While the tractor will be for a semi-premium application segment, requiring to run 8-12 thousand km a year, the 41 tonner is a 10×2 rigid truck with the twin tyre pusher lift axle.
The Indian commercial vehicle industry is undergoing transformation with migration to more productive and higher tonnage trucks boosting sales in recent months. Commenting on the development, Mr. Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles, said: “After 6 years of slowdown, FY 17-18 saw the CV industry achieve peak in some of the segments. Especially the HCV segment touched a high of 2,67,000 units from the previous year’s 2,34,000 units. The last peak for the segment was in 2011-12, at around 2,50,000 units. With the implementation of GST leading to borderless States, better productivity resulting in reduced down-time (reported to have come down by 20-22 per cent), improving road infrastructure, restrictions on overloading, and penalties as high as 10 times if overloaded, improved rural economy and a good forecast of the monsoon, the migration towards higher tonnage vehicles will only be pronounced. At VECV, it has been our vision to drive modernisation, and the launch of the two new trucks, the 6049 tractor and the 6041-rigid truck, with better technology, is in line with this vision.”
The introduction of two new heavy-duty trucks is thus in line with Eicher Trucks and Buses vision of modernising commercial transportation and enabling transporters who require higher tonnage vehicles. What better than riding on the success of its Pro 6000 series, the company bolstered it with technologically superior trucks – Eicher Pro 6049 and Eicher Pro 6041 in the 49 ton and 41 ton categories respectively – at an event in Mumbai.
First mover advantage
The new tractor, Eicher Pro 6049, offers customers a choice to upgrade to a more modern and efficient truck addressing the mass market for a variety of applications in the 6×4 tractor category. It has been designed to deliver optimum performance at a peak power at 250 hp keeping customer profitability in mind. It manifests the prowess of the Eicher Pro 6000 series and offers a refined trucking experience with the superior VEDX BS-IV SCR engine, newly designed ergonomics and robust Eicher aggregates for best-in-class fuel efficiency. The all-new Eicher Pro 6049 is positioned as a unique combination of modernization and cost efficiency.
Eicher Pro 6041 is India’s first 41 tonnage rigid haulage truck that offers a payload advantage of 3.5 ton over a 37-tonnage truck. The vehicle is powered by the VEDX8 engine, which is the biggest and the most fuel-efficient engine available in the category. At 250 hp and 950 Nm torque, the engine delivers the highest power and torque combination in its segment. Pro 6041 is also the first vehicle in its segment to get an overdrive gearbox for higher top speed and better mileage. The product is believed to be a revolutionary breakthrough in the trucking industry, to meet growing demand in high value applications.
Mr. Aggarwal said: “These trucks – Eicher Pro 6049 and pro 6041 – are designed to maximize business profitability while optimizing on the overall cost efficiency. Both these trucks boast of class leading fuel efficiency and industry first features like the revolutionary “Mbooster +” technology that optimizes acceleration through multi-mode system, Volvo Group Engine Management System EMS 3.0 for precise fuel injection, a power packed and reliable driveline, Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS) with unique ‘Fuel Coaching’ feature for real time fuel efficiency improvements, state-of-the-art ‘Eicher Live’ telematics, and a host of other value-added offerings, thus bringing improvement to all key transportation elements like fuel efficiency, productivity, uptime and safety.”
Leveraging the strong presence
Asked about the need for the 6049 tractor, when they already have an 8049 tractor in the 8000 series that the company had launched in 2013, Mr. A. Rama Rao, Senior VP – Sales, Marketing, Heavy Duty, disclosed: “We have 3 distinct platforms, Pro 5000, 6000 and 8000 series. It is done to cater to the segments based on severity and how many kms the customer is wanting to operate the truck. So, there are applications where a customer would like to do a 15-20 thousand km and sometimes in applications where turnaround time is extremely critical, so you need to have high average speeds and then high-level driver comfort. In such applications and segments, a Pro 8000 series will be applicable. Pro 5000 is to meet the basic needs of the market and achieve a utilization of 4-8 thousand km. 6000 series are for customers who would like to upgrade from Pro 5000. With 6049, the customer will have the choice to enter in the more value segment. Both the platforms will be complementary to each other. For application requiring to run 8-12 thousand km a year, customers would prefer a 6000 series.
Mr. Aggarwal added: “The tractor market has grown in the last 2 years. The market size which was 20-25 thousand units is around 60 thousand today. The new tractor will allow us to participate in the full mass market as compared to the very niche premium market in which the 8000 series operate in.” The industry has been migrating towards the high tonnage vehicles, as it is economical and more profitable. Now with 49 tonner tractor offering value application in the 6×4 category and 41 tonnes offering a payload advantage of 3.5 ton over a 37 tonnage truck, a lot of market of 37 tonnes will undoubtedly migrate to 41 tonnes, helping Eicher Trucks and Buses get the first mover advantage.
Key features:
Eicher Pro 6049
* Delivers 250 hp 250 hp @2200 rpm for best-in-class fuel efficiency and gradeability
* Highest torque at 950 Nm@ @1100-1700 rpm for pulling power and superior uptime, ideal for long haul
* VEDX BS-IV 7.7 litre engine with SCR for best-in-class performance
* Active safety features – ABS as standard fitment
Eicher Pro 6041
* Lift axle with twin tyre for a payload of up to 3.5T
* Equipped with VEDX8, 6 cylinder delivering 250 hp, for best-in-class productivity
* Innovative M booster + technology for higher fuel economy and optimum engine performance
* Intelligent features – Eicher Live, IDIS, EPS for superior uptime