Sales of LCV goods carriers (trucks of gvw ≤ 7.5t) saw domestic sales fall by 24.7% to 270,623 units in the first three quarters (April to December) of fiscal year 2020-21 (Q1-Q3 FY2020/21) from 359,162 units in same period of 2019-20.

Haulage tractor sales fell by 61.2% during the first three quarters (April to December) of fiscal year 2020-21 (Q1-Q3/2020-21) to register just 5,467 units compared with 14,107 units in the same period of the previous year (2019-20).

Sales of medium and heavy rigid trucks (7.5t gvw and above) in India fell by 45.6% in the first nine months (April to December) of FY2020-21 to 72,109 units from 132,575 units in same period of the year FY2019-20.

Sales of medium and heavy rigid trucks (7.5t gvw and above) in India experienced a positive upswing of 18.7% in Q3 of FY2020-21 (October to December 2020) to register 45,424 units compared with 38,283 units in same quarter of the year 2019-20

Tractor sales decreased by just 4.3% during the third quarter of fiscal year 2020-21 to register 4,049 units compared with 4,229 units in the same quarter of the previous year.

The Indian Commercial Vehicle Industry in 2020, which started the year with sales continuing to fall from the 2019 level, was then thrown into chaos with the effective closure of the marketplace because of national lockdown measures introduced in March 2020 as an endeavour to stop the spread of the coronavirus, writes Rajesh Khanna, Chief Executive Officer at RACE Innovations Pvt Ltd.

An Indian logistics start-up company, Infraprime Logistics Technologies Pvt Ltd is planning to invest USD200m in converting around 1,000 diesel tractors and trucks to operate with electric drivetrains within the next two years; claiming this will make it the largest electric commercial vehicle operating platform in India.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd has launched the ‘BSafe Express’ specialised refrigerated rigid truck range for transporting the Covid-19 vaccine.

Ashok Leyland Ltd has renamed its UK subsidiary, Optare Plc, as Switch Mobility.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Germany’s Daimler AG, has opened a new Global Capability Centre in Perungudi.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd has started manufacture of light- and medium-duty trucks at a new truck manufacturing facility in Bagroda, making it the company’s eighth manufacturing facility in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the new XT-100HD - cross-ply lug (pattern) tyre for commercial vehicles.