JCB India launches its largest ever 52 Tonne Excavator At Excon 2025

JCB India launches its largest ever 52 Tonne Excavator At Excon 2025

JCB India launched its largest ever excavator at 52 tonness in India. It did so at the Excon 2025 exhibition in Bengaluru. The excavator, showcased along with over 10 new products, will cater to domestic as well as export markets.  Of the over 10 machines the company showed at the show, there included backhoe loaders with enhanced features in line with the customer-first strategy. JCB India is giving much attention to lower cost of ownership, higher fuel efficiency, improved machine uptime, enhanced safety and ergonomics while designing its new equipment.    With sustainability the factor, the company showcased the hydrogen engine powered backhoe loader that it unveiled in 2023. It announced the expansion of its hydrogen powered construction equipment portfolio at Excon 2025 with a hydrogen-powered genset.  "Excon is a forum that brings together customers, policymakers, contractors, financiers, suppliers, and technology leaders, creating an ecosystem for strategic collaboration and long-term business growth. JCB exports to more than 135 countries from India and this year we also have customers from South Asia, Africa Region and South-East Asia visiting us. Excon allows us to understand evolving market needs and demonstrate how our latest solutions align with both global and India’s infrastructure demands," said Deepak Shetty, CEO and MD, JCB India. 

Dongfeng Launches X9 Tractor In Vietnam

Dongfeng X9 - Vietnam

Chinese automotive major Dongfeng Motor Industry (DFMIEC) has launched the Dongfeng X9 fuel tractor in Vietnam.

The company showcased the X9 tractor alongside other models, including the X7 tractor, X3 tractor and various cargo trucks.

The event included technical briefings on the fuel performance and mechanical specifications of the X7 and X3 models. Currently, Dongfeng tractors rank among the top five CV players in the Vietnamese market. The introduction of the X9 is intended to expand the company's product matrix as the local government seeks to reduce logistics costs and transition towards high-quality transport infrastructure.

Wang Long, Chairman of DFMIEC, said, “Vietnam is one of the most dynamic and promising countries in the ASEAN region, with its industrialisation and urbanisation processes accelerating continuously, bringing broad growth space for the logistics industry. Driven by three major favourable factors – the expansion of infrastructure and logistics networks, the transfer of manufacturing industries and the rapid development of the digital economy, the market demand for logistics and transportation vehicles has maintained a steady growth. DFMIEC will move forward hand in hand with its partners to contribute to the development of Vietnam's transportation industry.”

The principal of the Vietnamese partner noted that the collaboration has reached a deeper level with the arrival of the X9. Dongfeng plans to continue its international strategy by investing in localised development and expanding its overseas footprint. The company intends to focus on resource investment to support the upgrading of the logistics sector in the ASEAN region.

Tamil Nadu SETC Inducts Volvo 9600 Coaches For Intercity Fleet

Volvo 9600 Coach Bus Flag Off

The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) of Tamil Nadu has launched its intercity transport service with the induction of 20 Volvo 9600 15-metre seater coaches. The fleet was flagged off by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, at Island Grounds, Chennai.

The move is part of the state government's programme to upgrade public transport and provide long-distance travel options. The ceremony was attended by transport officials and government dignitaries, including the Minister for Transport, S S Sivasankar.

The Volvo 9600 coaches are manufactured at Volvo Buses India’s facilities and represent the current generation of the company’s bus range in the country.

The buses have a 51-seat layout designed for long-haul operations. Each unit is fitted with seats featuring calf support. It is engineered for ride quality, safety and operational reliability.

The coaches will operate on several major routes within Tamil Nadu and to neighbouring states, including:

  • Chennai to: Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Tiruppur, Salem, Thanjavur, Trichy, Nagercoil and Tiruchendur.
  • Inter-regional: Coimbatore–Bengaluru and Trichy–Tiruchendur.

Suresh Chettiar, Executive Vice-President – Bus Division, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “We are proud to partner with SETC and the Government of Tamil Nadu in strengthening Tamil Nadu’s intercity transport ecosystem with the induction of Volvo 9600 coaches. These buses are engineered to deliver world-class comfort, safety, and operational reliability, supporting SETC’s vision of providing a superior travel experience to passengers while raising benchmarks for public transport in Tamil Nadu.”

IVECO Delivers First Hydrogen City Bus To Lorient Agglomeration In France

Iveco GX 337 H2 LINIUM

IVECO BUS has delivered its first GX 337 H2 LINIUM hydrogen city bus to the Lorient Agglomeration in France.

The delivery is part of a project that will eventually see 19 hydrogen buses added to the IziLo Mobilités network fleet, with 10 further units scheduled for delivery during 2026.

The GX 337 H2 LINIUM utilises a 100-kW fuel cell powered by four hydrogen tanks, integrated with a 69-kWh FPT Industrial battery pack. The bus has a claimed operational range of 450 km, can accommodate up to 110 passengers and hydrogen consumptions is claimed to be around 20 percent lower than others. Furthermore, it also is equipped with a heat pump system for thermal management and also comes with IVECO ON services to monitor performance and ownership costs.

Fabrice Loher, President, Lorient Agglomeration and Mayor of Lorient, said, “With the introduction of this first hydrogen bus, Lorient Agglomeration reaffirms its ambition to lead a bold and transformative energy transition. This milestone marks the emergence of a local sector that fosters innovation and job creation and strengthens our collective ability to offer sustainable mobility solutions tailored to the daily needs of our residents.”

Giorgio ZINO, Head of IVECO BUS Commercial Operations in Europe, said, “We are proud to see Lorient host the first European delivery of our GX 337 H2 LINIUM hydrogen city bus, a tangible demonstration of our commitment to working alongside local communities for decarbonised collective mobility. This technology delivers a high-performance solution, combining autonomy, comfort and energy efficiency and plays an active role in building a more sustainable future.”

IziLo Mobilités serves 25 municipalities with a population of 207,000. The network operates over 140 bus and boat lines. The introduction of hydrogen technology is intended to support the transition to carbon neutrality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the fleet.

Caterpillar Introduces 2-Day Repair Commitment For Cat CVAs

Caterpillar - CVA

Caterpillar has announced that all Cat Customer Value Agreements (CVAs) will be eligible for an upgraded Services Commitment beginning in 2026. The programme is designed to provide equipment owners with specific timelines for maintenance and repairs.

Under the new terms, CVAs that include dealer labour will feature a Two-Day Repair commitment for common repairs. If the equipment is not returned to service within this timeframe, the customer receives a payment. Furthermore, the Parts Next-Day availability commitment covers maintenance, wear, and repair parts for pickup at a designated dealer location.

The CVAs provide 24x7 access to equipment health management tools, including VisionLink and Cat Inspect, to monitor asset insights. Agreements also include:

  • Support from local Cat dealers.
  • Delivery of Cat parts and fluids for planned maintenance at the customer's location.
  • Options for equipment coverage, portability, and transferability.

Ebban Clause, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Construction Industries Services Division, said, “Our new Services Commitment program with a CVA is all about offering the customer hassle-free, peace-of-mind equipment ownership. Customers dealing with downtime need to act fast, and they need parts to get the equipment up and running quickly. Our new Services Commitment delivers just that – Two-Day Repairs, Parts Next-Day, or the customer gets paid.”

The global rollout of CVAs with the upgraded Services Commitment will begin in the Q1 of 2026. The implementation will continue through 2027, depending on regional availability.