Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) has been growing from strength to strength, outpacing the industry growth across the various segments and gaining market share with breakthrough technology products and a lean business model. It introduced the Pro Series a couple of years back and has seen great success so far. Eicher Pro Series is a range of next-generation trucks and buses with modern design, futuristic engine technology and cabin features ushering in the Future of Indian Trucking.
The VECV vision to ‘Modernize the Commercial Vehicle Industry’ would have been incomplete without the Pro philosophy. It aims to continuously improve transportation efficiency in India and the developing markets via relevant modernization, thereby reducing costs and improving productivity. It strives to produce the most technologically advanced, safe and efficient products for its chosen markets, and provide superior uptime and best-in-class after-sales support to customers.
The Pro philosophy
- Professional: Set new benchmarks whether it is designing a new truck that meets world-class standards or servicing an old one with commitment and diligence
- Productive: Constantly improving design and quality to better reliability in manufacturing processes or efficiency in engine technology
- Profit: Reduce operating costs through increasing fuel-efficiency, payload and ensuring the truck is always up and running
- Prosperity: Add layers of warmth to cold metal and smiles to just measuring miles, so that you don’t just grow but prosper in your business and life
- Promise: and go out of our way to partner them with the right support through every bump, U-turn or roadblock, along the way
- Pro You: Understand customer needs and change conventions in world of transportation through relevant modernization
Bringing together the Volvo Group processes & technologies and the frugal engineering and local expertise of Eicher, the “Eicher Pro” Range delivers higher profitability and more prosperity for its customers. The Eicher Pro range consists of different platforms covering the entire CV range from 5t to 49t GVW of light/medium duty and heavy duty trucks and buses.
Catering to the heavy duty segment, the Eicher Pro 6000 & Eicher Pro 8000 series trucks are equipped with an advanced on-board diagnostics system that enables proactive maintenance of the truck, including fault indicators to the driver in the form of visual signals, messages and alarms. The Eicher Pro 8000 series is a new generation of heavy duty trucks, tractors and tippers from 25T to 49T GVW, meant for the emerging mid premium segment that requires high power and torque combination as well as a greater degree of refinement and sophistication. True to their promise the vehicles are delivering better fuel efficiency and superior uptime.
Heavy-duty trucks under the Pro series range
- Eicher Pro 6000: 16t to 40t GVW heavy duty new generation trucks, tippers & tractors with new world-class cabin, highly fuel efficient next gen engine with power rating of 180-220 hp.
- Eicher Pro 8000: 25t to 49t GVW heavy duty new generation trucks, tippers & tractors targeted at emerging premium segment with higher power ratings of 250-280 hp.
At Eicher Trucks and Buses, everybody is very progressive in his approach towards introducing new products and technologies. With Eicher Live in Pro 8000 and Pro 6000 trucks, one more step towards modernization of the transportation industry has been taken.
Eicher Pro 6037 was showcased at Auto Expo 2016. It is a 37T haulage truck that comes with in-built intelligent technology like dual torque, fuel coaching, cruise control, electronic air processing unit, advanced telematics and driver information system. It is designed keeping in mind the different requirements of various long haul applications like market load, cement, tankers, etc. It is equipped with a fuel efficient driveline, robust chassis and fully suspended world-class sleeper cabin for better driving comfort.
The new Eicher Pro 6037 is designed for a variety of long-haul applications. It is powered by state-of-the-art 156 kW VEDX5 engine with dual torque technology developed on the Volvo Group global platform. It offers best-in-class fuel efficiency, higher productivity, superior uptime. It is the lightest vehicle in its segment to carry higher rated payload and it is built with the philosophy of delivering “Maximum Lifetime Profitability”.
The recently launched Eicher Pro 8049 is a real heavy duty 49T GCW Tractor, based on the Volvo Group’s global platform, perfectly suited for tough and demanding long-haul applications. Manufactured at the world-class Volvo plant at Hosakote, the vehicle is powered by the group’s next-gen VEDX58 7.7 liters engine with 280 hp with flat torque over a wide range of rpm.
The other features of the Eicher Pro 8049 include options of single reduction and hub reduction for different range of loads and operating conditions, rolled form high-tensile strength steel (VSHR 590) chassis with 20% better torsional stress than pressed form chassis and optimized powertrain for highest levels of productivity, reliability, durability and more product life in its class.
The Eicher Pro 8049 comes with free maintenance of Volvo Group’s patented Bogie suspension with upward U-bolt. If offers a spacious aerodynamic cabin with next-gen features like standard air-conditioning, 6-way adjustable seat, and 4.5’’ large driver information display, and is equipped with world-class features like fuel coaching, cruise control and Eicher Live services. Fuel coaching offers real time guidance with symbols in display to drive in most optimized rpm range and cruise control that is fatigue-free driving experience on highways without using the clutch and accelerator pedal. Vehicle Uptime Management offers proactive service and breakdown assistance on the basis of fault code diagnostics and Fleet Management is used for track and trace services.
Eicher Live is trucking intelligence that drives profitable fleet management, by monitoring their movement, fuel consumption and maintenance needs. Eicher Live is available as a company-installed system in the EicherProSeries range of trucks and buses, viz., Eicher Pro 8000 and Eicher Pro 6000.
Eicher Live includes features like Advance Breakdown Assistance, Dynamic Service Reminders and Pro-active Service. It also offers great fuel management with advanced analytics that includes fuel consumption analysis and measures to improve fuel efficiency and profitability. The major components of the telematics system are a hardware unit (Telematics Gateway), intelligent vehicle electronic module and a mobile sim card that connects to Eicher Live hub.
Alongside its products portfolio the group is also strengthening its aftermarket network and stepping up efforts for driver livelihood improvement and training. It has set up 12 driver training schools all over the country to improve skills. It is also investing in training facilities to develop the competence of its dealer service teams and assisting its dealers to put in place modern equipment like Techtool and wheel alignment machines to enable better maintenance and turnaround of vehicles in the dealer workshops.
Besides, there are regular free check-up campaigns to ensure proper upkeep of vehicles for best performance and regular refresher driver training programs on safe driving.
With a strong portfolio of product, services and an effort to improve the trucking ecosystem, the VECV focus is now to build a larger market share in the heavy duty sector. Its stated mission is to achieve a strong market share, and the HD segment is the biggest contributor in this regard. VECV is confident of raising the market share in the segment to 12-15 per cent in three years.