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`Would be present in the entire range of commercial vehicles over time'

Chennai , Aug. 28

Asian MotorWorks (AMW) Ltd today announced the formal launch of two types of heavy commercial vehicles - a 49-tonne tractor-trailer and a 25-tonne tipper.

AMW "specialises in design and manufacture of high tonnage vehicles on a hybrid platform". The company buys engines from Cummins India, gearboxes from ZF, suspension systems from Meritor and clutch from Valeo and adds them to the cabin and chassis that it manufactures at its Bhuj plant.

AMW's Promoter & Director, Mr Anirudh Bhuwalka, told a press conference here today that all but the gearboxes were manufactured in India.

He said that the company had tested around 200 vehicles produced by it with some select customers and had found the results encouraging. Initially, AMW would target a specific niche of the growing market for high tonnage commercial vehicles. These vehicles offer higher payload, feature high-powered engines and 9-speed gearboxes.

The 4923 tractor, for example, can carry 35 tonnes of load. Mr Bhuwalka said that this was the only vehicle in the country of 35-t payload. He said that there was a good demand for this vehicle from steel manufacturers, car and two-wheeler manufacturers and petroleum companies.

The 2523 tipper is designed for mining applications. Both the vehicles feature 235 hp Cummins engine and a 9-speed ZF gearbox, which is unique in India. These vehicles would be priced between Rs 23 lakh and Rs 28 lakh.

On the anvil

Mr Bhuwalka said that a 300-hp tractor prime mover would be launched in another five months' time.

He said that the AMW was in the process of rolling out a "nationwide sales, service and spares network of 30 dealers and 450 sub-dealers."

He said that buying aggregates and assembling them for specific applications was the way the commercial vehicles industry would go in the future.

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