Leading the medium and heavy commercial vehicle industry with 40,000+ BS-VI trucks, tractors and tippers
Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, has used the BS-VI migration as an opportunity to upgrade and holistically reimagine the entire product portfolio and not just comply with emission standards. We take a closer look at the M&HCV range to tell you how.
Indian CV industry’s BS-VI journey
Bharat Stage VI, enunciated from April 1st, 2020, entailed a new way of doing business for all industries alike. Compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and fraught business environment, an industry as deeply integrated to economy as commercial vehicles (CV) having both forward and backward linkages was facing acute challenges. Labour shortages at industrial sectors, unutilised fleets, driver reluctance, strained financing and freight scenes and nationwide uncertain road transport regulations led to CV OEMs and dealers hardly doing any business in the first two months of the fiscal. Amidst such circumstances, it was on CV OEMs to play a key role in building the business roadmap for the road transport industry and enable it in getting back on track.
Tata Motors thus came to the fore to create a new business spectrum for the shaken CV fraternity where customers from each segment found meaningful reasons to invest in BS-VI CVs. With a clear objective of reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for customers in BS-VI regime, a humongous challenge worldwide, Tata Motors’ BS-VI products and solutions along with service offerings have been comprehensively designed to perform at a level which sustainably leads to higher operating profits than BS-IV*.
The Brand Promise: Power of 6
Tata Motors’ Product Attribute Leadership Strategy (PALS) has been the guiding philosophy in the design of BS-VI product range. The Power of 6 is a testimony of the same, which the company has not only promised to deliver, but actually accomplished on field.
The Power of 6 amplified and demonstrated through Tata Motors’ unique CV Configurator has given an exclusive, first of its kind product selection logic board to customers with a freedom to choose various truck configurations based on application, duty cycle, load, operating terrain, Turnaround Time (TAT), TCO and driving comfort expectations. The customer goes through a cycle from defining business need to arriving at a truck configuration in this, finally converging at the exact product variant fulfilling his criteria. This process has been greatly empowering customers across the country in the most objective way.
Tata’s 14- and 16-wheeler BS-VI trucks, 4225 and 4825, 4925, powered by world’s highest-selling Euro 6 CV engine – Cummins ISBe 6.7 engine have seen humongous response in the market. Forming 28% of entire cargo industry, these product lines of Tata Motors are ruling the roads carrying the ores and minerals in Orissa, to the construction aggregates in Uttar Pradesh, and from the tankers in Gujarat and Maharashtra to the cement bags of Andhra Pradesh. Their stupendous field performance in terms of fuel economy, drivability, uptime and reliability are attributed to the design excellence of drivetrain integrated with new age value features like fuel economy switch, gear shift advisor, hill start assist, engine brake, unitised wheel bearings and electronic fuel anti-theft with a range of body, cabin and chassis options.
Tata Motors’ 12-, 10- and 6-wheeler trucks with 51% volume share are firmly poised on two discrete vehicular configurations – one driven by Cummins ISBe 5.6 engine and the other by Tata’s indigenous 5-litre Turbotronn engine, allowing customers to choose the product line as per the ‘price-value-operation’ equation fit for his trade. Penetrating one micro market after the other across India’s CV geography, adding customised value to multi-faceted business needs of a widely diverse customer base, Tata’s 1918, 2818, 2821, 3518 and 3521 product platforms in their Ultra, Signa and cowl avatars have emerged as most apposite and preferred catering to 30+ applications charging the city roads to the National Highways. CMVR approved cowl trucks hold high significance for India’s trucking business due to the flexibility in cabin and body customisation they offer to customers operating in different segments. From the LFOs in e-commerce, FMCD, FMCG and parcel, the MFOs in cement, coal, agri., cold chain, industrial goods, oil & gas and construction, to the SFOs in POL, MLO as well as the institutional buyers in special applications, these products have registered their marks of consistent performance everywhere. The clinical combination of value enhancements, the massive engineering framework, renewed sales and after sales processes and the systematic product establishment methods have proven key to Tata’s successful BS-VI clinch.
4×2 to 12×2 trucks constitute the largest band of M&HCVs in the country and customers, financiers, end users and other stakeholders are increasingly trusting Tata’s robust BS-VI portfolio as a profitable investment.
With 17,000+ BS-VI rigid trucks on road and a 51% market share, Tata retains its leadership position in BS-VI trucks.
Tata Motors offers the largest range of BS-VI Tractor-Trailer (TT) in the country ranging from 30T to highest permissible 55T GCW nodes. Tata Motors TTs give profitable business solution across different applications including cement, construction aggregates, coal, steel, industrial goods, auto logistics, petroleum and agri. Having options of different drivetrains, exhaust after-treatment systems and with Ultra, Signa and Prima cabin selections giving customers ‘The Power of Choice’ to choose as per their application and duty cycle requirement.
Committed to deliver sector specific solutions, Tata Motors Ultra 3021.S enable auto logistics transporters to not only meet OEM’s logistics requirement but earn higher profits with Tata Motors Fuel Intelligent 5.0L Turbotronn engine and the new-generation Ultra cabin, offering best fuel efficiency in the segment and class-leading comfort, convenience and ergonomics for drivers in long haulage.
Tata’s 40-tonne and 46-tonne Tractor-Trailers constituting 31% of volume, powered by Cummins ISBe 5.6L and 6.7L powertrains respectively, offer differentiated customer value proposition in port, coal, metals and ores applications across leading markets – from Mumbai to Kolkata, and Gandhidham to Jamshedpur.
In 55-tonne segment, Tata Motors tractor range with Cummins ISBe 6.7L engine and being offered in both 4×2 and 6×4 avatars has gained tremendous response across geo-segments like cement, construction agg., steel and coal in states including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and others. Commanding a staggering 67.8% market share, 55T TTs have once again established Tata’s strength in heavy haulage articulates.
Tata Motors Tractor-Trailer range presents a bouquet of value enhancers including 3 mode fuel efficiency switch, gear shift advisor, hill start assist, engine brake, ICGT brakes, unitised wheel bearings* and customised fully-built solutions proving the perfect choice for a sustainable and profitable business.
With 5,000+ BS-VI Tractor Trailer on the roads and a 61% market share, Tata’s TT stronghold is ready to soar higher.
Whether transporting coal to meet the increased electricity demand during lockdown or contributing to the rapid surge of the construction and Infrastructure industry, the Tata Motors Construck range of tippers and construction solution vehicles have been at the forefront.
With an eye and an ear always towards the market and industry requirements, Tata Motors introduced the country’s first 47.5T Tipper Truck – the Signa 4825.TK. Built grounds up on tipper platform for the high volume surface transport application – with its 250hp engine, suited aggregates, large capacity load body, Signa sleeper cabin – it ensures round-the-clock productivity and material movement. Advanced features like tilt switch, hill start assist, engine brake, iCGT brakes ensure higher safety and lower maintenance costs.
The versatile Construck range of BS-VI 28-tonne and 35-tonne tippers – in 300, 250 and 230hp power nodes with their best-in-class load body options and vehicle configurations have proven their mettle in varied applications like road construction, coal, ore and minerals, construction, irrigation, mining, stone quarry being the preferred choice of customers. Their powerful engines mated with heavy-duty aggregates give enhanced performance, faster TAT, high uptime and productivity. Advanced technology features with inherent wider flat torque curve fulfil the Power of Lower TCO promise. Prima and Signa cabin options ensure comfortable, fatigue free and safe driving experience.
Tata Motors Construck MCV 19-tonne range of tipper vehicles provide high productivity with the right balance of power and tractability making it the preferred choice for customers operating in the difficult and formidable heights of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and the North-East.
Tata Motors Construck also offers fully-built RMC transit mixer vehicles along with boom pump mounting vehicles thereby ensuring a comprehensive range of construction solutions.
With near 17,000 BS-VI tippers in market and a 52% market share, Tata Motors is leading the show in BS-VI tipper business BS-VI is here to stay. With the industrial markets opening up and demand reviving from core as well as consumer driven sectors, India’s M&HCV business space is hopeful to see new lights; and Tata Motors has set its foot right and firm with customer at the centre of their BS-VI strategy aiming to drive business growth through customers’ growth.