Montra Electric eM&HCV, the electric commercial vehicle brand of the Murugappa Group, made a significant stride in India’s clean mobility transition today with the launch of its new 55-tonne electric truck – the Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT.

The unveiling took place at the company’s new eM&HCV manufacturing facility in Manesar, Haryana. The event also marked the inauguration of India's first all-women monitored, fully Automated Battery Plant and a new eM&HCV conveyor line equipped with Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs).

The new Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT is designed for long-haul freight and will be available in two variants: one with a standard fixed battery pack and another offering a battery-swapping option. The fixed-battery variant is priced at INR 11.5 million (ex-factory).

The most crucial announcement was the commercial launch of the 'Battery Swap' solution for the Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT and the existing 6x4 TT models. This technology aims to tackle one of the primary hurdles in commercial EV adoption: charging downtime. The company claims the swap process takes less than 6 minutes, a stark contrast to the over one hour required for conventional fast charging.

The battery swap station boasts a 7+1 configuration and advanced automation, built to handle over 160 swaps per day at peak utilisation. Its drive-through design allows tractor-trailers to move in and out seamlessly, enhancing operational efficiency for large fleets.

The new 55-tonne e-truck is powered by a 282 kWh LFP battery, delivering 380 HP and 2000 Nm torque, with a claimed range of nearly 198 km on a single charge under standard test conditions. The vehicle features a 6-speed AMT transmission and is backed by an extended 10-year/900,000 km AMC contract, including a 95 percent uptime guarantee.

M A M Arunachalam (Arun Murugappan), Chairman, Montra Electric (TI Clean Mobility), said, "At Montra Electric, we are building products and services that directly address the biggest hurdles in commercial EV adoption. With innovations like battery swapping for heavy-duty trucks and purpose-built platforms across segments, we are making clean mobility seamless, reliable and economically viable for fleet operators. This approach strengthens our vision of building a full-spectrum sustainable mobility ecosystem. Each step we take is designed to accelerate India’s shift towards cleaner logistics, ensuring that sustainable mobility becomes the norm rather than the exception."

The expansion builds on the success of Montra Electric’s first heavy-duty electric truck, the 6x4 TT, which has already clocked over 12 million kilometres in two years.

Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric (TI Clean Mobility), said, “It is a milestone in Montra Electric’s journey of putting India firmly on the global map of sustainable mobility with the introduction of battery swapping technology. Launch of the Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT, in one of the largest industry segments, demonstrates our commitment to innovation, localisation and sustainability.”

“All the new additions to our manufacturing facility, automated battery plant, battery swap technology and the conveyor line integrated with Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), will collectively unlock greater efficiency, reliability and localization. These advancements position India to take significant strides in driving innovative, technology-led, clean freight solutions. With the government’s thrust through initiatives like the PM E-DRIVE scheme, the adoption of e-trucks is set to accelerate rapidly,” added Gupta.

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Propel Industries Private Limited showcased a large portfolio of construction equipment at Excon 2025 that included four new electric tipper models. The company aso unveiled an all-new connectivity platform and a comprehensive after-sales uptime solution. 
The four new electric tippers include the 90CED (claimed to be India's first ultra-fast charging 90 tonne electric dumper with ADAS Level 1 safety), 70CED (claimed to be India's first 8x4 mining e-tipper with 25 cu m rock body), 560HEV-X (claimed to be Indias first 8x4 construction tipper with 25 cu m box body), 470MEV Gen-2 (caimed to be India's first 6x4 tipper with 20 cu m rock body) in particular. 
The Pulse.ev connectivity platform as a new digital ecosystem built in-house specifically for electric mining and hauling operations includes features such as real-time vehicle health and diagnostics; energy consumption insights; predictive maintenance analytics and fleet optimization suite for multi-shift operations.
"The announcements reinforce Propels commitment to innovation, high-productivity for customers, zero-emission, and future-ready heavy-duty mobility. Since start of EV truck sale in 2023, the brand has expanded its presence across coal, overburden, limestone, iron-ore, stone quarry, marble & granites, and solid waste management segments. Propel trucks have cumulatively covered over 5 lakh operating hours and the first set of 8 trucks have clocked 12,500 hours in 2 years, which is equivalent to 20 hrs per day. This proves the reliability and uptime of the propel electric trucks," said Siddarth Kirtane, President – EV Sales, Marketing and Service, Propel Industries. 

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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. 

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JK Tyre & Industries Ltd launched four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at Excon 2025 in Bengluru. Unveiled by Dr R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre, the four new OTR tyres further expand the company's portfolio in construction and mining equipment. 
The Sky Grip tyre for example is engineered specifically for Aerial Work Platforms (AWPs) and Boom Lifts used across construction, infrastructure maintenance, warehousing and industrial operations. The 355/55D625 Sky Grip tyre is designed to offer enhanced stability, superior traction and consistent performance at elevated working heights and is compatible with articulated and telescopic boom lifts, telehandlers and even rough terrain aerial platform. 
The three other OTR tyres are designed for critical industrial and mining applications. The 14.00-25 GTL Plus, for example, is a backhoe loader tyre that offers strong stability, durability and dependable performance during frequent loading and excavation operations. The 23.5-25 GTL Plus variant, on the other hand, supports wheel loaders with improved traction and endurance on demanding surfaces. F
or underground mining requirements, the 14.00-20 VEM AS-UG OTR tyre features a reinforced casing and specialised compound designed to withstand abrasive environments and the rigorous duty cycles of shuttle cars.
“India is witnessing a transformative phase in infrastructure development, and JK Tyre remains committed to support this journey. With the launch of our new OTR range at EXCON, we are strengthening our support for equipment that powers critical infrastructure, enabling greater productivity, durability and operational safety across the country’s construction, mining and industrial projects," averred Srinivasu Allaphan, Director-Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries. 

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Mahindra’s Construction Equipment business (MCE) launched the Compax mini compactor at EXcon 2025 in Bengluru. The mini compactor, aimed at the road construction industry, packs cutting edge techbology to deliver best-in-cass fuel efficiency and reliability. It is built robust and furthers the standards in the category to ensure better returns to the operators. 

“Mahindra commercial vehicles and construction equipment machines are known for their cutting-edge technology, best-in-class fuel efficiency, robust built and reliability that helps deliver substantially higher earnings and profitability for our customers. The new Mahindra COMPAX reflects the same Mahindra DNA and is poised to deliver higher profits and prosperity to our customers. Our deep understanding of the challenges of the Indian infrastructure ecosystem and strong capabilities of indigenous manufacturing makes our machines, including the new mini compactor, an ideal choice for demanding compaction tasks,” said Dr Venkat Srinivas, Business Head – Mahindra Truck, Bus and Construction Equipment, and Executive Director & CEO, SML Mahindra Ltd. 

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