[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

The cost of Prima range of Tractors and Tippers are not high enough or highly spec'd to call them as Premium product to Volvo. Its only a perception that they are premium.

Can you elaborate please?

[greatmana2000]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Overloading is getting its age and no more this will be an USP( though officially cant spelt out by a manufacturer) for a product. Now the USP is Faster TAT. Now Products with higher engine specs are prefered rather than just load carrying capacity.

Again , due to toll ways and better roads and infrastructure the TAT has increased , (classic example would be TNSTC has reduced the max speed of its buses to 60km/hr , yet the buses reach on time . Earlier from chennai to blore it used to take more time and that too with unlocked fuel pumps . but due to the cost of tolls , overloading has also increased . Higher engine specs are preffered mainly for 1 thing .. mileage . Incase of a volvo with full loading , it gives better mileage figures compared to relative non-stressing of the engine as compared to a Tata or Leyland . Remember the volvos have almost 12 gears as compared to a Leyland or Tata . So optimum gear usage means much better mileage .


Tatra have almost vanished. Indian mines are completely occupied with Volvo, MB and Scania's, purely for the higher engine specs ( upwards from 300 HP) which translates into faster TAT.

Nope , Tatra , and another russian brand ,Beml , are very much there in mining ,but i do agree that Volvo , scanina are expanding .

Please find replies in bold.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by greatmana2000

Nope , Tatra , and another russian brand ,Beml , are very much there in mining ,but i do agree that Volvo , scanina are expanding .

BEML, a Russian brand? BEML stands for Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. The PSU has been license-manufacturing Tatra trucks for defence.

[greatmana2000]

Originally Posted by directinjection

BEML, a Russian brand? BEML stands for Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. The PSU has been license-manufacturing Tatra trucks for defence.

LOL , I know what BEML stands for . I meant another russian brand apart from Tarta and BEML

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by greatmana2000

Nope , Tatra , and another russian brand ,Beml , are very much there in mining ,but i do agree that Volvo , scanina are expanding .

The story goes like this..
The earlier products were under a company Tatra Vectra. Now this company is taken oven by Kamaz, Russian company and they are producing products under the company name Kamaz Vectra.
They have launched a 31T tipper 6540.
They are operating from the same plant in Hosur.
But Tatra is going into defence segment with BEML.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

The story goes like this..
The earlier products were under a company Tatra Vectra. Now this company is taken oven by Kamaz, Russian company and they are producing products under the company name Kamaz Vectra.

Kamaz Vectra is a joint venture between Vectra Group (that owns Tatra) and Kamaz Inc. (that owns Kamaz) whereby Kamaz trucks are license manufactured in India. Kamaz didn't take over Tatra which continues to be owned by the Vectra Group.

Tatra's link with BEML is separate.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by directinjection

Kamaz Vectra is a joint venture between Vectra Group (that owns Tatra) and Kamaz Inc. (that owns Kamaz) whereby Kamaz trucks are license manufactured in India. Kamaz didn't take over Tatra which continues to be owned by the Vectra Group.

Tatra's link with BEML is separate.

Thats a news to me

[aparbansal]

Ashok Leyland launched there new series of global-look trucks called U-Truck. These trucks usher the domestic company in the league of multinational players. The truck was displayed in the Auto Expo-2010 in Delhi and looks pretty similar to the Prima range launched by Tata Motors.

It remains however to be seen how does the customer receives these trucks with Prima still not able make any dent in the market. The ALL team however seems very bullish with the press-statements they are making. Knowing ALL's global agenda after acquisition of Avia (Czech Truck Company) and tie-up with Nissan for Light Trucks in India, this seems to be more of a short-term export oriented program and for the long-term - plan to take on MNCs in the market.

AB

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Source: Machinist.com
Ashok Leyland has launched it's new U-Truck platform with the unveiling of the U-4936 (6x4) Tractor and the U-2523 (6x4) Tipper.

"This platform represents an organizational transformation for us at Ashok Leyland," said Mr. R Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland. "A completely fresh approach in terms of processes, attitude and product, wherein the sale of a vehicle is not the end but a beginning, because we are ready with a whole range of service products for a life-long engagement with the customer." The U-Truck platform will straddle the entire range of tractors, tippers and haulage trucks in the 16 - 49 tonne segment, with over 25 models and a host of variants to roll out in 18 months starting April 2010. The range will be powered by BS III and BS IV engines that are also protected for BS V norms, ranging from 160 to 380 hp. Joining the proven 'H' series is a new NEPTUNE family of engines - entirely developed in-house.

Mr. Vinod Dasari, Chief Operating Officer, Ashok Leyland explained that the modularity of the new platform endowed the Company with the agility to respond quicker to specific customer demands than ever before. "The modularity gives us speed, it helps us to control our inventories and we can help our vendor partners to plan their inventories better. On the manufacturing front, it will cue our transition from stock-and-sell to make-to-order system. Yes, there are some very exciting times to look forward to," he concluded.

"The U-Truck is a sublimation of our in-depth understanding of the customer, his requirements, his pain points and converting our insight into a product platform best-suited for him. It is an innovative platform that will set a new benchmark in terms of a holistically superior trucking experience including higher Return on Investment" said Mr. R Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, at the launch. "A standout feature of the U-Truck platform is the wide choice available to the customer, depending on his specific application-based requirement. The platform is contemporary, competitive and future-ready and will be backed up by Leyland Direct which is an expression of an enhanced level of customer engagement. This is only the beginning of a very exciting journey that we are embarking on with our customers," he added.

One key aspect of the U-Truck platform is its superior, electronic and efficient engine management system. The BS IV versions of 'H' engines have Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology while the new NEPTUNE engines are with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology, to reduce emission. The NEPTUNE engines have been benchmarked for lower operating costs, lower maintenance, longer life, higher vehicle availability and better comfort. The U-Truck platform will be equipped with electronic clusters and advanced Telematics for real-time track and trace, on-board diagnostics and driver management features to ensure the safety of the driver and cargo. The cluster can give alerts on vehicle health, fuel levels, service requirements, and also provide comprehensive reports on fleet productivity and driving habits.

"The U-Truck is a win-win proposition for both the customer and our channel partners" said Mr. Rajive Saharia, Executive Director - Marketing, Ashok Leyland. "For the customer the attributes of quicker speeds, more trips, improved fuel efficiency, greater comfort and safety and more choices of fully-built options translate into higher revenue, lower operating costs and hence better profitability. Reliable aggregates and interfaces with proper matching of consumables ensure long and synchronized service intervals. This along with our bouquet of service offerings will help our channel partners to service our customers a whole lot better" he added.

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[Ashley2]

Ashok Leyland's Corporate office at Guindy - Chennai boasts this huge signage of U - Truck. THis is visible from saidapet railway station.

[SAE40 in veins]

Hi friends

Do we have any thread where one can find a 'user review' of a Tata Prima truck in Team BHP or at least some info about an ownership experience.

[P4life]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Thats a news to me

More info on Kamaz Vectra Trucks can be found at ::Kamaz Vectra Motors Ltd::

[julupani]

@SAE40 in veins
Well most Tata Primas that have been sold are to large fleet operators. The largest operator as of now in India is Siddhi Vinayak Transport, who operate close to a hundred Tata Prima 4028S.

Though you can expect to see a lot more Primas on the road in the next few months ( some insider news ) in the 4928S and 3128K models.

[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by SAE40 in veins

Hi friends

Do we have any thread where one can find a 'user review' of a Tata Prima truck in Team BHP or at least some info about an ownership experience.

Probably you will not see a user review in Team-bhp about Tata Prima as it is meant for fleet operators, not for small operators (<5). But i saw some reviews in BS-Motoring and overtakeonline.in (mal).

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by julupani

@SAE40 in veins
Well most Tata Primas that have been sold are to large fleet operators. The largest operator as of now in India is Siddhi Vinayak Transport, who operate close to a hundred Tata Prima 4028S.

Though you can expect to see a lot more Primas on the road in the next few months ( some insider news ) in the 4928S and 3128K models.

I dont think all of them is 4028 close to 25 vehicles will be 4928
I do have seen many 4928 from SVLL(even today).
BTW, Prima is not finding too many takers it seems.
Production of these trucks are almost in a single digit.
I also understand the U trucks which are launched recently is receiving some good response from customers and AL is ramping up its production to meet the demand.

[julupani]

I have mentioned before Primas are pretty costly trucks, targeted mostly ate very large operators. TML is not looking to generate massive numbers right now from it. So though yes, the last few months saw the production trickle down to single digits a month, but like I said you can now expect production to hit double digits on a daily basis and triple digits in a month. This will be largely due to the very good response of the mining market to the 3128K and 2528K models and also the ramping up of production to meet a large order for Linfox transport. Though I am not sure whether the characteristic red and yellow Linfox 4928S tractors will be seen on Indian roads. You can expect to see the 3128T and 2528T models also getting launched soon, but expect these to get launched only as fully built vehicles.

The major issue with the Prima right now is to settle quickly on a source for the high HP(380 and above) engines either from FIAT or Cummins, and launch those models as well.