03rd September, 2019, Chennai: Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, and one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in India, becomes the first Indian OEM to meet the BS-VI emission norms across the full range of heavy duty trucks (GVW of 16.2T and above). On 29thAugust, 2019, Dr. N. Saravanan, Chief Technology Officer, Ashok Leyland, received the certificates, confirming compliance to BS-VI emission standard, from Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). ARAI is the leading automotive R&D organization of the country set up by the Automotive Industry with the Government of India. It is an autonomous body affiliated to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, which offers comprehensive certification and homologation services for all kinds of vehicles.
Commenting on this milestone, Mr. Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland has always been a pioneer in the introduction of new technology in the commercial vehicle industry and this achievement of meeting the BS-VI emission standard across our heavy vehicle range further reinforces our position as technology leaders. Despite the short transition timeframe from BS IV to BS VI, we have done extensive testing and with a further 7 months to go, we are confident that our indigenous development will provide a superior and competitive solution addressing the needs of our customers. We are deeply committed to indigenous research and development addressing market needs with a relevant and customized approach.
“Compliance in the LCV and ICV range will be completed shortly and we will offer a comprehensive range from 70 hp to 360 hp in BS VI application.”
Sharing his comments on this achievement, Dr. N. Saravanan, Chief Technology Officer, Ashok Leyland, said, “We were the first Indian OEM to showcase a Euro-VI Truck during the Auto Expo 2016, Delhi, and we are the first to be ready with BS-VI vehicles across our heavy duty truck range, well ahead of the deadline. Technology and its intelligent use has been our forte. Whether it was the use of mechanical pump for BS-III or iEGR technology for BS-IV, we have strived to simplify the technology for our customers to deliver value throughout the product lifecycle. With our BS-VI range, we will continue to deliver on this promise of reliability and ease of operations. Additionally, we have developed an entire new modular vehicle platform for this range and are confident of meeting the increasingly dynamic customer requirements, with multiple options of Loading Spans, Cabins, Suspensions, and, Drivetrains. These combinations would be offered to the customers through a custom built product configurator.”
