Tata Motors will replace its existing range of 100-180 horsepower (hp) trucks by September 2008 with the ?world truck? fitted with 200-500hp engines, aimed at tackling the competition from Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, MAN and others.
?We will make the new vehicles in the old assembly lines,? said SB Borwankar, plant head, Jamshedpur. To begin with, it would produce the entire range from 100 hp to 500hp at its works here and phase out those of lower horsepower.
?Next year, the Jamshedpur plant is going to produce ?world trucks?, which will be a totally different kind of modular vehicle where we are going to wipe out the impression of substandard quality,? Borwankar told members of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce & Industry here recently.
Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems LLC of the US, which has a joint venture with the Kalyani group, Meritor HVS (India) Ltd, is to supply the axles for the heavier vehicles from a new unit coming up here. For gear boxes, the company has kept open two options: developing its own or importing from Eaton (Poland).
Tata Cummins will be ready to produce the latest electronic engines of up to 285hp by July 2008. Cummins India will supply the higher ranged 300-500hp engines. All the engines will conform to Euro-III & Euro-IV emission norms, even though Euro-III for heavy vehicles become mandatory in India only in 2010.
?As Tata Motors will position the ?world truck? models globally, where the stricter Euro-IV emission norms become applicable, customers abroad can opt for models mounted with Euro-IV engines, whereas forward-looking domestic customers can choose from either Euro-III or IV models,? said a Tata Cummins source.
Borwankar said the plant here will be making around 500 vehicles a day. The Lucknow facility may also produce the ‘world trucks’ later. At present, the assembly lines here roll out 500 chassis of HCVs and MCVs a day.