The plan is to start mass production of a battery-powered version of the Hilux pickup truck for Thailand and for export.

Kia said the new “Tasman” will be a multi-purpose model aimed at the “working” and “life-style” sub-segments of the global pickup truck market.

Agrale stated that this new chassis took many months of development work by its engineering team in Brazil to design a product that would meet not only the needs of customers in Argentina and other South American markets, but also to meet international standards export beyond the continent.

The TX-12 PRO automated transmission is now available with the heavy-duty Peterbilt Model 567 and 579 and the Kenworth T680 and T880.

The rebranded firm has elected to focus instead on military contracts and off-highway commercial trucks, which it believes will carry fewer risks and provide quicker returns on investment. 

This is the first time Eicher has fitted an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) in the Pro 8035XM tipper; the E-Smart Shift AMT is derived from Volvo Truck’s I-Shift AMT.

At Excon 23, there were several OEMs displaying new heavy trucks at the show including Mahindra Truck & Bus Ltd, Tata Motors Ltd and Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd.

The 100 trucks powered by B100 biodiesel are due for delivery starting May this year, and represent a landmark sale in the country.

The new Hilux Champ was first unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo during October and went on sale in Thailand, the truck’s largest single market, at the Bangkok International Motor Expo at the end of November.

Under the expanded deal, MAN will use protective gases during the precision welding process, and then apply multiple coats: first, cataphoretic paint for corrosion protection, then varnish, and then a final coat of paint.

There are now seven autonomous FH trucks operating at the site, managed remotely via a touch screen in the wheel loader. 

The joint venture, which will make use of Westport assets and intellectual property, will receive an initial USD28m investment from Volvo, giving it a 45% stake.