COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INDIA SEPTEMBER 2021

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Volume 15 Issue 12 • September 2021

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The Bottomline Trying Something New

T

“In a positive sign for the future, despite the tough past six quarters, inventions and technological breakthroughs continue to see the light of the day. In an encouraging sign, many are ready to go to market.”

he world is learning to live with Covid19 even though we are far from reaching a stage when the reverse holds true. Vaccination drives continue to give hope and shape the future of the commercial vehicle industry. On ground zero, it is well known, how to be production-ready, the product concept must go through several prototype iterations before it is deemed production-ready. Several Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and tier suppliers are at different stages of this cycle at any given point and time in the automotive industry. In a positive sign for the future, despite the tough past six quarters, inventions and technological breakthroughs continue to see the light of the day. In an encouraging sign, many are ready to go to market. Here product exhibits are a key step in this life cycle. Hybrid models with a virtual window to access these products coupled with a physical presence are a good middle ground to stay connected with the industry. As I write to you, the IAA Mobility 2021 edition is underway, in Munich. The first major event in Germany after the lifting of the lock down restrictions, the event starts from where it left in the last edition. It has the industry switching gears as a contributor to carbon neutrality. With a claimed 100 world premieres lined up, the focus is also on digitisation.

Tier suppliers are making their presence felt at the expo too. It is testimony to the industry being resilient and trying something new, come what may! The Trailer special Issue can validate this too from the featured, and ex citing new offerings. Homegrown and International trailer manufacturers, special application builders and trailer system suppliers alike, The industry, it is aptly clear, is gunning for universal acceptance with higher localised content, per vehicle.

Ashish Bhatia ashish@atashishbhatia.com a.bhatia@nextgenpublishing.net

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what's inside Cover story 27

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EXCUSIVE | Simplified Global Solutions The flagship plant of Aryan Pumps & Enviro Solutions on the outskirts of Pune exudes pride from the moment you enter the facility. Ashish Bhatia unknots the contributors to success at the environmental engineering solutions.

Behemoth Of A Machine Sarbloh Motors in partnership with Sherp International has succeeded in creating a pull for the Sherp N 1200, in India.

Sumesh Soman drove the utility ATV in a thrilling ride where he conquered the perceived obstacles with monstrous ease.

05 THE BOTTOMLINE

Ashish Bhatia

n

08 NEWS n Scheme for defence testing infrastructure n LNG Dumpers in a mining pilot n Aviation Ministry and DGCA grant drone permissions n For renewable energy at source n Electronic monitoring and enforcement

of road safety n Decarbonising transport in India n Emission reduction ahead of the deadline n India’s first hydrogen fuelling station in Leh n GDP estimates for first quarter of 2021

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

A fitness test is mandatory DTAG to delink from Daimler AG Tata Motors’ MoU with CSC Organisational changes at ALL First Volvo Coach post VECV integration TWU partners Piaggio Vehicles SUN Mobility introduces MaaS Torque Commercial Vehicles in Surat GSRTC to procure 50 Olectra e-buses Temperature controlled vaccine transport 600 e-rickshaws flagged off under Parivartan Defence India Startup Challenge 5.0 ICRA predicts ebuses to gain traction by FY2025 Ninth Busworld India in August 2022 Delhivery acquires Spoton

Write to us at cvonline@nextgenpublishing.net with your feedback and suggestions or visit us at www.commercialvehicle.in to catch the digital first content.

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Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

60

R YOUICE VO

September 2021 Commercial Vehicle Magazine

19 Holding Its Own Bharat Forge is poised well to bag big defence contracts with products like the Kalyani Maverick ATC.

608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.

Tel +91 9321546598 Email us at cv@nextgenpublishing.net

22 Hauling Trailer Systems for 18-Wheelers

BPW Trailer Systems introduces the hauling trailer

system for 18-wheelers.

24 Tata Prima – Modern Trucks for Modern India

Tata Prima offers the best blend of profits, comfort, safety, modern technology and economy for varied applications

Editor Ashish Bhatia Test Editor Aspi Bhathena Correspondent Deepti Thore Head-Design & Production Ravi Parmar Art Director Mangesh Sawant Asst. Art Director Ajit Manjrekar Designer Prathmesh Vichare Image Desk Dipak Gaykar Production Supervisor Dinesh Bhajnik Publisher Marzban Jasoomani Associate Publisher & Ellora Dasgupta General Manager (North & East) Mentor & Special Advisor Hoshang S. Billimoria General Manager Girish Shet South Deputy General Manager

Chanchal Arora

North Regional Marketing Manager Salma Jabbar (Chennai)

39 Digitisation In Manufacturing

Dassault Systemes has launched DELMIAWorks in India.

41 Autonomy Kicks Up Some Dust

Machines that move, haul and plow earth can capitalise

on autonomous systems.

44 New Generation Cool liner And Profi Liner

Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone Gmbh & CO. KG is ready

with the new generation Cool Liner and Profi Liner.

46 Autonomous Mobility Theme Day 2021

As part of the Continental ‘TechShow Around The

World’ series, automated and autonomous mobility took

centre stage.

52 Restoring Bus in Public Transportation

A Busworld session had restoration of buses in public

transport as the focal point.

56 Heavy-Duty Actros

57 #Trendsmap

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Tel + 91 20 26830465 iews and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next V Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other material. All material published in COMMERCIAL VEHICLE is copyright and no part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the express prior written permission of the publisher Printed by Marzban Jasoomani Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013. Published by Marzban Jasoomani on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013.

All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Commercial Vehicle does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

Editor Ashish Bhatia

Commercial Vehicle www.commercialvehicle.in | September 2021

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News Scheme for defence testing infrastructure Aimed at boosting domestic defence manufacturing, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS).

A Rs.400 crore outlay will be used to create a state-of-theart testing infrastructure in partnership with the private sector. To run over the period of five years, it will entail setting up six to eight greenfield defence testing infrastructure

facilities required for defence related production. The projects

LNG Dumpers in a mining pilot Coal India Ltd (CIL), Ministry of Coal is looking at retrofitting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) kits in its dumpers deployed for coal transportation. CIL uses rupees four lakh kilolitres of diesel per annum with an annual expense of over Rs.3,500 crores. The pilot project, together with GAIL (India) Ltd., and BEML Ltd., will retrofit LNG kits in its two 100-tonne dumpers operating at the subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL). As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), CIL , GAIL and BEML will execute the pilot project. On retrofitting, the LNG kit will be tested. The dumpers will run on a dual fuel system using both LNG and diesel. Expected to significantly lower operational costs, it is expected to be a game changer. The pilot, if successful, will be extended to over 2,500 CIL owned dumpers running in its opencast coal mines. From a total fleet diesel consumption of 65-75 per cent, LNG is expected to account for 30-40 per cent. This in turn is expected to reduce the fuel cost by ~15 per cent. It will not only

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reduce carbon emission but also save an estimated Rs.500 crores annually.

The projection takes into account the existing Heavy Earth Moving Machines (HEMMs) including dumpers. The pilot will be used to monitor parameters like the replacement rate of diesel with LNG in different load and operating conditions. It will also capture any change in performance characteristics of the dumper including cycle time and engine performance parameters. The pilot will run over a period of 90 days which will be subjected to a technoeconomic study to study the feasibility of real world deployment. The move is in line with the switch by global majors.

Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

within the DTIS will benefit from up to 75 per cent government funding in the form of ‘Grantin-Aid’. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will bear 25 per cent of the project cost.

The Department of Defence Production/Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DDP/ DGQA) has published eight Expression of Interest (EOIs) for the setting up of defence test facilities.

Aviation Ministry and DGCA grant drone permissions

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a significant development have granted the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) rules to 10 organisations. These include the Government of Karnataka, National Health Mission, Gangtok Smart City Development, Steel Authority of India (SAIL), IISCO steel plant, Burnpur, West Bengal, Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd., Chennai, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), Mumbai among others. Turning a choice for businesses like e-commerce and transportation, these organisations are expected to use UAS for a diverse range of applications. From aerial surveys to delivery of essential healthcare items on one end of the spectrum and drone based aerial spraying to assess crop health and prevent crop disease besides use in agricultural trials, precision spraying on paddy and hot pepper crop in the State of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

news

For renewable Electronic monitoring and energy at enforcement of road safety source India is aiming for renewable energy at source. A testimony to this is 16369 MW of inefficient thermal units having been phased out of operations as per R K Singh, Union Minister of Power and Renewable Energy. Rt Hon Alok Sharma, President, COP26 informed of the willingness of the United Kingdom to collaborate with India on Green Hydrogen. Emphasising on the need to bring down storage costs, developed and developing countries have been called upon to work together. If India is to attain its target of having 450 GW of installed Renewable Capacity by 2030, the need is to increase the storage capacity. To realise this vision, the UK has been invited to participate in the upcoming bids for Green Hydrogen and lithium-ion.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) notification G.S.R. 575(E).11th August 2021- Rule 167A on electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety states the provisions for placement of electronic enforcement devices.

The notification extends to speed camera, closed-circuit television camera, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard camera, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Weigh In Machine (WIM) among similar technologies to name a few. It directs state governments to ensure the placement of electronic enforcement devices at highrisk and high-density corridors on national highways and state highways. It will also entail placements at critical junctions at least in major cities with larger than one million population

including specified 132 cities. The footage gathered will be used to issue challans for varied offences ranging from not driving within the prescribed speed limit to driving a vehicle exceeding permissible weight. It will also extend to driving a vehicle with a load that extends beyond the sides of the body or to the front or to the rear or in height beyond the permissible limit (subsection (1A) of section 194) and failure of providing passage to an emergency vehicle, for instance.

Decarbonising transport in India NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI) have partnered to decarbonise transport in the country. The two have jointly launched the ‘Forum of Decarbonising Transport’ in India in line with the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA). The forum is aiming to bring down GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions from peak levels. This will be within the two-degree pathway known to be a cause for congestion and air pollution. The transport sector is said to be the third most CO2 emitting sector.

As per a statistic from IEA, 2020, as a subset, road transport contributes to more than 90 per cent of the decarbonisation of road transport. The NDC-TIA is a joint initiative between seven organisations known to engage India, China and Vietnam to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonise transportation in each country respectively. NITI Aayog is the implementing partner for India.

Commercial Vehicle www.commercialvehicle.in | September 2021

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News

Emission India’s first hydrogen reduction fuelling station in Leh ahead of the deadline The National Thermal Power Corporation Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC-REL), a subsidiary of NTPC, has invited a tender to set up India’s first hydrogen fueling station in Leh. Following on the heels of the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. tender for procurement of fuel cell buses for Ladakh, the two entities will join forces

to execute the Green Mobility Project in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The project will be powered by a dedicated 1.2 MW solar plant to make the hydrogen fueling station completely green. The project is expected to be a major boost to tourism in the region and usher in a new era of emission-free transport in and around.

GDP estimates for first quarter of 2021 India is celebrating the achievement of a 25 per cent reduction in emissions over 2005 levels. The original target was 35 per cent by 2030 in line with the commitment at the Nationally Determination Contributions (NDC).

Keeping up to the Paris Climate Change (COP21) commitments, India, according to President of International Solar Alliance, R K Singh, the need of the hour is to allow regulatory and policy support to keep the sector afloat. It is to allow the strengthening of supplyside technology and encourage competition.

The competitive market is believed to be ideal for bringing in economies of scale.

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The National Statistic Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates for the first quarter of FY2021-22 (Q1FY22). At constant prices (2011-12), in comparison to FY2020-21, GDP is estimated to be Rs.32.28 lakh crore in comparison to Rs.26.95 lakh crore in Q1FY21, signalling a 20.1 per cent growth.

On the quarterly GVA front, at basic prices at constant (2011-12), GDP is estimated to be Rs.30.48 lakh crore compared to Rs.25.66 lakh crore in Q1 FY21, a growth of 18.8 per cent.

At current prices in Q1FY22, GDP is estimated to be at Rs.51.23 lakh crore against Rs.38.89 lakh crore in Q1 FY21, a growth of 31.7 per cent. GVA at basic prices at the current price (Q1 FY22) is pegged at Rs.46.20 lakh crore in comparison to Rs.36.53 lakh crore in Q1 FY21 at a growth of 26.5 per cent. The leading indicators include 103.1 per cent growth in consumption of steel, 234.4 per cent growth in sales of commercial vehicles, 49 per cent of growth in exports of goods and services. The high growth rate in some cases is attributed to the low base.

A fitness test is mandatory Commercial Vehicles must have a valid fitness certificate. In a Lok Sabha announcement, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the “Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernisation Programme” as per which commercial vehicles over fifteen years old that fail to pass the mandatory fitness test will be marked for scrappage. The government is known to have approached Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to propose a five per cent price cut incentive

Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

on new purchases clubbed with a GST reduction. For automobiles controlled by governments and related institutions such as PSUs, the mandate will come into force from April 01’ 2022. According to Ministry data, India has 51 lakh Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) over the age of 20 and 34 lakh over the age of 15. Almost 17 lakh Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) are over 15 years old without valid fitness certificates.

News

DTAG to delink from Daimler AG Daimler Trucks AG (DTAG) will no longer be a part of Daimler AG. It will be spun off into two separate entities. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the internal corporate reorganisation of the Daimler AG. The group company has sought approval through the green channel route, an automatic approval system.

The approval is known to have been received following a notice filed for the combination by the parties concerned. The truck and bus business is expected to be spun off to become a publicly traded company. As per the notice, Daimler AG will be a minority stakeholder with the majority share stake to be publicly listed. The filing highlights the lack of overlap between the businesses of the parties in India, which in effect is unlikely to impact the company’s competitiveness in the relevant market.

DICV gains ground in Bihar DICV delivered 20 units of BharatBenz 1017 buses through its dealer partner Gautam Trucking in Begusarai, a primary bus hub for the company in Bihar. The company has a presence through three dealerships in the region. Operated

by Gautam Trucking and Riddhiman Trucking in Muzaffarpur and Patna.

Equipped to offer complete sales, service, and exchange support for the entire range of BharatBenz trucks and buses. The delivery indicates signs of recovery of the bus segment in the East according to Karl-Alexander Seidel, Head of Daimler Buses India. “This

significant order by a firsttime buyer demonstrates the growing faith in BharatBenz Buses in the Eastern region.

BharatBenz buses come with easy handling and long service intervals. Our chassis enjoys strong market acceptance with our best-in-class comfort and safety features,” he mentioned.

The company is backing its growth strategy in the region with ‘Profit Technology+’, a colosseum built on five founding pillars that benefit the customers of BharatBenz.

This includes the claimed best-in-class fuel efficiency, superior safety and comfort, unmatched reliability, lowest TCO, and connectivity.

Tata Motors’ MoU with CSC Tata Motors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Common Service Centre Scheme (CSC). An initiative of the Government of India (GoI) to deliver eservices to rural parts and remote locations in the country, Tata Motors through the MoU will provide a source of income to this rural section of the society. On the occasion, Rajesh Kaul, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU), Tata Motors spoke about the partnership playing a crucial role in the digital age. It is aimed at their empowerment through the Tata Motors’ range of commercial vehicles “The CSC Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE) network would further fortify Tata Motors’ wide network of sales and service touchpoints in turn contributing to the overall development of the rural economy”, he mentioned.

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Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

News

Organisational changes at ALL After eleven years of a successful tenure at Ashok Leyland, Nitin Seth, Chief Operating Officer, has decided to step down from Ashok Leyland Ltd. in pursuit of a career outside the organisation. Credited for building the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) business as well as other growth businesses during his tenure. Establishing the Ashok Leyland and Nissan JV greenfield project, the successful launch of LCV, a buy out followed by a turnaround of the business in a difficult time, developing the Phoenix platform in record time of 24 months, CV of the year award for the ‘Bada Dost’ LCV, establishing Switch EV venture, expanding the Defence portfolio and expanding the company’s international footprint with new distributors and global products were among his landmark achievements.

Mahesh Babu in new roles at Switch Former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Mahindra Electric, Mahesh Babu is the new Chief Operating Officer at Switch Mobility Ltd. and Chief Executive Officer at Switch Mobility, India. With over 25 years of experience along with a track record of being regarded as an EV pioneer, Mahesh Babu, commented Andy Palmer, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Switch Mobility Ltd., will enable the company to achieve the ambition of providing net-zero carbon emissions through the van and bus solutions globally.

First Volvo Coach post TWU partners Piaggio Vehicles VECV integration To accelerate the adoption of electric threewheelers, Three Wheels United (TWU) has partnered with Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. Aimed at helping TWU to deploy 500 Piaggio Ape’ E-City and Ape’ E-Xtra vehicles across India with immediate effect, it will be backed by the Piaggio aftersales and service network.

Looked at as an assurance of high uptime, auto rickshaw drivers can look forward to the switch to sustainable last-mile transportation options from Piaggio. The company is looking to adopt an economical and highly profitable strategy going forward.

Post the integration with VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), Volvo Buses India has launched its first product. The first 13.5 m, 4x2 coach for the country will offer up to 10 per cent higher seating capacity and 20 per cent higher sleeper berth capacity. It will additionally offer 25 per cent higher luggage carrying capacity.

Averred Akash Passey, President, Bus Division, VECV (A Volvo Group and Eicher Motors JV), “The Volvo 9400 B8R 13.5 m 4x2 coach is part of our pioneering track record of offering market leading bus-based mobility solutions in India.” Passey assured customers of a broader range of innovative market adapted offers from the new bus division. He also drew attention to an upcoming Eicher front-engine coach range that could be launched in the near term. The Volvo 9400 modular platform can spring variants like the 12 m 4x2 and a 14.5 m 6x2 coach.

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Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

News

SUN Mobility introduces MaaS SUN Mobility has announced its new service. The Integrated Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) offers customers a all-inclusive bundled solution. It comprises electric vehicles with the flexibility of an unlimited swap plan for the duration of the contract. It is claimed to help fleet operators scale up business in an assetlight manner while utilising SUN Mobility’s low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with the USP of a two-minute swap. The objective being to help customers deploy these electric vehicles without having to worry about the high upfront costs, difficult financing, and costly maintenance, and warranties.

The company’s battery swap technology uses Smart Batteries that are smaller, modular and interoperable across two-wheelers

and three-wheelers from various OEMs and include tamper-proof GPS and advanced telematics. The company also operates a network of SWAP POINT™ across major cities to offer quick interchange stations that offer a high-throughput and optimal thermal conditioning for the batteries. Powered by a cloud-

based IoT platform called Smart Network, vehicle and battery-data are generated and processed in realtime paving the way for intelligent decision making for fleet and network management. SUN Mobility aims to onboard over a million vehicles by 2025 to its battery swapping platform.

Torque Commercial Vehicles in Surat

GSRTC to procure 50 Olectra e-buses

Isuzu Motors India Pvt. Ltd. has opened a new fully equipped service centre. Torque Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (Torque Isuzu), in Surat, Gujarat is spread across an area of 14,400 sq.ft. Located on Veshu Abhwa Road, this facility is said to be well-equipped with modern tools, eight service bays and skilled technicians to offer a seamless service support to all Isuzu customers in the region. Expected to ramp up its network in the state with dealer Torque Isuzu, Isuzu Motors will address varied transportation needs, pointed Ken Takashima, Deputy Managing Director, Isuzu Motors India. Torque ISUZU is also operational in cities including Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Mehsana, Rajkot and Vadodara.

Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has sanctioned an order of procuring 50 nine-metre electric buses from Olectra Greentech in addition to the previously ordered 1,350 electric buses. Olectra will be supplying the additional 50 e-buses on the Gross Cost Contract (GCC), opex model for a period of ten years to the State Transport Undertaking (STU) which also includes servicing of these buses. With this order the e-bus fleet size in the state of Gujarat will be 250 units. The key features on the 33+D seater bus include air-conditioning, Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (ECAS) for a comfortable ride, CCTV for enhanced passenger safety, and regenerative braking. Powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, the bus is claimed to travel 180-200 km on a single charge subject to traffic and passenger load conditions. A highpower AC charging system enables a full charge in approximately three to four hours.

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Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

news

Temperature controlled vaccine transport DTDC has been a crucial logistical partner in the delivery of Covid19 vaccinations. For a Bengaluru-based hospital chain, DTDC has transported an estimated 39,000 doses across India. In a time-sensitive operation, DTDC used precision logistics and a vast network to ferry vaccines across Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Raipur, and Jaipur. The dedicated DTDC Transportation Control Tower is known to have ensured an end-toend transportation in less than 12 hours. DTDC Express Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director Subhasish Chakraborty said, “During this pandemic, we have been able to perceive the need of the hour to

customise our services and stand by our country during this crisis. We are hopeful that our new solution will come to the aid of everyone.”

DTDC is equipped to partner with business enterprises, healthcare service providers, pharma companies, hospitals, or other enterprises looking to ship a cargo with temperature control and in a time bound manner.

The solution is claimed to have the precision capability to manage a range of (-) 80 degrees to (+) 25 degrees celsius. DTDC will leverage a spread of 570 facilities, including 48 hubs, and last-mile connectivity to the remotest corners with coverage of over 13,000 pin codes in India for effective transportation as claimed.

600 e-rickshaws flagged off under Parivartan The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has rolled out 600 e-rickshaws in the city. It has established the city’s first Electric Three-Wheeler Zone (ETWZ) where diesel and CNG rickshaws will be banned from entering. The zone covers Udyog Vihar, Ambience Mall, DLF Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4, DLF-5, Cyber City-Golf Course Road stretch, Mall Mile, Huda City Centre (HCC), sectors 28 and 29, and Wazirabad.

150 e-rickshaws will depart from the Galleria Market; 450 will depart from various other locations within

the zone. Launched by the Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, the scheme, in the first phase, will see 2,000 diesel rickshaws being replaced at an estimated investment of rupees six crore through the MCG,

Defence India Startup Challenge 5.0

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the fifth edition of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC). DISC 5.0 targets self-reliance, fostering innovation and technology development in the defence and aerospace sector.

Falling under Innovations for Defence Excellence - Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEXDIO), the official statement mentioned thirty-five problem statements. This is further broken down to 13 from the Services and 22 from Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). The challenge extends to situational awareness, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, aircrafttraining, non-lethal devices, 5G network, underwater domain awareness, drone swarms and data capturing. “A platform like iDEX provides a foundation for innovation, research and development to the industry.

Initiatives like iDEX form a link between our youth, academia, R&D, start-ups and the armed forces,” expressed the minister.

The previous edition of the DISC hosted over eighty startups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and individual innovators as winners in over forty technological categories.

Commercial Vehicle www.commercialvehicle.in | September 2021

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News ICRA predicts ebuses to gain traction

by FY2025 As per the new ICRA projection, e-buses are expected to gain good traction over the near to medium term and account for eight to 10 per cent of the new bus sales by FY2025. In the past few years, significant operational savings, especially on fuel costs vis-à-vis conventional diesel buses has helped the demand to pick up.

Government subsidies and evolving technologies are known to reduce capital costs further, supporting low TCO of these vehicles.

The Gross-Cost Contract (GCC) model, or opex model of operations, has emerged as the preferred route for ebus adoption in India. The FAME II scheme implemented by the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) is known to have planned a significant outlay of USD. 35 billion towards supporting ebus adoption in India. Under the scheme, seven metre, nine metre and 12 m electric buses are eligible for a capital subsidy of Rs.35 lakh, Rs.45 lakh and Rs.55 lakh respectively, subject to them meeting technical specifications and localisation requirements.

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Ninth Busworld India in August 2022 Busworld and Messe Frankfurt India announced the ninth edition of Busworld India. To be held from August 25–27, 2022, in Bengaluru, the bus and coach trade fair will aim at reuniting the industry’s decision makers. This will include private and public bus and coach operators, vehicle manufacturers, component, accessory and software suppliers. A joint statement by the organisers read, “The signs of recovery in bus transportation in these past few months have brought back the spark among bus manufacturers and sellers.

Through Busworld India 2022, we aim to strongly contribute to the industry’s revival and bring crucial and invaluable business opportunities to the industry players across India and worldwide.”

With public transportation known to have taken a bad hit with Covid19 induced restrictions, the ‘COVID-19

Community Mobility Report’ released

by Google comes as a welcome development. As per the report, public transportation shows a steady recovery of (-) nine per cent over the last three months (June-August). It is therefore expected to reach the pre-Covid19 levels in the coming months that Busworld hopes to tap into.

Delhivery acquires Spoton Delivery and e-commerce logistics company Delhivery of Bengaluru has acquired Spoton Logistics.

Aimed at boosting Business-to-Business (B2B) capabilities, the acquisition is said to align with the larger goal of being a growth-oriented company. The company is targeting a large scale in each of its business lines as per Sahil Barua, Chief Executive Officer at Delhivery. “Delhivery has developed a leading position in B2C logistics over the last ten years, and now, by integrating our half truckload business with Spoton’s, we will be on the path to achieving the same

Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

position in B2B express,” he stated in a company release. Abhik Mitra, Managing Director, Spoton Logistics Pvt. Ltd added, “We will continue to invest in improving our clients’ businesses through our investments in people, technology, network and infrastructure.”

new Launch

Holding Its Own Bharat Forge is poised well to bag big defence contracts. Sumesh Soman looks at the Kalyani Maverick in its portfolio and what makes the ATC hold its own.

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harat Forge through its wholly-owned subsidiary company Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd. is positioned well to bag big defence contracts. A testimony to this is the Kalyani Maverick ATC, an Armoured Troop Carrier (ATC) whose successful trial is known to have been completed in FY2021. The trial deserves a special mention given that it is known to have been conducted in unfavourable conditions across the length

and breadth of the country as part of the overall Group trials.

From Leh (vehicle) in North to Trichy (small arms) in the south; from Pokhran (CIWS) in the west to Sikkim (ATAGS) in the east; overland (Artillery Gun, Vehicles, CIWS etc.), sea (Torpedo homing heads) and air (UAVs). Following its first public experience at DefExpo2020, it was recently displayed again at the International Police Expo 2021 (Watch out for the detailed report in the 15th Anniversary

Issue of CV Ma).

The Maverick on first impressions holds its own!

The appearance follows the first public appearance at the DefExpo2020. Since then the Kalyani Maverick has been proving its mettle across expos and exhaustive trials. The ATC is an outcome of the group company’s metallurgical knowledge, design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities. The Maverick is capable of moving

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new Launch

up to 11 troops with a high level of ballistic protection across rough terrain. The company claims it offers very high levels of ballistic and mine protection. It is rated for crew compartment ballistic protection STANAG 4569-Level 3 and blast protection STANAG 4569-Level 4. It is built to safeguard the troop onboard from a 50 Kg TNT side blast or from IED/roadside explosives made possible by a smartly engineered flat-floor monocoque hull design.

The Maverick measures 6096 mm in length, 2560 mm in width and 2987 mm in height. An over 304 mm ground clearance with an approach angle of up to 30-degrees and a departure angle of 28 degrees makes it a capable vehicle. The capability is also defined by a sixcylinder turbo diesel engine housed in the monocoque hull chassis. It develops a rated peak power of 280 hp with the torque maxing out at 970 Nm. The engine is mated to an automatic six-speed transmission. Claimed to offer

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a superior mobility experience, a burst can lead to the Maverick attaining a top speed of 110 kmph. Braking duties are done by disc brakes and it runs on 20-inch tyres. The Maverick is capable of clocking 700 km on a full tank. The sticker price of rupees three crores allow for customisation too. The ATC is

fully customisable courtesy of an open architecture design.

This is evident in ingress that opens up to a large internal volume behind the rugged exterior. The Maverick can double up as a promising riot control vehicle and makes for a strong contender for border control and security

new Launch fleet. In collaboration with BEML, the company is known to have developed mounted gun systems for 4x4 platforms such as the Maverick, and capabilities in areas of manufacture and supply of power train aggregates besides the critical armoured machined forgings.

The Maverick is available in three variants christened STANAG I, STANAG II and STANAG III. The variants differ on account of parameters like the Gross Vehicular Weight (GVW) and the side impact withstanding capability. For instance, STANAG I weighs all of nine tonnes and boasts of a 10 Kg TNT side bast resistance. The STANAG II weighs 11-tonnes and shares the impact resistance with the STANAG I. The STANAG III weighs 14-tonnes and offers a 50 Kg TNT side blast resistance.

In a commonality, all variants feature a 13 kW air conditioning system and a 24V electrical system. The cabin and switches on first look are fairly spartan keeping in mind the rough and rugged application of the vehicle. There is an additional generator integrated into the vehicle system for emergencies.

Additional features include run-flat inserts, which allows the Maverick to move unhindered even on flat tyres. The Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS) allows for unique value addition of inflating the tyres from within the cabin. In keeping with its pedigree, onboard inclusions cover a radio frequency transmission and an interception, an intercom system, a Public Address System (PAS), a fire suspension system, GPS tracking, a driver assist camera

Protection Level

Construction

Crew Kerb weight Payload Wheelbase Max speed Turning circle Road range Engine

Power to weight Transmission

STANAG I 10 KG TNT side blast, two hand grenade under the hull Monocoque hull (not chassis based) 2+1+8 nine-tonne 1.5 tonne 3180 mm 110 kmph 16.5 m kerb to kerb 700 km Six-cylinder, turbo diesel engine, 280 hp, 970 Nm 20kW/T

Six-speed automatic Transfer case Two-speed Diff locks Pneumatic assist front, centre and rear Brakes Pneumatic disc, ABS standard Tyres 365/85 R20 or 395/80 R20 Air conditioner 13 kW system and a 360-degree camera to name a few.

The company is already known to have received an order from the Indian Army for the supply of a protected armoured vehicle, Kalyani M4. The company is banking on its strategic investments, acquisitions in defence technology start-ups and Defence Incubation Centers, with mentoring from foreign

STANAG II 10 KG TNT side blast, two hand grenade under the hull Monocoque hull (not chassis based) 2+1+8 11tonne 1.5 tonne 3180 mm 110 kmph 16.5 m kerb to kerb 700 km Six-cylinder, turbo diesel engine, 280 hp, 970 Nm

STANAG III 50 KG TNT side blast, two hand grenade under the hull Monocoque hull (not chassis based) 2+1+8 14 tonne 1.5 tonne 3180 mm 110 kmph 16.5 m kerb to kerb 700 km Six-cylinder, turbo diesel engine, 280 hp, 970 Nm

17 kW/T

14kW/T

Six-speed automatic Two-speed Pneumatic assist front, centre and rear Pneumatic disc, ABS standard 365/85 R20 or 395/80 R21 13 kW

Six-speed automatic Two-speed Pneumatic assist front, centre and rear Pneumatic disc, ABS standard 365/85 R20 or 395/80 R22 13 kW

technology experts known to have strengthened the Group capabilities. With products like the Maverick, Bharat Forge aspires to emerge as a strong defence product supplier in India and globally for which it shared plans of setting up a mega facility in FY21. It has also acquired a land parcel in Khed SEZ, about 45 kms from Pune.

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New launch

Hauling Trailer Systems For 18-Wheelers BPW Trailer Systems introduces the hauling trailer system for 18-wheelers. Prateek Pardeshi correlates the next-generation solution to the revival of the trailer segment.

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PW Trailer Systems India Pvt. Ltd. (BPW) has been making the right noises with its hauling trailer systems for 18-wheelers.

The company has leveraged expertise in the trailer systems like the two-axle suspension, and Electronic Braking System (EBS) kit to suspensions and telematics on the other end of the spectrum according to Nagaraj Ubale, Director Technical, BPW Trailer Systems India Pvt. Ltd. In a testimony to the company’s capability of offering individual components and fully coordinated running gear systems with equal ease, the company has supplied to Hindalco’s Maxloader showcased at the recently concluded Truck, Trailer and Tyres expo in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The latter is known to be an all aluminium truck body made from Hindalco’s extruded profiles. Hindalco is known to have selected the BPW hauling

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trailer system for its optimum stability and load-bearing capability of 50-tonnes, claimed Ubale.

Pneumatic suspension with lift axle Designed to meet Indian duty cycles, the pneumatic suspension with lift axle is claimed to be ideal for heavy loads. The SL suspension line is designed for heavy axle loads, off-road, or arduous duty cycle applications. It is claimed to be low-maintenance courtesy of the U-bolt clamping mechanism that sits between the suspension components and the axle. It uses a 100 mm wide spring steel trailing arm basis and can handle axle loads of up to 14-tonnes in both single and twin leaf variants. The square beam axle is made up of 16 mm.

The trailing arm is 100 mm wide equipped with a locking

Nagaraj Ubale, Director - Technical, BPW Trailer Systems India Pvt. Ltd.

plate. This axle is fitted with an ECO 400k axle with a greasing interval of four lakh kilometres.

Heavy-duty airbags and shock absorbers contribute to the damping performance.

BPW landing gear The trailer landing gear refers to retractable ports that maintain the trailer level after the removal of the tractor. While the reinforced shaft helps absorb lateral forces, the continuous screw-on plate is said to offer optimal strength. BPW landing gear also meets AAR requirements and is rated for a lifting capacity of 25-tonnes. It is

new launch

approval and design patent.

claimed to sustain a static load of up to 50-tonne. This gear is maintenance-free for up to three years. BPW provides longterm greasing to ensure this.

Ermax lighting system BPW’s Danish subsidiary company Ermax offers the lighting system fitted on the Maxloader. The TM 10 7-function tail light with ‘Eternal Light’ is sourced from the company. It combines the fog light, license plate, and side marker lights with position, brake, indicator, and reverse lights. There are two variations of this modern tail light: complete LED and a hybrid arrangement. A wide choice of comprehensive cable and lighting systems – both as standard and customised are on offer too. Cable sets are modular and can be fitted with a number of ports and connections to satisfy unique requirements. All Ermax brand solutions feature E-marking and IP protection, with most claimed to have received the ADR

HBN mudguards BPW also offers the HBNTeknik A/S. These mud wings are impact and shock-resistant, as well as resistant to wear, oil, and corrosion. HBN-Teknik A/S is claimed to adhere to the highest quality standards.

These anti-spray mudguards have been authorised by the European Commission and are known to be tested by leading truck OEMs. Localised suspensions BPW offers the VB suspension, a mechanical suspension without braking load compensation, leaf springs above the axle, and the SL air suspension with a tag of long service life and safety.

The mechanical suspension on offer is said to be 100 per cent localised with the pneumatic counterpart localised at 50-60 per cent. There are select parts that the Indian arm sources from the parent company.

Future Strategy While April 01, 2020, Bharat Stage VI emission norms marked a new era for tractor heads, the trailer segment has its own set of challenges to deal with. Apart from the change in content per

trailer to suit the new axle load norms, the recent Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) rules have made it crucial for the industry to comply. Known to be customised, and engineered to client requirements, the standardisation of trailers is on the rise. For example, the rules state that the length (T category) has increased from 18 m to 18.75 m for the ISO 45-ft. containers.

In another change, the height was increased from 3.8 m to four metres. Blurring the lines between the EU trailer norms and the Indian draft, BPW India expects the parent company to play an important role. In a direct influence on services introduction, the company looks at the shift to telematics as inevitable. Telematics allows the customer and fleet operators to record granular data such as status, the position of the trailer, eco meter reading etc. It is expected to find takers in the largely unorganised segment in the country. BPW also aims to increase the localisation of its content, per trailer, for a more cost-effective and frugal approach.

Southern India is expected to emerge as a key aftersales market for the company, and will be served by the BPW ‘Flying Engineers’ squad, concluded Ubale.

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new Launch

Tata Prima Modern Trucks for Modern India With the rapidly growing economic landscape, Tata Prima offers the best blend of profits, comfort, safety, modern technology and economy for varied applications and duty cycles.

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vercoming challenges, the country is witnessing economic growth recovery on the back of robust consumer

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sentiment coupled with the focus on key development initiatives by the government.

Despite the pandemic and the related lockdown restrictions,

sectors like construction and infrastructure are leading this growth story with 13,300 kms of highways constructed in FY21 with an aim to construct

new Launch

THE PRIMA DNA The Prima is powered by the world’s largest selling Cummins EuroVI engine, offering the best power-to-weight ratio in its segment. It is designed with industry proven, tough, rugged and durable aggregates for continuous heavy-duty operations with a higher uptime. Built with global standards, the Tata Prima is loaded with value features driving business profitability. It is equipped with superior features like  A multi-mode Fuel Economy switch for enhanced mileage and performance  Engine Brake for superior downhill control and enhanced brake life  Gear Shift Advisor for active 65,000 kms of highways in FY22, thereby driving the consumption of construction aggregate and other raw materials. Cement production is expected to rise by around 16 per cent in FY22 over FY20, with 500 million tonne production expected annually

by FY25. Domestic coal production is also on the rise, with the sector gearing up to meet the 1,000 million tonne production target set for FY25.

Steel production has seen a Year-over-Year (YoY) rise of eight to nine per cent in FY22 with the yearly demand for finished steel slated to increase to 230 million tonnes in FY31.

New inroads are being made in energy, communication, heavy industries, agro products, consumer goods, e-commerce, petroleum and auto sectors with renewed public and private investment.

Commercial vehicles have always been the lifeline of

the Indian economy and the commercial vehicle industry has always ensured that the wheels of the economy not only run smoothly but importantly, pick up the pace to accelerate its growth.

Operators view commercial vehicles as a means for surpassing their aspirational goals and are seeking respect and progress signalling their hard work and success. It is seen as a means for social and economic upward mobility. In an environment of constant upgrades and disruption, success hinges on the ability to stay ‘ahead of the curve’. With the rapid growth in roadways and the average speed of vehicles on the highway steadily increasing, there is an increasing need for modern, comfortable and economical trucks that will add impetus to the rising economy and flourishing industries.

Tata Motors, with its

driver assistance leading to lower fuel costs, enhanced driveability and Lower operating costs  Hill Start Assist for enhanced uphill driveability with higher tyre life and enhanced safety  Electronic anti-fuel theft for peace of mind and pilferage control  Greasing-free Unitised Wheel Bearings for lower Total Cost of Ownership and better fuel economy  New Generation Technology (NGT) Brakes with 40 per cent higher service brake life leading to the lower total cost of ownership cherished association with nation-building, has always been at the forefront of anticipating the industry needs and fulfilling them with aspirational and innovative mobility solutions.

The Tata Prima range of trucks and tippers symbolises the commitment to sustained business growth for the customers. Prima is the brand of pride, prestige and prosperity that significantly accelerates business growth and maximises return driven by the industrybest technology, product performance and aftersales service attributes. A Prima in the fleet appeals to the world that humble beginnings have been converted into a glorious triumph.

The Tata Prima range of trucks is a next-generation CV platform engineered keeping in focus the increasing need for technologically advanced, reliable and economical vehicles that offer the best of

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New launch the best to the fleet owners and help in increasing the profit potential while offering the best comfort and safety to the drivers. With its superior styling and features, and unparalleled performance it is best suited for long-distance, long hours of transportation and rugged operation enabling faster turnaround time for better productivity.

With its numerous features, it is one of India’s most modern truck range that addresses all the needs to offer the best and most competitive performance. Its enhanced safety with crash-tested cabin and wide-angle side rear view mirror, proximity mirror and front blind spot mirror with its

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aesthetically appealing design make it one of the safest trucks in India. Its unique four-point suspended cabin ensures driving comfort in the most arduous terrains. This tilt cabin allows for easy access to engine and powertrain aggregates ensuring faster service and higher uptime. Its large, multiple utility spaces offer storage convenience to the drivers.

Couple the Prima’s bestin-class features with Tata Motors’ unmatched valueadded services like the ‘Sampoorna Seva’ with attractive AMCs, uptime assurance and customised fleet management solutions, it provides complete peace of mind to the customers.

The Tata ‘Fleet Edge’, the

next-gen digital telematics system, fitted as standard equipment on all models, provides comprehensive fleet monitoring and fleet management with live data.

As a well-rounded package, the Tata Prima range offers the finest technology and is offered in a slew of configurations to match every business need. It is available in tipper and tractor models such as the Prima 3530.K, Prima 2830.K, Prima 3525.K/ TK, Prima 2825.K/TK, Prima 5530.S and the Prima 4625.S. The Prima is engineered to spread smiles for its drivers and fleet owners and is designed to stand out in the sea of commercial vehicles with its attractive features and styling. It is built with the motto – The Tata Prima, Own with Pride, Earn with Confidence!

MAGAZINE THE POWER OF READERSHIP MAGAZINES! up by 0.9 crores - IRS Q1 2019 MAGAZINES EMERGE AS THE SUPERHERO AGAIN! All media is growing, and Print continues to grow despite the general belief that Print is declining. Readership is largely influenced by two things - literacy level and your disposable income. If you have money, then only will you buy a newspaper.

Luckily in India, both those things have moved upwards.

Ashish Bhasin, CEO - Greater South and Chairman & CEO - India, Dentsu Aegis Network and Chairman, MRUC I am very happy that Print is growing across all languages, and that Print titles in Digital are doing well too.

The Print industry in India is still robust and effective, unlike in the Western world.

Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands, India What is disappointing is the fact that niche publications that serve an important segment have consistently been ignored. A different methodology must be used to ensure correct findings for such publications, but sadly both Neilsen and the MRUC Technical Committee have so far not done this.”

Hormusji Cama, CEO, Mumbai Samachar I am happy to see that Print numbers are growing because it also proves the point that everything is not wrong with Print, and Digital is not the only way to go forward. It justifies the argument that Print has an established sort of acceptance.

Indranil Roy, CEO, Outlook Group

PRINT IS GROWING No. of additional readers added since IRS 2017 Dailies - 1.8 crores Magazines - 0.9 crores Total number of Print Readers - 42.5 crores

Magazine Advertising actually works! *INDIAN READERSHIP SURVEY (IRS) 2017 : BETWEEN 2014 AND 2017, MAGAZINES SAW A 75% INCREASE WITH 38 MILLION NEW READERS.

Cover story

Simplified Global Solutions The flagship plant of Aryan Pumps & Enviro Solutions on the outskirts of Pune exudes pride from the moment you enter the facility. Ashish Bhatia unknots the contributors to success at the environmental engineering solutions company.

exclusive

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cover story

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n approximate two hours drive from Pune, the MH MSH 71 led us to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) belt in Indapur. It is home to Aryan Pumps & Enviro Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Aryan).

The environmental engineering solutions provider helmed

by Prashant Sutar, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) has a diversified portfolio consisting of highly complex liquid waste cleaning vehicles, fire and rescue vehicles, and pumps designed for special application duty cycles. Besides the complete range of liquid waste cleaning machines, the company also manufactures

high pressure, vacuum, dewatering and slurry range of pumps. Dedicated to upholding the dignity of labour by way of introducing mechanisation to essential services like manual scavenging, the company has binded the manufacturing personal, processes and quality standards for vehicles like the suction cum jetting recyclers with a single unifying objective.

This objective at the manufacturer is to leave no stone unturned when reverse engineering, complex customer requirements and striving to meet them through the company’s indigenously built, simplified and global solutions. Expressed Sutar, that the inherent differentiators of the company are evident from

fundamental manufacturing facets like Standard Operating Processes (SOPs) incorporated both upstream and downstream in the value chain.

From sourcing raw materials to feeding the flagship plant with in-house components from a dedicated components manufacturing unit in Pune, to fitting auxiliary components and superstructures on OEM sourced vehicles tweaked for the respective duty cycles, to testing the finished vehicles before dispatch. Inspired by some of the most advanced markets globally, Aryan leverages its rich exposure to best-in-class and stateof-the-art, next-generation technologies found in use as real-world solutions.

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Cover story

Prashant Sutar, Chairman and Managing Director at Aryan Pumps & Enviro Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Direct contribution At Aryan, the goal has been to break down complex solutions through a frugal and costeffective approach which is perhaps the company’s biggest value proposition for its customer. Contrary to the industry-wide prevalent practice of differentiating between the finished goods for domestic markets visa-vis international markets, with dedicated production lines, Aryan, claimed Sutar, doesn’t differentiate. The company builds products with technological superiority, quality, fit and finish built for universal acceptance of a diverse clientele. The clientele at Aryan comprises municipal corporations, water boards, disaster management departments, oil and gas companies, industries including the defence forces.

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Recycler Type Suction cum Jetting Technology  The sewer cleaning suction cum jetting machine with water recycling facility is a revolutionary change in sewer cleaning methods.  The unit is specially developed for carrying out the cleaning of heavily silted sewer lines and manholes with a fully automatic cleaning process to ensure continuous recycling of sewer water for the jetting application.  The high flow vacuum pump is used efficiently to clean the manholes in a mechanised manner which eliminates the need for manual scavenging to a large extent.  With the help of high vacuum / high-pressure pumps, water is sucked up from the sewer pipe in the tank, strained of sludge and recycled for cleaning/jetting again.

Major Advantages of the Recycling System  Fully mechanized - No human entry in manholes or sewer lines.  Recycles sewage water - Huge Saving in Potable Water for jetting/ cleaning operation.  Effective cleaning through high vacuum and high-pressure pumps.  Uninterrupted operation - No refilling of freshwater for jetting operation since the machine uses the recycled water from the sewer itself.  Efficient - Less operating cost. 300 per cent higherww output than conventional systems.  Sludge disposal in solid-state - No health and environmental hazard.

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The quest for worldclass originates from meticulous operations of the well-equipped shopfloor with a well thought of layout. Broadly split into zones, the plant is divided into assembly zones like fabrication areas, and a dedicated machining area.

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Cover story As an essential service provider, the company is a direct contributor to government programmes like ‘Make in India’, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat, ‘Swachh Bharat’ and ‘Smart Cities’ through its product and services portfolio. This is evident through unified operations at the manufacturing unit where sub-assemblies feed the larger assembly. The company is known to have first thought of a manufacturing unit in 2013. Even in a tough 2020, the company bagged milestone business wins, for instance, becoming one of the few Indian origin engineering companies to execute a sale in highly technologically advanced Western European countries. The company wants to establish itself as a strong player in the developed

Scan the QR code to watch the video interview with Prashant Sutar, CMD, Aryan Pumps & Enviro Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

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markets to gain traction in the developing markets and not vice versa, expressed Sutar.

The company banks heavily on its dedicated R&D unit in Pune to keep with the trends, like in design and operation logic. A few electronic components are imported as an exception. The R&D unit is directly responsible for sought after offerings like the easy to operate, control panel interfaces for the highend gadg etry.

World-class The quest for world-class originates from meticulous operations of the well-equipped shopfloor with a well thought of layout. Broadly split into dedicated zones, the plant is divided into assembly zones like fabrication areas, and a machining area. The latter was found to house rolling, band saw and bending machines to support the operations. Critical

components sat neatly on the fringes of these zones for easy access by the technicians.

This quest for excellence also transcends beyond the shopfloor to the vehicles fitted with the superstructures, and when testing ahead of their dispatch. Aryan, for instance, can supply these superstructures and high-end machinery on a range of OEM platforms, from seven-tonne to 32-tonne, for instance.

From domestic models to global models like the versatile Freightliner 114SD and the Volvo FH 500 Globetrotter. The two were found to be under works at the manufacturing unit as part of the prestigious global order book of Aryan, for the North American and Western European regions respectively.Of the two, it was the Freightliner that made the

cover story heart skip a beat! Sutar cited it as a stepping stone to the company’s penetration in the North American market. The demo of its remote controlled operations by a trained operator, and with immaculate precision to control a logical flow of actions was highly impressive.

Add to it, in a significant upgrade for customers, the revised axle load norms have allowed the company to offer bigger superstructures. From 7,000-litre capacity recycler tanks, the company has graduated to 9,000-litre tanks which is expected to have a direct bearing on the productivity of operators. A big positive.

A top-down approach The persistence to accept nothing less in a top-down approach has given the company a strong foundation on its home ground to build upon. It has given Aryan, a

global standing in niche segments across diverse markets from being erstwhile relatively unknown, shared Sutar. The company is known to have benefitted from working closely with its customers. It is said to have helped it understand customer needs better. The ‘Aryan’ make special application commercial vehicles today wear the ‘Made in India’ badge not only in India but also across diverse markets like the North America on one end of the spectrum; Western Europe on the other end of the spectrum. Expressed Sutar, that’s the only way one can identify these modern vehicles which blend well, yet hold their own, in comparison to the domestic best sellers of the respective export markets the company has entered into. Aryan has reached a stage from where it is claimed to be in a position of predicting future trends

in the special applications vehicle segment. This has elevated it to the big league.

The shopfloor at Aryan has technicians under the aegis of the senior management shifting gears as we are about to end our day long outing at the flagship plant. The technicians are certain to score high on the internal KPIs at this rate. To me, it’s a pleasing sight after the Covid19 shutdowns and the lesser than usual capacity utilisation, much talked of at plants, globally. It hints at a sign of recovery in the niche special application commercial vehicles segment. At 10.30 pm on my digital dial, my unique accommodation overlooking the overbooked shopfloor is a reminder of team Aryan putting in the man hours. It is walking the talk. The workforce execution and their manufactured finished goods speak for themselves as contributors to the sense of pride in the air at the environmental engineering solutions company.

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Cover story

Behemoth Of A Machine

Sarbloh Motors in partnership with Sherp International has succeeded in creating a pull for the Sherp N 1200, in India. Sumesh Soman drove the utility ATV in a thrilling ride where he conquered the perceived obstacles with monstrous ease.

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herp International has made its presence felt in India with a range of experiential drives beginning in the second half of 2021. Proudly bearing the badge of an international quality standards certificate ISO 9001, the Russian pedigree of the Sherp N 1200 (Sherp) is evident from the moment you come in the pointblank range of this behemoth

of a machine. It humbles you with its sheer presence.

It is tailor-made for niche applications like in the Border Security Force (BSF), for the Indian army besides in disaster management and rescue operations. It also makes a use case for private enterprises as a special application vehicle.

Designed and built by Quadro International, in Ukraine, two

units of the Sherp N 1200 are known to be on pilot runs with the armed forces in terrains like Bhuj, in Gujarat, for instance.

Motivated to provide a solution for tough terrains like Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake, a landlocked terrain spanning across eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m, it was Jaskirat Singh Nagra, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Chandigarh-based Sarbloh Motors who stumbled upon the Sherp. Today he represents Sherp International in India and deems it an apt time to induct the vehicle especially given the increased presence of the Indian armed forces in unforgiving terrains. His army background is known to have been the biggest motivator for him zeroing in on the Sherp.

“I started looking for a vehicle designed and engineered to tackle extreme environments and terrains like the Pangong Tso and in that process, I came upon Sherp which according to me is a perfect match,” he opined. Nagra set the expectations straight up when he put a price tag on the machine. The Sherp N 1200 commands a whopping Rs.1.3 crore inclusive of the customs duty and miscellaneous costs like homologation.

A humbling footprint The Sherp ferry’s nine people with ease owing to its generous dimensions. It measures 3962 mm in length.

It is 2438 mm wide and looks down on you from a 2743 mm tall stance. From this point one can’t ignore the front fascia. It boasts of utilatrian inclusions like the towing pin, an openable windshield for a

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Cover story

front ingress, and heavy-duty LED headlamps protected by a mesh arrangement. The Sherp tips the scales at 2.4 tonnes with a 1.2 tonne rated payload and a towing capacity of 2.35 tonnes. Sherp has provided a towing hitch at the front and at the rear. Notably, the tyres are imposing too when looked at in isolation. The 1800x60025 off-road tyres built inhouse stand tall at 1828 mm lending to the rugged, utilitarian persona. It’s the tyres that hold the gigantic structure and equip the Sherp to get past any obstacle with monstrous ease. It is rather easy to trace

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the Sherp atleast on land given that the unusually protruding treads are certain to leave a trail. The tyres run on a low 1.5 PSI pressure on the tarmac in a unique ability and a lower 0.5 PSI when submerged in waterbeds. They double up as suspension on the surface and help the Sherp stay afloat in water with the protruding treads emulating paddles.

Explained Alexey Opanseasenko, International Sales Representative at Sherp, that the tyres are designed to eliminate the need of a conventional suspension arrangement. This

phenomenon is termed as the ‘Pneumo Circulating VibrationDamping Suspension’ in which the pressure of all the four tyres is said to be linked internally in a circuit arrangement. The circuit is claimed to adapt to surface undulations on either side and is known to be made up of a wheel-cushioning system. This is in turn connected to the wheel tyres, and a reservoir having a changeable volume.

The air manifold forming that circuit or loop is connected to each tyre through air pipes, rotation and sealing units. Add to it, the tyres can also be inflated from within the cabin by exhaust gases. It takes 60 seconds to fully inflate the tyres. Notably the tyres are moved by chains submerged in oil at all times, for minimising operational wear of the internal components. The Sherp boasts of a 2133 mm wheelbase sans overhang on the front or the rear in keeping with the practicality, performance and overall style sheet. The ATV is naturally as effective on land, lose soil or

cover story

water; uphill or downhill as an amphibian vehicle could be imagined.

Utlity and Driveability To test the claims of its benchmark utility and driveability, I had to first figure out a way to enter the cockpit.

Far from the conventional side-ingress, one has to climb through the nose with the help of the smartly placed handlebards that give a good grip. The cockpit of the Sherp is rather unconventional as the steering wheel is amiss!

Settle into the driver seat and you are assured of safety with the three-point seatbelt.

This is also extended to the passengers. You get an instant

sense of control with a high arching view, and the hard top providing shelter. The goveboxes and cup holders are within easy reach. There is a relatively small digital cluster, and a tall lever akin to a joystick that must be used to steer. The access to the rear camera is helpful in plugging the blind spots. The L-shaped symmetrical arrangement of switches for ____ to the left of the pilot make it a true cockpit that it is.

As intimidating it may seem at first to manouvre by just the lever, the learning curve is not that steep. It makes for a joyful ride experience despite the workhorse that the Sherp is. The unit handed to us was a Left Hand Drive (LHD) and could take a slight adjustment before one enters the comfort zone. The skid steer at this stage introduced me to a fun element of the ride. The Sherp with teh help of the skid steer moves about its axis in a droolworthy manouvre. It helps negotiate with the tricky spots one stands to encounter courtesy the difference in

speeds between the left and the right set. The nonorientable wheels attached to the skid steer are fixed and remain in a straight axis compared to the body axis thus allowing the Sherp to skid on demand. It ofcourse requires the pilot to gain the requisite level of expertise and succeed at confidence building manouvres like we witnessed.

One seldom feels any undulations on the Sherp. The ATV lived up to its repute as it took on boulders, rough patches, rocks and stunted concrete hurdles of three to four feet height, passing over with ease. The gradeability of 35-degrees helped! It would be apt here to draw attention to the rugged exterior as well.

A hot dripped steel frame and bottom, and the aluminium cabin make up the Sherp’s skeletal structure. The Docol high strength steel is claimed to withstand a force of 1000 Mpa (for more perspective, a normal passenger car with high strength steel used in critical areas for the protection of the occupants can

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Cover story

withstand a force of 550 Mpa).

It is coated with a layer of the Raptor polyurethane with selfhealing, water repellent, and soundproofing qualities. The coat resists any mechanical and corrosive damage. The roll cage is also made of Docol high strength steel with an additional layer of zinc. It is claimed to extend the service life by 30 years.

All the raw power to pull this machine is made available by a Stage 5 (Tier4 final) compliant 1.8-litre, three-cylinder D18 diesel engine (comes with a a warranty of 3000 hours) from South Korean engine manufacturer Doosan. It is mated to six-speed mechanical Renault JR5 transmission unit that offers a extreme crawl ratio for tricky traversals.

The Sherp churns out a peak rated power of 55 hp and a rated peak torque of 190 Nm with revs locked at 3000 rpm. The torque is applied to the four wheels by chains sealed in a hermetic chamber filled with oil. With its mass

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the Sherp can still attain a top speed of 40 kmph while crawling at two kilometres per hour on the other end of the spectrum. It draws fuel from a primary 95-litre fuel tank supplemented by an additional four fuel canisters mounted in the deep dish of the wheel hub each with a 58-litre capacity. This translates to a cumulative 327-litre capacity and an operating range of 61 hours considering the fuel consumption of five to eight litres per hour. The first drive

has a maintenance interval of 50 hours post which the service intervals extend to over 250 hours. Had it not been the centre of gravity, the behemoth of a machine could well have tamed the skies. Interesting prospects lie ahead for the Sherp N 1200. ................................................................

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the exclusive interaction with Jaskirat Singh Nagra, CEO and Founder at .

Sarbloh Motors.

iN FOCUS

Digitisation In Manufacturing

Dassault Systemes has launched DELMIAWorks in India. Sumesh Soman looks at the potential of the ERP and MES solutions suite to digitise automotive manufacturing.

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assault Systemes (Dassault) has introduced DELMIAWorks (DW suite) in India. Joining a host of 3D modelling and simulation applications from Dassault, the DW suite extends to automotive manufacturing operations with a pan India potential for growth. Dassault aims to deploy the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solutions as part of the DW suite. The initiative is said to be in line with the larger vision of digitising every aspect of manufacturing at automotive plants. Speaking at the launch conference, averred PM Ravikumar, India Management Director, Dassault Systèmes, “DW suite exemplifies

our commitment for our manufacturing customers in India. Alongside SolidWorks, the suite provides a connection between engineering and manufacturing for small to large enterprises.” “It complements our strategy in India to be a trusted solution partner for the discrete manufacturers in the entire value chain, from engineering design to manufacturing, production and shipment of the customers’ product,” he expressed.

The DW suite brings with it an array of applications claimed to make use of real-time data for the ERP and MES solutions.

The end objective is to multiply the operational efficiency at manufacturing plants manifold.

It is achieved by capabilities

that include monitoring the end-to-end operational cycles of different business verticals.

It is also tangible to functions like finance, design, planning, scheduling, production, quality or warehousing operations.

Through the DW Suite, Dassault aims to empower manufacturers to gain a better hold of business with control over functionality and transparency in the value chain. Tailor-made for industries like transportation and mobility, constituting 52 per cent of its customer base, the suite also extends functions to realms like life sciences, industrial equipment, home and lifestyle, aerospace, defence and marine among others.

DELMIAWorks Automotive and transportation customers

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iN FOCUS

account for up to USD 20 million in revenue. The company caters to customers with single sites to global companies with multiple sites, claimed Ramakrishnan Venkatraman, Director, SolidWorks and DELMIAWorks India, Dassault Systemes. Aimed at tackling manufacturing end-to-end and at scale, from order processing to shipping, the DW suite broadly covers ERP, MES, QMS and SCM. Within ERP, it eliminates the data silos to streamline the front office and factory operations to drive efficient utilisation of resources and attain customer satisfaction levels.

In MES, detailed production data is captured to deliver big data. The big data spans actionable insights used to control costs, help improve quality and aid in proactive decision making. QMS facilitates compliance with ISO standards, for instance.

Through SCM communication of business activities is made seamless in the entire supply chain, he exclaimed.

To elaborate further, the DW suite brings to the table, a means to digitise customer relationship management, estimating and quoting sales order management, and capacity planning. It also facilitates advanced supply chain management, finance and accounting, accounts

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receivable and payable, planning and scheduling. Manufacturers can also hope to digitise job and process costing, inventory control, labelling, shipping and distribution, quality management and production control.

Other offerings include MS interfaces, automated workflow, IQAlert activity monitoring and business intelligence among the core activities.

The DW suite is notably claimed to tackle accessibility issues associated with the overlapping data being amassed by individual stakeholders in the business.

Ravikumar drew attention to the suite connecting businesses to the existing 3DExperience marketplace, in turn, offering access to a pool of companies equipped with engineering capabilities and capable of discharging services like contract manufacturing and on-demand part supplies, known to be crucial for manufacture.

The aftermath of the pandemic In the aftermath of the pandemic, the DW suite is being positioned as a useful tool to address an array of issues. Be it enabling front office manufacturing workers to work from home or ensuring covid protocol compliance on the shop floor. It can be a critical aid to help

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the automotive industry restart operations and ensure business continuity. The suite facilitates precision planning, for instance, when there is a need to manage sudden shifts with volatility in product demand. It extends to the alignment of materials, forecast, and build strategy across Just in Time (JIT) and Make To Stock (MTS) strategies. It can also prove to be useful in revamping and reprovisioning the supply chains.

With the suite, shop floor operations and quality checks can be managed and monitored remotely. It can also effectively minimise personal requirements. Besides enabling track and trace operations it is also claimed to help overcome most manufacturing constraints. Given that times are unprecedented, the acceleration of business is challenging, the DW suite is claimed to be a strong building block to build upon for the future of manufacturing. With intricate care and planning, such suites could help in a fruitful transition. Rossell Techsys of Bengaluru, known to supply to Boeing and Lockheed Martin and Amber Enterprises Ltd. a solution provider to aircondition OEM and ODM in Haryana are among the clientele of the company.

OfF Highway

Autonomy Kicks Up Some Dust “You have to push subsystem automation so far and make these machines so capable of monitoring their health, their performance, that along the way you can deliver these back to the customers as simplifications.”

- Brett McClelland, CNH industrial

Machines that move, haul and plough earth can capitalise on autonomous systems today via increased safety and productivity in the field and significant cost savings writes Ryan Gehm.

A

utonomous operation for onhighway commercial vehicles has grabbed headlines and public attention, rightfully so since these haulers increasingly will share the roads with passenger vehicles. But there is a lot of interesting new core work occurring in the off-highway autonomy space as well, according to Brendan Chan, Chief Engineer of unmanned systems and active safety at Oshkosh Corp. “There’s the hub-to-hub stuff that

everyone’s been talking about.

There’s also a lot of geofences, low-speed applications where autonomy could be very useful and a very good value,” Chan said at the 2020 SAE COMVEC Digital Summit.

Vehicles for yard manoeuvring is one such application.

Mining and agriculture are two off-highway sectors where automated systems have proven effective and adoption is growing.

Controlled environments and private property where regulations are less restrictive

are driving factors. “The military is interested in autonomous systems as well, primarily as force multipliers and for occupant safety,” said Chan. “There is quite a lot of synergy in the autonomy space although the application may be different. It all boils down to the use case and the operational design domain,” he added.

Value proposition What the mining sector is lacking, despite working on autonomy for the last 15 to

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OIfF Highway n focus

Oshkosh Defense has integrated existing Palletised Load System vehicles with scalable autonomous technology that can be operated in different modes: fully autonomous, leader-follower or teleoperation.

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20 years, is that most of the autonomous systems are OEMdriven, closed and proprietary, said Prachi Vakharia, Head of alliances and strategic partnerships at Milpitas, California-based SafeAI. The mining industry can learn three things, in particular, from the passenger-vehicle side, Vakharia shared during the COMVEC session. First, working more closely with tier1 suppliers is vital. Building an ecosystem of partnerships is another beneficial practise, she said, referencing the Ford and Volkswagen collaboration to co-invest in Argo AI and its self-driving system. “The OEMs are working together in this; they’re not all building their own autonomy solutions independent of each other,” she said. The third point is the robust startup ecosystem that exists with on-highway CVs and passenger vehicles. “These companies have made so many advances in autonomy,” Vakharia said. “They’re using the best in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. They are using and creating some of the best hardware that’s possible,” she

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cited.

SafeAI is trying to change this model by supplying an open, interoperable autonomous software platform with “industryspecific AI” that can be retrofitted to existing mining and construction equipment.

“Only three per cent of mobile equipment at any mine today is autonomous,” Vakharia said. “So that tells you there’s a huge gap to be filled.”

Taking its own advice, SafeAI announced on October 22 a partnership with Japanese construction company Obayashi Corp. to operate an autonomous Caterpillar 725 articulated dump truck on a Silicon Valley test site beginning November 2020.

The Cat 725 will demonstrate load-haul-dump cycles. The pilot program is a precursor to the companies creating autonomous construction sites around the world.

Still, mining will see autonomy in production “much sooner” than on-highway applications and even before construction, according to Vakharia. “The operational design domain is much simpler.

But the other thing is the value proposition is simply much stronger, especially for mines,” she said. Fleets can benefit from shorter cycle times and the need for fewer vehicles.

Vakharia cited data showing that haul-truck productivity can increase by about 21 per cent due to increased utilisation. Fuel consumption can be lowered by six per cent, and tyre wear improved by 7.5 per cent. Autonomous-haul trucks can have a 49 per cent after-tax internal rate of return including labour savings. And of course, improved safety is part of the equation. “There are about 200,000 safety incidents that are reported in the U.S. at mines, and they want to dramatically reduce this number,” she said. “So, you can move people out of hazardous conditions and also add value to their jobs by giving them more high-skill jobs, where they’re managing machines and doing lessrepetitive tasks,” she opined.

Mixed Ecosystem Strategic partnerships are important to advance autonomy in agriculture as well. A pairing revealed in mid-October has Kubota and California-based Nvidia teaming to develop fully automated and unmanned agricultural machinery. Kubota tractors will be equipped with Nvidia’s end-to-end AI platform, including graphics processing units and artificial intelligence coupled with cameras. “This will contribute to the sustainability of Japanese agriculture, where the agricultural population continues to decline,” Kubota stated in a LinkedIn post.

in focus This partnership follows the unveiling earlier this year of Kubota’s “dream tractor.” The X Tractor electric crawler concept obtains and evaluates environmental data such as terrain, weather conditions and growth rates to choose the appropriate operation.

The data can be shared automatically with other machines at the site for more efficient operation.

Agricultural machinery is a major focus of CNH Industrial’s autonomous development activities as well. Brett McClelland, Product Manager focused on autonomy and precision agriculture at CNH industrial, stated that much discussion gets focused around the final embodiment of autonomy.

“However, one of the bigger challenges that doesn’t get as much airtime in our offroad space is this progression towards autonomy,” he said, adding that there are many meaningful operator-assist steps along the way to SAE Level 5 autonomy.

“What we’re finding is that you have to push subsystem automation so far and make these machines so capable of monitoring their own health, their own performance, that along the way you can actually deliver these back to the customers as simplifications,” McClelland explained at the COMVEC Digital Summit. “If you can take a system where today it requires multiple inputs from the operator, either through a touchscreen or pedals or switches, and you can turn that into something like a one-button click to go, not only have you prepared your machine and your

Mining can offer a stronger value proposition for autonomous operations than other segments. Mining companies have now hauled more than 3 billion metric tons of materials using Komatsu’s FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System.

Kubota is working with Nvidia to realise fully automated and unmanned agricultural machinery, perhaps like the X Tractor crawler concept, Kubota revealed earlier in 2020.

subsystems for autonomy, you’ve also streamlined and improved the experience for the customer,” he added.

Another challenge is managing the “mixed ecosystem” that likely will persist for decades before entire fleets convert to full autonomy. Manned and unmanned vehicles will operate in the same fields often in proximity, so companies must consider how to make this environment manageable for farmers.

“There’s a combination of tools that we provide customers today to manage these manned vehicles, typically a combination of

in-cab technology and then cloud or web technology,” he explained. “But in this future paradigm, you have to provide not only controls and visualise data for that machine, you have to visualise it for the whole team. And then outside of the field of operation, today we traditionally provide cloud telemetry type solutions.

“Ultimately, those have to evolve as well,” McClelland noted. “So, I expect this to drive a lot of change in how we provide some of these services in the near future,” he opined. .........................................................

Courtesy: Mobility Engineering

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International

New Generation Cool Liner & Profi Liner Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone Gmbh & Co. KG is ready with the new generation Cool Liner and Profi Liner. Prateek Pardeshi looks at the new offerings ahead of their key unveils.

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he Cool Liner is a cold chain ready semi-trailer that was launched by Krone originally in 1996 under the product name ‘KroneWabash,’ and is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. The main application of cool liner trailers is to transfer goods that must be transported within a regulated environment. The Cool Liner complies with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation. With new features, the trailer is also coupled with, KRONE Telematics, which helps to monitor data such as position, status, and temperature of your carriage, etc. The KRONE TR temperature recorder via telematics is certified according to ATP, which eliminates the need for a conventional temperature recorder on the front wall of the trailer. Via the KRONE Telematics Portal, information can be sent to

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the respective customer in a PDF by e-mail or fax, even before the load arrives at your customer‘s location features of Cool Liner The Cool Liner is equipped with a continuous chassis. During tractor-trailer coupling and decoupling, tensile tensions are passed to the chassis, which protects the superstructure. The chassis helps absorb the forces involved in docking to the ramp.

For additional safety, lighting and homologation are improved, and a compact underrun is mounted at the rear of the chassis. Cold air in the trailer is evenly distributed through the flexible, ceilingmounted airlines(ducts), which may also be loaded with a dual deck. With their broad profile cross-section, stable aluminum profiles provide the finest front wall protection and optimal

airflow. Cool Liner Steel is supplied with crane pockets and suitable equipment for combined traffic. High-strength loading points ensure secure and safe handling for cranes and forklift trucks.

VARIANTS of Cool Liner Krone Cool liners fall under refrigerated semi-trailer category and they are further subdivided into four major categories including Cool liner, Cool liner Pharma, Cool liner city and Celsineo. Celsineo represents a new generation of refrigeration systems for trailers. This includes significant amounts of refrigerant and a variety of temperature control components, for example. If the refrigeration unit malfunctions, the critical cargo is jeopardized, and there is a financial loss.

Celsineo has the advantage over

international

this, it divides cooling capacity among three identically structured ‘plug & play’ refrigeration modules, each of which has its own hermetically sealed refrigerant circuit with only a few components.

The Profi-Liner Profi-Liner is a sub-category of curtainsider. A Curtain Van, also known as a Curtainside Trailer, is a flatbed with a tarping system mounted on top of it, still underway to make it to the Indian market. Profi-liner is further divided into various categories, such as the Profi-liner multi-steel, which is used for increased flexibility with various different loads, and Profi-liner HD, used in demanding transport applications and particularly for export markets.

The Profi Liner is well-equipped to handle future Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).

One of the major advantages of the Profi-liner is the coupling height can be adjusted between 1,050 and 1,170 mm. The heightadjustable running gear, together with the KRONE screwing technique, makes this possible: The front wall or the roof connectors, as well as the side post carriage, have a hole pattern and may thus be easily modified. The side curtain and the roof curtain can be customised to fit the new superstructure height. Of course, if necessary, the internal height can be restored to its original setting.

PROFI LINER STANDARD EQUIPMENT Solid three-part front wall is made of steel and firmly bolted to the frame. In case of emergency, it effectively braces against any load and therefore ensures excellent road safety. The roof height can be selected from 2,600

to 2,700 mm with lifting roof equipment, from 2,595 to 2,845 mm, in 4 stages respectively.

The front of the chassis is pulled up, particularly in highstress corner locations, and the bolted plywood rebound plate ensures protection and stability.Integrated into the protected position behind it provides a tightly fitted curtain with enough leverage. Roof is provided for added strength, sliding roof features diagonal trussing that is integrated into the curtain roof. The diagonal belts are built into the roof tarp offering loading space. Due to its large, conspicuous step, the telescopic stepladder ensures easy climbing and optimum safety. The ladder is riveted and easy to replace in case of damage.

The new generation of Profi Liner can be seen live for the first time at Nufam 2021, the trade fair for commercial vehicles taking place from 30 September to 3 October 2021 in Karlsruhe, Germany. With such a major technical shift in the trailer segment and new emerging telematics, transportation will now be hassle-free for both customers and fleet operators.

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International

Autonomous Mobility Theme Day 2021 As part of the Continental ‘TechShow Around The World’ series, automated and autonomous mobility took centre stage. Ashish Bhatia highlights the technology portfolio designed for this future.

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international

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he Continental ‘TechShow Around The World Theme’ progressed with a power-packed, exhaustive webinar. Under the theme, the company marked the ‘Autonomous Mobility Theme Day 2021’ with automated and autonomous mobility as the focal points of the discussions.

The sessions highlighted the range and complexity of technical systems for automated and autonomous driving and deemed them huge. It was unanimously agreed that to accomplish the end objective, technology companies are required to plan a broad positioning as well as take a holistic approach. Continental claimed to partner with the stakeholders in driving forward the development of all manifestations of automated and autonomous driving to enable solutions to address the challenges of future mobility. The subjects of discussion were Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled autonomous mobility, global AV regulation, automated driving for commercial vehicles, the road to driverless mobility, vision to perception, seamless mobility, LiDAR, and the Global AV regulation.

AI-enabled autonomous mobility The session on AI-enabled autonomous mobility touched upon the state-ofthe-art AI solutions on embedded hardware. AI-enabled mobility and autonomous driving technology are known to have come a long way over the past decades and progressing steadily towards the future. Driverless capabilities have enhanced mobility systems as per leading journals researching the subject and claim it to have reached new heights. It has been cited as a key development, one that is inclusive to the older and disabled community with an end objective to

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International

Frank Petznick, Head of Business Unit ADAS, Continental

offer legitimate, and affordable smart transportation. The future of transportation also depends on the private sectorled initiatives on the front of offering new mobility services which will utilise autonomous vehicles.

Expected to contribute to the transformations of supply and demand, it is expected to influence the developments in traffic congestion and the reduction in emission levels globally. Stakeholders at apex bodies have been urged to gauge the impacts of driving automation, more so when automation attains an influx of demand. Balázs Lóránd PhD Head of Location – AI Development Center Budapest and Regina Deák- Meszlényi PhD Head of Deep Learning Methods explained the ingredients and challenges of AI-enabled autonomous mobility. They touched upon the complexity of environment perception, country-specific factors, high variability of traffic participants, and a few rare scenarios. If the software 1.0 approach resembles an ‘if-else flowchart driven algorithm, the 2.0 iteration entails feeding in real-world visuals for a solution with minimal lag. Weaved around machine learning and

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deep learning neural networks, the session highlighted the advancements reflecting in the increase of available computation.

Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

To give a perspective of the in-house cluster, the deep thought platform comprises of 53 Nvidia DGX servers, 448 NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPUs, seven

International

Global AV Regulation Status Worldwide Type Approval Development Level 4 & 5 Region

2019

2020

2021

Safety Requirements & Validation Methods AD

(UNECE - GRVA)

› Simulation and Virtual Testing › Track and Real-World Test › Scenario Database › Audit and In-Use-monitoring

(EU COM)

2023

AD Type Approval Guidelines

› EU Regulation (EU COM) › AD Regulations China

1st skeleton by 12-21

(CARTAC)

› AD Regulations USA (NHTSA) European Type Approval Regulation

National Type Approval Regulation

(BMVI)

National Standards for ICV1) MIIT 2) : Access Rules for ICV Vehicles and Manufacturers

(CARTAC) (NHTSA)

2022

Self-certification without ODD3)/OEDR4) limitations based on

› “Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety” with focus on 12 safety criteria › self-certification sales: the manufacturer needs a permission to deploy autonomous vehicles

1) ICV = Intelligent Connected Vehicle/Automated Vehicle 2) MIIT = Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

3) ODD = Operational Design Domain 4) OEDR = Object Event Detection Range

Worldwide type approval regulation is under process TechShow Around the World

tonnes of hardware, over 600 cables with a total length of three kilometres known to have been labelled, connected and installed. The peak consumption of the entire GPU is said to be ~360 kWh. The cluster operates on a 100 Gbps network. The project can be set up in a time frame of seven months with an assembly time of two weeks. Efforts have been made to provide automotive-grade embedded hardware with a high compute capacity made available with the use of low power.

Global AV regulation As per the Center For Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), for Autonomous Vehicle (AV) developers to remain competitive against other countries and at the same time uphold strong safety standards, countries like the United States, for instance, are required to update their regulatory frameworks with the requisite standards. With the innovation of self-driving cars said to be at an inflexion point, the need of the hour is to formulate current standards in a manner that facilitate

Heiner Hunold, Head of Regulatory Affairs AMS © Continental AG

June 25, 2021

innovation and do not impede the growth, safety, consumer acceptance, and economic potential of AVs. Data and liability issues are known to be crucial here for manufacturers to align. Heiner Hunold, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Continental and Felix Hoffman, Manager Regulatory Affairs, Continental spoke of the Global AV Regulation and implications for the automotive industry.

The realisation of autonomous driving on European roads will depend to a great extent on the United Nations. It is the draft laws that will regulate the industry, provide the legal framework, and create global standards. Playing an active role as part of the advisory body, Continental is doing its bit to make autonomous driving a reality. It entails fixing accountability, ensuring no one is harmed. Regulations in the field of autonomous driving are known to be handled by the Economic Commission for Europe, the UNECE. Constituting of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) and the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP) - including, among

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others, the Groupe Rapporteur de Automation (GRVA) working group, looking after automated/autonomous and connected vehicles and is known to report directly to the WP.29. It is the UNECE (WP.29) that draws up regulations for vehicle components and driving functions, known to be implemented by contracting states.

Admitting to facing difficulties in estimating worst-case scenarios owing to rising complexities of technologies and multi-layered traffic situations, Continental is engaged in refining ways of virtual testing for the future by means of softwareand hardware-based simulations.

In-use monitoring is expected to play an increasing role. In Germany, Bundestag and Bundesrat have signed a law that provides for type approval for the operation of level four vehicles spanning automated and autonomous driving vehicles. It is claimed to have made Germany the first country in the world to adopt regulations known to be of a kind.

It has aided suppliers to AV ensure safety compliance according to these uniform standards. The main technical

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Dr. Andree Hohm, Head of Program Autonomous Driving, Continental

Gilbert Gagnaire, Founder of EasyMile

principles include making vehicles capable of fulfilling the driving task independently and ensuring they reach a state of minimal risk. Technical supervision will be permitted via a radio link. Technical service will undertake regular inspections of the autonomous driving functions. Last but not the least, it must state the requirements of data recording.

To sum it up, the principle of type approval guidelines for L4/L5 Vehicles must be based on a multi-pillar approach comprising of audit, virtual testing, track testing, real-world testing and in-use monitoring.

Automated driving for commercial vehicles It is well known how companies like Tesla, Uber, Cruise, and Waymo are riding on a future built around cars as mobile robots powered by smartphones. Autonomous trucks are also being looked at as a potential emerging segment. It is said to have steadily matured to commercial deployment with experts closely monitoring the impact on the transportation of goods.

Here companies like TuSimple are leveraging both technology and strategic partnerships.

Autonomous trucks entail

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driving without human intervention from pickup to delivery.

Like autonomous cars, these trucks rely on cameras, lidars, and radars. The gathered data is fed back into a computer, in turn, known to control the vehicle using AI. Reckoned to be an easier development compared to passenger cars, trucks especially long-haul tractor-trailers are known to ply on fixed routes that are easier to plan. Notably, the larger size of trucks is said to facilitate additional power carrying capability over passenger cars.

It is also known to provide an improved field of view for sensors, mounted higher, due to

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Dr. Timo Moeller, Head of Center for Future Mobility, McKinsey

the higher ground clearances in these vehicles.

The road to driverless mobility Continental is known to have built a demo vehicle to enable driverless mobility, especially in cities. It recently revealed a vehicle, named Continental Urban mobility Experience (CUbE) is expected to start its trials at Continental’s Frankfurt location. To ply in a city terrain, the vehicle is claimed to be capable of navigating street signs, cross-traffic, pedestrian crossings and curbs providing optimum conditions for such a complex and real-world route.

The vehicle technology is said

International to have been based on the driver assistance systems and sensors installed in serial production vehicles.

It also includes new technologies like the laser sensor known to aid in autonomous travel.

Vision to perception Automated driving requires the vehicle to perceive and evaluate its surrounding. It requires the building of a comprehensive environment model. To build such a comprehensive environment model, there is a need to feed data inputs from five information clusters. Traffic participants, static environment, traffic control information, robust lane information as well as the current and precise position of the vehicle constitute the clusters. Sensors play a key role here including cameras, radars, high flash lidar and surround-view cameras. The sensors are designed to recognise and interpret the environment differently in customised and unique approaches.

The fusion of this data is said to sharpen the view and is considered to be the key to providing a consistent view of the surrounding. It is this view that will decide the quality of reaction from the vehicle.

Continental’s portfolio of automated driving spans partly automated driving (SAE L2), L2 performance, L2 premium and Highly Automated Driving (HAD) (SAE L3/ L4). It has delivered over 100 million units of radars, cameras, lidars and AD control units between 2017-19 as a testimony of the company being a full-stack provider. Catering to 25 OEMs, the company offers in excess of 300 models. Stress was laid on the need to formulate complementary sensor technology and fusion driving policy to tackle ground obstacles, complicated lighting, lateral entry of vehicles, complex/dense traffic, pedestrians and adverse weather.

Seamless mobility Individual mobility has been challenged

on several fronts. With 1.3 million people known to die every year in road crashes globally, addressing safety issues will be key. An estimated 1.2 billion people are known to spend in excess of 50 minutes a day in their vehicles majorly in traffic jams. It is predicted that smart, electrically powered and shared traffic concepts would contribute to the reduction of traffic density. Beyond the urban metros, enhanced accessibility of transportation will benefit rural areas.

The idea is to bridge the accessibility void with the big cities. It is expected that future mobility has to adapt to the individual needs of humans, where seamless interaction of different mobility offerings and concepts is considered to be a good starting point.

Seamless mobility is aimed at making trips safe, easy and environment-friendly for each road user. By making the travel time stress-free, the gained advantage is expected to be put to good use.

Continental is known to have invested in establishing its supercomputer dedicated to AI. It is banking on the automotive industry best computing performance. Based out of a Frankfurt data centre, it is accessible by locations worldwide. The Continental Intelligent Intersection concept is claimed to be an end-to-end solution comprising a complete sensor set for an intersection. The sensor fusion algorithms generate the environment model.

Attention was drawn to the technology capable of detecting road users within a 360-degree perimeter of intersections which is communicated with precise position and movement parameters of the objects to all approaching vehicles equipped with the V2X technology. In the case of valet parking, for instance, the driver is known to leave the car at a transfer point in front of the parking garage. Once he activates Valet Parking, the vehicle can drive through the barrier automatically and find free parking spaces and parks.

The car returns to the transfer point automatically at the click of a button on the mobile phone.

LiDAR Continental’s High-Resolution 3D Flash LIDAR™ (HFL) with 3D Global Shutter™ is known to enable advanced machine vision It is known to address application areas in automotive, commercial vehicles, agriculture, construction, mining, UAV delivery.

The solid-state design brings along contiguous pixels that offer to make data gaps redundant. A high-vertical and horizontal resolution, coregistered range and intensity, up to 30 Hz operation, low-intensity return (10%) capture, 3D Global Shutter™, single-pulse laser “Full Frame Scene”, degraded visual environments (rain, dust, smoke, sun, fog), blockage detection, integrated heater, optional washing system, auto-alignment, continuous sample mode and ASIL B (Functional Safety) are among the benefits on offer. Besides the company also offers short-range LiDar targeting urban, traffic jams, robotaxis, people movers. Through the Long-range LiDAR where the company has partnered with Aeye, the company offers a MEMS scanning LiDAR aimed at highway applications.

The ADAS camera solutions look at offering a 360-degree view. It includes front, side and rear satellite cameras besides cameras for the surround view. The 4D imaging radar ARS540 helps gauge the road edge without a stone or guard rail. It provides an elevated view of objects and bridges an outcome of the knowledge pool gathered on eliminating multipath reflections in azimuth and elevation.

The next-generation radars are claimed to increase performance and at the same time offer lower costs and complexity. Ready for the future, the company in 2025, will deliver complete L3/L4 system solutions below Euro 5000.

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International

Restoring Bus In Public Transportation A Busworld session had restoration of buses in public transport as the focal point. Deepti Thore details the action roadmap that has Asian cities partnering with industry.

P

ublic transport was hit massively in Asian cities with the onset of the pandemic and due to low ridership, operators are forced to think about their future viability. To support the public transport bus industry and lay a roadmap for their restoration, Busworld in association with Messe Frankfurt hosted a webinar where industry experts from Asian cities deliberated on how to fight the crisis and restore the buses in public transport. With several restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, it has become a challenge for the bus operators and manufacturers to return to normalcy. Speaking about changing preferences of people choosing individual vehicles over public transport, Jan Deman, Director, Busworld Foundation pointed that this shift will lead to increase in traffic and air pollution

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for which collectivisation of public transport is very important.

He stressed the need for collaboration between the private and public bus and coach sector for the goals to be achieved.

To boost the sector, Busworld will be representing bus and coach manufacturers and operators in the environmentally sustainable transport forum organised by the United Nations, to be held in Japan from October 18-28, 2021. “During this conference, a declaration will be signed by over 30 Southeast Asian countries on the future of their transport system,” Deman announced. The purpose of the conference is to ensure that the decision makers of public transport systems are aware of the solutions that the industry has to offer, he added. Witnessing lack of participation from the private sector in the previously

held conferences, Jan pointed that it is crucial that the public authorities create incentives to make the conferences attractive for the private sector to participate, especially in Southeast Asian countries having the strongest growth in population.

international

Buses for sustainable transport In India, for example, close to 90 per cent bus transport is managed by the private sector and therefore, it is important to ensure the sustainability of public transport, highlighted Dr. Kulwant Singh, Advisor, Busworld Academy. Universal accessibility is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Bus as a public transport ensures such accessibility and regional connectivity in a much cheaper, faster and cost effective way,” highlighted CRC Mohanty, Environment Programme Coordinator, UNCRD. The COVID 19 pandemic had unprecedented impact, causing enormous changes to the transport landscape in the Asia pacific region. It is however considered that the transport sector can help deliver greener and more resilient infrastructure in countries around the world.

Public transport, especially the buses, play an important role in densely populated cities where it

provides the most efficient way of transporting large numbers of passengers in a cost effective, affordable and environmentally friendly way. However, to ensure this the government needs to work in partnership with the private sector to ensure it is enabling regulatory and the legislative environment to facilitate innovation.

According to Mohanty, there is a need for greater resilience in the public transport system and the bus system. It involves resilience against climate change, natural disasters, climate induced natural disasters, unexpected economic shocks or health emergencies like Covid-19 pandemic. To build a sustainable transport system, it needs to be safe, accessible, affordable and efficient. Modern technologies, including big data, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, automation combined with behavioral change that prioritise most sustainable transport options are considered as innovative solutions to the development of the transport sector. “Enhanced approach in such areas actually can help to realize the transport development goals and to realise the sustainable goals as per the paris agreement,” pointed Mohanty.

The acceptance of electric and hybrid vehicles is crucial as it will offer tremendous environmental benefits as compared to the

diesel buses. By 2030 it is expected that Asia will have 51 per cent of the global population, 41 per cent of the GDP in purchasing power parity, 34 per cent of the global transport CO2 emissions, and 58 per cent of the worldwide road traffic accident, and the success of various global agreements such as SDGs, the Paris agreement on climate change among others at regional or sectoral level will largely depend on transformational changes in the transport sector. This will include the enabling changes in policy, institutional framework, financing model, data management approaches, application of various technologies to bring such changes.

Challenges for the ecosystem There are two key challenges which the bus industry might face when it comes to restoration, cited Mohanty. Firstly, how to tackle the capacity challenges on public transport in context of safe distancing requirements and how best to regain public confidence to encourage a return of buses in public transport. Few other challenges that the sector faces are increasing fuel prices.

The need is to retain prices for atleast a period of six months, opined Prasanna Patwardhan, President, Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI).

While a lot of importance is given to electrification of vehicles, there are no banks who in ready to finance in buses due to which the bus transport system are facing a lot of issues. Private bus segment grew by 300 per cent and STUs degrew. Speaking about the situation in Jakarta, Basri Fahriza, Head of Bachelor Program, Trisakti Institute of Transport

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International and Logistics Trisakti, Jakarta, Indonesia gave an example of Transjakarta, a BRT in Jakarta, Indonesia which is supported by several bus operators to manage fleets and serve each corridor.

Transportation in Jakarta is affordable hence people prefer to travel by bus which has helped reduce the traffic congestion in Jakarta.

Prioritising investment Voicing the troubles faced by the public transport system in India, Patwardhan highlighted the need for prioritising investments. The investments in the metro are much on the higher side as compared to the city buses. He drew attention to the investment of multi billion dollars in Delhi Metro Rail Station carrying 50 lakh passengers daily and Delhi buses finding a very low investment carrying similar number of passengers. Similarly, the investment in the airport of Bhopal carrying 1200 passengers per day is much higher than the bus stations at Bhopal carrying one lakh passengers daily. Also the land provided is much lesser than that provided to the airport authorities. He stressed on the need to increase investments in public transports. The need is to invest in bus or multimodal terminals and parking lots for private or public transport services. Increasing investments in highway project won’t alone fight the problem of congestion; the need is to facilitate movement of people over movement of vehicle, he opined. According to Patwardhan, in the last 60 years, the road sector has witnessed rise in passenger traffic from 30 to 90 per cent when compared to rail and therefore, it is high time for the government to give buses the required support to curb the congestion. According

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to Ganesh Raj Joshi, Researcher, UNCRD, by 2050 private car ownership will increase by 500 per cent thus leading to more congestion. To compete with 88 by private vehicles, the need is to offer the desired comfort in the buses. The lack of technology in public buses is the reason for passengers choosing private vehicles over buses and to overcome this buses should be equipped with smart or intelligent devices and other technological advancements.

This will ensure improvement in efficiency.

The way forward For the revival of public transport, public-private partnership is crucial to provide the desired infrastructure, trained, experienced managing staff, established systems and procedures, support for adapting to new technology, and responsiveness to passenger demand. Flexibility, fast decision making and cost effectiveness in operations, will also play a key role.

Providing an end to end better experience like Metro to bus users will also be helpful.

Unless there is no door to door services public transport will not increase. Sufficient funding should be provided to keep public transport services affordable for all.

Establishing planning and monitoring authority at central, state and local level is also essential. The need is to also develop integrated modern and attractive public transport systems. Redbus, the online bus ticket booking platform, is channelising demands to help the bus industry in demand forecasting, demand heatmaps and GPS. It is also enabling seamless online bookings. The need is for rapid adoption of technology on the supply and demand side, mentioned Manoj Agarwala, Sr. Vice President, redBus. Working with cities to promote green technologies is also crucial. It is only through collaboration of Asian cities with the transport bodies, the restoration of buses in public transport could be achieved. ....................................................................

The upcoming edition of Busworld Southeast Asia 2022 will be held in Jakarta, in March.

It will be followed by Busworld India from August 2022, in

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HeavyDuty Actros

A

vinash Singh Rathore(Tiger) returns from an eight-year-long hiatus in hiding for a covert operation in the sequel ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’. His rules, his team and a national mission. For the climax, has Salman Khan aka Tiger set up an escape plan from a hideout of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) in the action flick. Inspired by realworld events in 2014 involving the abduction of Indian nurses and held hostage for 23 days, the climax of the Tiger series starts with close combat in a violent confrontation involving sophisticated firearms. From firearms used for cover in the rescue mission, the RAW agents are required to up their game. To make matters worse, they lose their sniper specialist tasked with giving cover to the escaping nurses.

It is here that the MercedesBenz Actros 3340S tractor trailer combination fitted with an oil tanker superstructure arrives on the scene.

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Commercial Vehicle September 2021 | www.commercialvehicle.in

Piloted by agent Karan (played by actor Anant Vidhaat) and Firdaus (played by Paresh Raval), the two from the Tiger camp jump off the Heavy-Duty (HD) commercial vehicle on entering the conflict zone. The Actros cruises, in a laden state with highly inflammable fuel onboard and rolls over at a high speed. Tiger turns disaster into advantage by firing an RPG missile at the laden tanker. This causes a massive explosion and allows the men on a mission just enough time to whisk the nurses to safety.

The Mercedes-Benz Actros, in the sequel, wears the tristar badge on the front fascia with pride.

Look closely and you find the front face with big air dams placed for aerodynamic refinement on the front bumper. The Actros measures 6950 mm in length, 2500 mm in width and 3360 mm in height. It has a 3300 mm wheelbase. Coupled to a trailer, in the movie it is fitted with an oil tanker superstructure

with top-loading. The 6x4 tractor head sports a medium cab without sleeper in the film and boosts of sun visor, roof hatch(vent) and power windows. It also offers a JOST fifth wheel. Powered by OM 501 LA (V6), a 12-litre Euro5, sixcylinder diesel engine, the 3340S developed 394 hp at 1800 rpm and 1850 Nm at 1080 rpm. The engine is mated to a manual 16-speed forward synchromesh with telligent gearshift (G210-16), and EPS with clutch pedal. Braking on the 3340S was the Telligent braking system with ABS and ASR. The tractor head is known to ply on 315/80 R22.5 tyres. These are steered by the Integral Power Steering which offers a turning radius of eight metres. A 400-litre tank holds its fuel supply and two 12 V 165 Ah batteries are known to power the instrument console and auxiliaries of the Actros. If it wasn’t for the HD Actros, Tiger wouldn’t have succeeded in his second outing.

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