A new law comes into effect in India mandating the provision of ACs in trucks.
30 Aug 2025 | 15106 Views | By Shahkar Abidi
The heat is quite literally on for India’s commercial vehicle sector. Starting June 8, 2025, every new medium and heavy truck sold in India must come equipped with an air-conditioned cabin. For an industry that moves the vast majority of the country’s goods, this regulatory shakeup has profound technological, economic, ...
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The heat is quite literally on for India’s commercial vehicle sector. Starting June 8, 2025, every new medium and heavy truck sold in India must come equipped with an air-conditioned cabin. For an industry that moves the vast majority of the country’s goods, this regulatory shakeup has profound technological, economic, and human implications.
Yet, amidst early grumbles about rising costs, a quiet efficiency enhancement is underway, aiming to reconcile comfort with cost — and setting a blueprint for emerging markets worldwide.
Fuel Efficiency: The Old Achilles' Heel
For decades, many Indian truckers have avoided factoryfitted air conditioning, primarily due to concerns about fuel consumption. Traditionally, running a truck’s AC could consume up to 5% of its total fuel use, which is a not-insignificant hit, especially for light and medium trucks where the air conditioner’s burden is heavy compared to engine output.
The upfront impact is not trivial. In addition to loss in efficiency, estimates suggest mandatory AC cabins have pushed up the cost of heavy trucks by 0.5-1%, while lighter trucks are shouldering a steeper 1.2-2% hike, reflecting the greater engineering tweaks smaller cabs require.
For fleet operators, many of whom work on wafer-thin margins, it translates to significant increase in operating costs. Some players, such as VECV, claim to have brought the fuel efficiency of ACequipped trucks “very close” to non- AC variants by embracing electronics and synchronizing the AC’s operation with the engine’s electronic control unit via ‘engine maps’.
These ‘maps’ act as sophisticated instructions, telling the engine exactly how to respond when the AC is engaged, preserving precious fuel. This was enabled by the sector’s progression to Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emissions standards, which brought a wave of electronics. Indian truck manufacturers like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Mahindra have started rolling out vehicles based on these technologies, enabling drivers to tailor performance to both cargo and AC load.
For instance, Tata’s trucks now feature idle auto-shut, reducing wasteful engine-on time when idle. Furthermore, the OEMs are using enhanced insulation in newer cabins, using advanced materials, which means less heat seeps in – reducing the AC system’s workload and cutting down energy draw.
Compressor: The Heart of the Matter
One of the innovations used by VECV is the use of scroll compressors. Unlike the old reciprocating (piston) types that draw constant power, scroll compressors are rotary devices that adjust their output to demand. This translates to lower mechanical friction, up to 92% efficiency (compared to 70-80% for reciprocating types), quieter running, and measurable improvement in fuel economy.
Currently, this advanced system is available across VECV’s light and intermediate trucks, with plans afoot to extend it to heavy-duty vehicles. Such optimization is not just an Indian phenomenon. European truck makers, too, are electrifying auxiliaries and exploring holistic vehicle energy management to keep air conditioning from draining fuel tanks.
Yet efficiency is only part of the story. For the first time, Indian trucking is set to match global standards for driver comfort. “Today, a driver is the one person who is defining your logistics efficiency,” says Sachin Agrawal, Executive VP & Head of Product Development at VECV. With better AC, VECV’s data shows long-haul mileage is up, with trucks averaging over 20,000 km a month, a remarkable jump from the industry’s historical 12,000– 13,000 km.
Trucking Beyond Borders
While Western markets have mandated air-conditioned truck cabs for years, India represents perhaps the world’s toughest proving ground: extreme climates, punishing road conditions, and cost-conscious operators. The domestic sector’s leap forward, driven by mandates and enabled by integrated electronic engineering, is an important signal for fast-growing markets in Africa, Southeast Asia, and beyond.