EXPLORING NEW GETAWAYS
Aligning with the Prawaas 3.0 theme and to meet operator and passenger mobility needs, Tata Motors launched next generation, sustainable long distance and last mile mass transportation solutions. It launched the Magna, a 13.5m luxury coach that has a front-mounted engine and wide berths for added comfort. Available with two seating arrangements 50+D and 36+D, each sleeping berth is six ft. long. For intra-city application, the Ultra electric 9/9 was pushed. The Starbus CNG was positioned for school and staffing duty cycles. A caravan based on an LP 712/45 chassis was quite the attraction. For midand last-mile service, the Winger 9S and Magic express were showcased. An in-house Tata engine, the five-litre Turbotronn suited for the LP 1618/53 chassis was also at display at the exhibition.
Isuzu India has been offering a cluster of pickups for commercial use from the S-cab to Hi-lander. The Hi-lander was on display at Prawaas 3.0. The 4x2 pickup truck offers a payload carrying capacity of 225 kgs. It also serves as a people mover with its dual crew cab. The canopy, imported from Thailand, called “Carryboy” weighs around 100 kgs. With it, the Hilander can carry approximately one tonne of payload. At Prawaas 3.0, the vehicle was loaded with more than ten suitcases as a testimony. It draws power from a four-cylinder VGS turbo BSVI engine with a peak rated power of 163 hp at 3600 rpm.
With the recent announcement of Green castings developed with Volvo Trucks India, Brakes India Private Ltd. (Brakes India) has been at the forefront of leading new technology developments. The company showcased a diverse range of auto components including an air brake system, clutch booster, and an electromagnetic retarder. Fluids such as brake fluids, power steering fluids, and coolants were also on display. It showcased three retarder models: K70, HB1200, and BIK140. The numbers correspond to the maximum torque capability, increase in brake lining life for reducing downtime, increase in tyre and drum life, and improving driver’s drive ability. All retarders work on a four-step actuation depending upon the driver’s application.
Trans ACNR is the flagship company, owning JTAC in India. It showcased the SL206E and SLE 25028kW from the HVAC series. The SL denotes SnowLeopard. SL206E has a cooling capacity of six kilo Watt suited to various duty-cycles like that of caravans, driver cabins, and for vanity vans. The SLE 25028kW air conditioner is suitable for a nine metre electric bus. Solutions including an air purifier with an air quality display using a monitoring system, temperature, and TVOC are expected to find takers.
Waiting for the bus in long queues without knowing when the bus will actually arrive has been a problem for commuters.
Chalo, a bus transportation technology firm lets commuters track their bus in real-time with the Chalo App and get digital bus tickets with the Chalo Card. A onestop shop for a comfortable and trouble-free travel experience. Commenting on the response to its solutions, Mohit Dubey, Co-founder and CEO, of Chalo said, ”As of today, over 2500 bus operators are using our technology across 40 cities and the number is growing by the day. Along our journey, we have also realised the importance of uplifting the quality of buses on our roads.” The company has partners OEMs like Switch Mobility india to deploy 5,000 ebuses starting with Mumbai and could partner new OEMs soon.