achievements epitomise the shared innovation, growth, and sustainable development that Sweden-India partnership continues to deliver for the benefit of both nations.”

Vinod Aggarwal, Managing Director & CEO, VECV, said, “We are honoured to welcome His Excellency Ambassador Jan Thesleff and the team from the Swedish Embassy to our Pithampur facility. Over the past 16 years, the VECV joint venture has not only driven the modernisation of India’s commercial vehicle sector but has also enabled Volvo Group to source world-class engines and components, made in India, for its global requirements. The success of this joint venture is rooted in the principles of trust, mutual respect, and win-win collaboration, combining Volvo Group's technology leadership with Eicher’s deep understanding of the Indian market. VECV looks forward to building on this success in the future”.

At present, the company sells CNG, LNG, electric and diesel trucks and buses in India under the Eicher and Volvo brands.

Manba Finance, a leading non-banking finance company (NBFC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Piaggio Vehicles (PVPL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Piaggio Group, to provide tailored financing solutions to Piaggio three-wheeler customers.

As per the understanding, the partners are set to form a dedicated central coordination team to oversee the implementation. They will focus on key areas such as product structuring, interest rate optimisation, resource allocation, centralised communication, and training to ensure the efficient execution and monitoring of the tie-up.

The MoU was signed by Diego Graffi, CMD, Piaggio Vehicles and Monil Shah, CBO & Director, Manba Finance, in the presence of Amit Sagar, EVP of Sales and Retail Finance, and Nilesh Arya, Head of Retail Finance, Piaggio Vehicles.

The partners state that the collaboration comes as electric three-wheeler sales saw a record high of 65,700 units in October. With this electric three-wheelers are just 16,856 units away from surpassing the CY2023 total of 583,597 units.

“We are proud to collaborate with one of India’s leading three-wheeler manufacturers, a trusted brand among aspiring entrepreneurs across the country. This partnership strengthens our footprint in the three-wheeler segment while enabling us to provide seamless digital lending solutions to our customers," said Shah.

German automotive component supplier Mahle has bagged a new contract from MAN Truck & Bus to supply components for the hydrogen engine of its ‘MAN hTGX’ truck.

The hydrogen truck uses a direct-injection engine with 6 cylinders, 16.8-litre displacement, which produces 383 kW power. Mahle will supply the hydrogen power cell unit, consisting of piston, piston rings, piston pin and cylinder liner. It will also supply components to be used in the valve train.

Interestingly, MAN aims to build around 200 units of the hydrogen truck for selected markets from 2025.

Dr Roger Busch, member of the Mahle Management Committee and Head of Sales, said, “Mahle has successfully transferred its 100 years of expertise in engine components into the future. Our state-of-the-art pistons and other parts make the internal combustion engine fit for hydrogen and thus climate-neutral. Today, we are able to fulfil our customers’ expectations in terms of performance, efficiency and service life.”

The component supplier says it has successfully tested its engine components to meet the specific requirements of hydrogen operation.

The company claims that the Mahle hydrogen power cell unit, in particular the oil consumption of the motor and the so-called blow-by, i.e. the leakage of hydrogen gas into the crankcase, can be reduced to a minimum. This enables a robust and failure-free operation of the motor.

Mahle at present is working on around 30 hydrogen engine projects for customers in the on- and off-highway sector, with more series launches from its customers being planned in 2025.