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| Bajaj Auto to phase out CNG one tonner 3 wheeler in Gujarat |
| BS Reporter / Mumbai/ Ahmedabad Oct 02, 2009, 00:58 IST |
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With the launch of its latest commercial three wheeler, RE600, in Gujarat, Bajaj Auto is now planning to phase out one tonner CNG three wheeler from the state. While Bajaj Auto has launched the diesel version of RE600, it plans to introduce CNG version of the vehicle in couple of months.
Talking about the company's plans, RC Maheshwari, CEO, Commercial Vehicles, Bajaj Auto Ltd. said, "We did a research and found that although we were offering a one tonner, people were mostly loading till 600 kg. So we planned to come up with a 600 kg capacity vehicle under RE600. Gujarat provides around 19 per cent to our three wheeler commercial vehicles business and we plan to launch CNG version of RE600 here in couple of months. Gradually, we plan to phase out the CNG one tonner three wheeler commercial vehicle from the state."
In the first month of the launch, Baja Auto expects to sell around 100 units of RE600 and later increase it to 400-500 units per month.
Priced at around Rs 1,10,000, RE600 offers best in class mileage of 36 km per liter of diesel in actual operating conditions, which is 15 to 20 per cent more than other vehicles. The RE 600 is specially conceived and developed for cargo movement in congested cities & towns.
According to Maheshwari, RE600 has the lowest turning radius for high maneuverability even on narrow roads, has twin front suspension and a spacious cabin for comfortable long hours of drive, has high torque for quick pick-up even with heavy loads and has ease of frequent and quick start-stop cycles, making it the best suited vehicle for in-city operations. The RE 600 has thus created a new category in the small commercial vehicle segment.
Bajaj Auto sells around 25,000 units of three wheelers per month, of which around 15,000-16,000 units are sold in the domestic market. The company expects to sell around 2,500 units of RE600 alone per annum in next one year, he said.
Meanwhile, Maheshwari added that Bajaj Auto is ramping up its three wheeler manufacturing capacity from 30,000 per month to 35,000 per month through an investment of less than Rs 100 crore.
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