Volvo Eicher looks to replicate LMD success in electric LCV space

Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicle is raising the stakes in the electric small commercial vehicle space with the launch of Eicher’s 2-3.5 tonne Pro X Range. While Eicher's entry into the electric LCV market may have been delayed, the management is confident that the company can replicate its success in the Light & Medium Duty (LMD) segment in the LCV space.

India's sub-3.5 tonne mini truck and pickup truck market, excluding three-wheelers, grew from 360,000 units annually in FY14 to nearly half a million units by the end of the last financial year. The LCV space is seen as the sweet spot for electrification in the commercial vehicle space due to its shorter and predictable routes, lower payload requirements, and growing demand for last-mile delivery.

“The light commercial vehicle under 3 tonne is the fastest growing segment in the commercial vehicle space. We have proved our capability in light and medium trucks. The market has its trust on our products and we will leverage this going forward to expand our electric vehicle sales,” VECV Chief Commercial Officer SS Gill said.

Co-created with leading logistics players and drivers, Eicher Pro X Range is engineered to meet the dynamic demands of applications such as e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods, parcel and courier and cold chain logistics.

“The last mile delivery segment is highly underserved. Customers face issues with driver comfort, constraints with load space and energy efficiency. We have designed the Pro X Range in such way that it addresses all the major concerns,” Gill said.

Explaining the way the Pro X range was developed, Gill stated that the company conducted extensive research into the needs of fleet operators and drivers to comprehensively understand and address all their challenges.

He noted that Eicher developed the Pro X range over 2-3 years and the platform is developed from scratch.  Eicher Pro X Range with 2-3.5T boasts the largest cargo loading space in its segment, according to the company.

The Eicher Pro X Series is being manufactured at the company’s Bhopal plant, which spans across 148 acres.

VECV will also open new dealerships to sell electric vehicles. “There will be a separate network for Pro X series. For example, in Bhopal, if there is already a truck dealer, it won't be selling it. There will be new ones in areas where the customers would want to come and see the vehicle. Because in heavy-duty trucks, nobody comes to see the vehicle, we take it to the customer. Here, the customers will come to our showroom. So the showrooms have to be in a market,” he added.