Ashok Leyland Becomes First Indian Auto Company To Manufacture Heavy Duty Trucks BSVI Compliant

Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland has said its entire range of heavy duty trucks has been upgraded to meet BS-VI emission norms, which come into force from April 1, 2020.

The company has become the first Indian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to meet BS-VI emission norms across its full range of heavy duty trucks with gross vehicle weight of 16.2 tonne and above, the Hinduja group flagship said in a statement.

On August 29, Ashok Leyland Chief Technology Officer N Saravanan received certificates from Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) confirming compliance with BS-VI emission standard, it added.

ARAI is an autonomous body affiliated to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, which offers comprehensive certification and homologation services for all kinds of vehicles.

"The company 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," Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said.

Compliance in the LCV and ICV range will be completed shortly and the company will offer a comprehensive range from 70 hp to 360 hp in BS VI application, he added.

"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," Saravanan said.

Additionally, the company has developed an entire new modular vehicle platform for this range and is confident of meeting the increasingly dynamic customer requirements, with multiple options of loading spans, cabins, suspensions, and, drivetrains, he added.

"These combinations would be offered to customers through a custom built product configurator," Saravanan said.