Domestic sales of medium and large buses and coaches (7.5t gvw and above) fell by 56.1% in the fourth quarter of financial year 2020-21 (January to March) to register just 4,744 units, down from 10,810 units in Q4/2019-20. Total bus and coach production also fell sharply during the fourth quarter by 54% to just shy of 5,000 units (10,763). Total exports decreased by 38.7% to 1,211 vehicles from 1,974 units in Q4/2019-20.

Sales of LCV goods carrier (truck) vehicles (gvw ≤ 7.5t) grew strongly in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020-21 (April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021) and by 41.9% to register 125,160 units, up from 88,189 units in same period of FY2019-20. Production of LCV goods carriers increased by 42.8% to 141,939 vehicles from 99,408 in the same quarter the year before, and exports grew by 53.1% to 11,503 (7,514).

Ashok Leyland Ltd of Chennai has announced it is offering round-the-clock support for all commercial vehicles transporting oxygen as well as other essential supplies.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Tata Motors Ltd of Mumbai, has released onto the Indian market a new generation of medium-duty Tata Ultra truck models – the Ultra Sleek T-Series of T.61, T.72 and T.93. All are offered in various deck lengths from 10 to 20 feet to meet a multiple range of applications and are equipped with the 4SPCR BS VI engines used previously only in the LCV truck range (i.e., below 7t gvw), but are now fitted in ICV range up to 9t gvw trucks.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), based in New Delhi, has mandated oxygen carrying tankers (oxygen transporting tankers which are used for emergency services especially for supporting COVID affected patients) with and without National permits1 capable of carrying oxygen, install Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) devices compliant with AIS 140 standards.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) had issued draft notification amendments to mandate installation of fire detection and alarm systems in all new school and intercity buses throughout the vehicle, which now includes the passenger compartment in addition to the engine compartment.

Hino Motors Ltd of Hino-shi from mid-2022 plans to release onto the Japanese market, the Hino Dutro Z EV – the company’s first full-scale electric vehicle which is designed for ‘last mile deliveries.’

During 2020, Russia registered a total of 97,882 light-duty commercial vehicles with gross vehicle weight of up to 5t, which was 6.1% fewer than the 104,224 units registered in 2019, according to statistical data provided by Avtostat Info.

Light-duty truck builder, Ulyanovsk Auto Plant (UAZ) of Ulyanovsk - a subsidiary of Sollers JSC - has unveiled a 4x2 version with dual wheels of its light-duty commercial truck, UAZ Profi.

KamAZ OSJC of Naberezhnye Chelny has expanded its range of heavy-duty tippers for off-road quarrying operations with the new 10x6, KAMAZ-65807, which offers a payload of 65t (95t gvw) – it was launched at MiningWorld Russia-2021 exhibition in Moscow in April.

Iveco Ltd of Basildon, UK has added new variants to its relaunched Drive Away bodybuilder programme for Daily diesel-powered LCVs.

Truck, bus and trailer builder, Ashok Leyland Ltd of Chennai, has launched its 4-axle (14-wheeler) 8x2 DTLA (dual-tyre-lift-axle) AVTR 41201 truck, which offers an additional 5-tonne payload compared with its standard 8x2 truck models.