To address the increasing demands for more productive and safer trucks, Volvo Trucks India, a division of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), has launched six heavy-duty trucks under the FM and FMX range.
Assembled at the company’s Hoskote facility, these trucks combine high productivity and efficiency, improved safety, driver comfort and enhanced connectivity features.
FMX 460 8x4 (20.3 cu.m) is designed to deliver a combination of agility and durability for the mining segment, while FMX 460 8x4 (33cu.m) for coal transportation and FMX 500 8x4 off-road dump truck, a completely new solution, for tough mining application requirements. With increased front axle loads of 20 tonne and a 38-tonne bogie, it is built for the demanding assignments allowing for payload increase up to 15%.
FM 420 8x4 (23cu.m) is designed to suit road construction and mega infrastructure projects, while the FM 500 6x4 puller has been built to set new industry standards in over-dimensional/overweight cargo movement.
To cater to high-speed long-haul applications (e-Commerce, Just-In-Time Supply Chains), the company has launched FM 420 4x2 tractor offering enhanced driver comfort, improved aerodynamics and better connectivity.
For all the models, the company has introduced a new cabin offering more space, increasing by up to 1,000 litres and improved visibility with larger windscreen, lowered door lines and new mirrors, enhancing driver’s direct visibility by 10%. In addition, cabin comfort is further enhanced through better thermal and noise insulation, helping drivers to improve productivity.
The high capacity FMX500 also gets an additional passenger corner camera and four more cameras to be installed for enhanced visibility.
New Driver Interface
The driver’s console now has an entirely new interface for information and communication, making it easier to overview and manage different functions, creating less stress and distraction. A fully digital 12-inch driver interface shows all the performance and maintenance parameters of the truck, like pre-trip check and intuitive traction display. Select variants offer a supplementary 9-inch touch screen display for infotainment, phone connectivity, driver guide, real-time driver behaviour mapping, transport information and camera monitoring. The vehicles can also have Android Auto and other third-party apps installed based on the customer’s application. Drivers can now connect the phone to the truck using Bluetooth, making connectivity safer and more accessible.
Safety, Operational Efficiency
Visibility enhancement is a significant safety booster, especially with a rearview camera on all mining trucks, ensuring safety during loading/unloading. All the trucks are equipped with an electronic braking system (EBS) as a standard feature. The downhill cruise control feature sets a maximum speed to help prevent unwanted acceleration when travelling downhill with load, thus increasing brake life.
The I-shift lever and software is new and includes additional drive modes. The engine management system has been improved from Version 2.2 to 2.4 with several design upgrades too. For example, the I-Roll function automatically disengages the engine when not required. All these functions, along with improved aerodynamics and real-time driver coaching, helps improve fuel efficiency.
New Services Set Standard For Uptime
The service offerings are now comprehensive and digital with the launch of the Volvo Connect telematics solution. This enables customers to get all the truck’s performance parameters in one user-friendly platform with the convenience of sitting at their desks. It includes fleet management services like positioning, performance-boosting services like fuel and environment to allow real-time tracking of trucks and improve driver skills by individually monitoring their driving behaviour. All these services are monitored and analysed to get the maximum uptime through 12 uptime centres spread across the country. Besides, the company is setting a new level for uptime by increasing the engine oil drain interval by up to 20%.
Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VECV, said that large numbers for Volvo Trucks come from the coal mining segment. So even though the acquisition cost is higher, the customers could get better TCO – total cost of ownership.
“We have been successful with some customers in construction; we have been able to convert many customers from the other trucks into Volvo trucks,” he said. The company is looking at more customers from the Express cargo segment. The new range of trucks will enable the company to address several other growth areas, including construction, irrigation, express cargo and over-dimensional cargo movement. It sees vast potential for more applications and more revenues, he said.
Talking of the volume, Aggarwal said, the company has been maintaining the sales of around 1,100 trucks, even during the pandemic as the mining segment continued its business. In the high-end premium market, the company holds around 85% plus market share, he added.
B Dinakar, Senior Vice President, Volvo Trucks India, said, “Our trucks serve in some of the most demanding and time-critical applications and these new range of trucks are built to push the limits of productivity with a strong focus on improving the driver environment and safety. We now have a wider range of transport solutions to cater to the unique requirements of various applications in India.”