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Leading truck and bus maker Ashok Leyland said its entire heavy truck range is BS VI-ready, but the company is not in a position to produce and sell such vehicles due to non-availability of BS VI-fuel.
It has received the compliance certificates from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
The Hinduja flagship claimed on Tuesday that it has became the first Indian commercial vehicle maker to get BS VI certification for its entire heavy trucks range (gross vehicle weight of 16.2. tonne and above).
“We are the first local OEM to obtain the BS VI-compliance certificates for heavy trucks. This heavy range is our high volume segment. So, we now have a large chunk of volume category certified and ready for production,” N Saravanan, Chief Technology Officer, Ashok Leyland, told a group of reporters here.
“If fuel was available, we would have started selling these ranges. The fuel should be available across the country, can’t be in one or two cities,” he said.
However, Ashok Leyland is looking at putting these trucks in some select regions like NCR-Rajasthan where the BS VI-fuel is available. Saravanan said the company had spent ₹600-700 crore in the last 3-4 years on BS-VI technologies and associated areas. The new BS-VI trucks are being built on a new modular platform. It will offer such trucks in four engine options.
“We have run till now about 2 million km on road with BS-VI engines and will continue to run till BS-VI deadline to touch about 4-5 million km,” he said.
But details were not provided on the likely increase in prices and fuel efficiency of BS-VI trucks. Cabins of BS-VI trucks may also look different due to large cooling systems and other required norms. Also, there will be more electronics in terms of a good number of sensors. The BS-VI trucks will offer telematics solutions too.
BS-VI compliance in the LCV and ICV range is expected to be completed shortly.
Saravanan also said Ashok Leyland is working on making the entire ecosystem — dealers, service teams and others — to be ready for the BS VI norms.
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