Smooth. That is the word that comes to mind as the 10-tonne truck pulls away from the kerb with a barely audible hum, accelerates noiselessly and settles down to a steady speed. And all this with just the turn of a key and the shift of a toggle before the driver presses the accelerator.
Well, this is a battery-powered truck for you. There is none of the stomping on the clutch pedal, the sound of gears meshing as the driver shifts into first gear or the roar of the diesel engine accelerating.
The demo is a modified version of the Boss truck powered by a bank of batteries.
It is in the concept stage and for now can carry about 4.5 tonnes payload for 125 km on a single charge of 40 kW.
Someday in the not-so-distant future when policymakers hopefully give the go-ahead, battery-powered trucks and buses will carry people and goods around noiselessly.
And when that day arrives, Ashok Leyland is confident that it will be ready for the challenge. “Find me a market and I will give a product,” says N Saravanan, Senior Vice President, Product Development. Sure, these technologies are available with other truck makers too. Volvo, for instance, has an ethanol powered vehicle while Leyland’s own UK subsidiary, Optare, is known for its electric vehicles. However, adds Saravanan, the Hinduja group company is keen on in-house development of these technologies which would be ideal for Indian conditions.
A battery powered 10-tonne Boss and Jan Bus, a Dost light commercial vehicle running on ethanol or battery, and vehicles running on biodiesel, natural gas, LPG or hybrid fuels are all tested and ready.
Innovation time Saravanan heads Ashok Leyland Technical Centre where over 1,000 engineers work on ideas intended to give the company’s products an edge over competition. These go beyond concepts to include day-to-day challenges like improving passenger and driver safety/comfort as well as increasing fuel efficiency.
The company has adapted its H-series engines to run on bio-diesel. Trials have been carried out and when the market is ready, Ashok Leyland will launch the products. While large scale use of electric powered commercial vehicles will take some time yet, alternative fuels like LPG, CNG are picking up, says Saravanan.
According to Prasad Gade, General Manager, Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology, the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (which envisages widespread use of electric vehicles by 2020) will accelerate the introduction of such vehicles into the market. The Centre is likely to announce a 1,000 crore fund to drive R&D in this area.
In developed countries, battery powered trucks move goods within the city while electric buses are used in last mile connectivity in public transport and for movement within airports, adds Gade.