BharatBenz

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BharatBenz
Brand
Industry Automotive
Founded February 17, 2011
Headquarters Chennai, India
Key people
 Erich Nesselhauf, CEO
Products Trucks
Buses
Services Financial services
Owner Daimler AG
Number of employees
 3,500 to 4,000
Parent Daimler India Commercial Vehicles
Slogan Power Ahead
Website www.bharatbenz.com

BharatBenz is a division of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the German manufacturer Daimler AG.[1][2] The brand is known for its range of modern trucks and buses. The headquarters of BharatBenz is at Oragadam, Chennai, India.

The “Bharat” part of the brand name means “India” in various Indian languages. It symbolizes Indian expertise along with "Benz" - German technology. BharatBenz's slogan is "Power Ahead".[1]

History

File:BharatBenz 3143 Mining truck. Spielvogel 1.JPG
BharatBenz Dump truck at exhibition IAA 2014 in Hanover, Germany.

In 2008, Daimler AG planned to enter the Indian market in a joint venture with Hero MotoCorp to build medium and heavy commercial vehicles.[3] A joint venture named Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles (DHCV) was formed under Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July 2008 with 60% holding of Daimler AG and 40% holding of Hero Group.[4]

Daimler AG and Hero Group announced to dissolve the Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles Ltd. joint venture on April 15, 2009 because of an economic downturn in India.[5][6] Hero group decided to focus on core operation and return the 40% stake in DHCV joint venture to Daimler AG.[7] With 100% stake Daimler AG renamed DHCV as Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV).

File:BHARATBENZ Light Duty Truck 914 R. front 2. Spielvogel 2012.JPG
BharatBenz MDT (Medium- Duty Truck) 914

The launch of the BharatBenz brand was announced on February 17, 2011 at Chennai by Daimler AG Chairman Dieter Zetsche and the first BharatBenz truck was unveiled on January 4, 2012 at the Delhi Auto Expo.[8][9] The decision to launch the brand was prompted by Daimler's determination to compete in the fast-growing Indian truck market against existing Indian brands such as Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and Indian ventures of other leading global truck manufacturers like VE Commercial Vehicles (Volvo-Eicher Motors-Joint Venture). The entire proposed truck line-up in the 9 to 49-tonne range was unveiled on March 2, 2012.[8]

Early 2014 BharatBenz launched the tractor trailer models and a construction model making itself a full range player in the segment above 9T category spanning across Medium and Heavy duty truck segments. Product range: 914, 1214, 2523, 3123, 3128, 2523 (6x4), 1217, 2528(6x4), 3128 CM, 4023 and 4928.

In May 2015, BharatBenz inaugurated its new bus manufacturing facility in Oragadam, Chennai and unveiled its second wave of products – BharatBenz and Mercedes-Benz buses as well as a new range of new BharatBenz high-power engine trucks and BharatBenz heavy duty tractors.

Products

File:BHARATBENZ Heavy Duty Truck 3128 C. right side. Spielvogel 2012.jpg
BharatBenz HDT 3128 C (Heavy-Duty Truck)

The BharatBenz heavy-duty trucks are built on the Mercedes-Benz Axor platform, and the medium-duty trucks on the Fuso Canter and Fuso Fighter series.[10][11] The entire product line meets BSIII standards (comparable to Euro III).[8] All BharatBenz (17 models) trucks are slated to be up to 9% more expensive but be 10% more fuel efficient than the competition.[12] The FUSO medium and heavy duty trucks produced in Chennai are also being exported to markets of Africa and Asia, under Daimler's Asia Business Model. BharatBenz crossed 30,000 units sale mark in January 2016.

From November 2015, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles started delivery of its first set of made-in-India made-for-India buses.[13] The front engine buses are branded as BharatBenz and are based on the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter platform. These are available in school, staff and tourist variants. The rear engine buses are branded as Mercedes-Benz and are based on the Mercedes-Benz O-500 series. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles have tied-up with Ireland-based organisation WrightBus[14] for bus body building. WrightBus is known for their unique patented aluminique alloy structure, which is lighter and stronger than conventional steel, increasing fuel efficiency and making the buses safer.

Daimler is also be exporting these buses under the brand of Mercedes-Benz to African and South-Asian markets[15]

Trucks

Medium-Duty Trucks

914R MD (9.6t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
914R MD Inpower (10.6t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214R MD (11.9t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214R MD Inpower (11.9t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214RE MD (12.8t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1214RE MD Inpower (13.0t GVW Truck, 140 hp)
1217C MD (13.0t GVW Tipper, 170 hp)

Heavy-Duty Trucks

1617R (16t GVW Truck, 170 hp)
1623R (16t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
1623C (16t GVW Tipper, 230 hp)
2523R (25t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
2523C (25t GVW Tipper, 230 hp)
2528C (25t GVW Tipper, 280 hp)
2528CM (25t GVW Mining Tipper, 280 hp)
3123R (31t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
3128C (31t GVW Tipper, 280 hp)
3128CM (31t GVW Mining Tipper, 280 hp)
3143CM (31t GVW Mining Tipper, 430 hp)
3723R (37t GVW Truck, 230 hp)
4023T (40t GVW Tractor, 230 hp)
4028T (40t GVW Tractor, 280 hp)
4928T (49t GVW Tractor, 280 hp)
4940T (49t GVW Tractor, 400 hp)
[16]

Buses

Medium-Size Buses

914 School Bus
914 Staff Bus
917 School Bus AC
917 Staff Bus AC
917 Tourist Bus AC

Production facility

DICV set up a manufacturing plant for the BharatBenz trucks in Oragadam, near Chennai in Tamil Nadu at an investment of over €700 million (₹44 billion).[8] Its biggest investment outside Europe.[12] Construction area for plant is 400 acres, out of which 47 acres are dedicated to 3-lane 1.55 kilometer test track.[17] Test track include a bump track, pothole testing and articulation sections, a water trough, an inspection ramp and a control tower.[17] Initial production capacity at the plant is 36000 units per year for 2012 and will be expanded to 70,000 units per year by start of 2013 with additional investment of ₹3.5 billion.[18] Series production started in June 2012 with the 2523R truck; sales began in September 2012.[19]

Currently BharatBenz has over 3500 employees including both Indian and German staff. Localization rate for BharatBenz truck is 85%[12] with more than 450 local suppliers out of which 41 per cent are based in Tamil Nadu and 44 per cent are in rest of the country, with an aim to exceed 90%.[18]

Daimler has test driven its trucks a distance of 4.5 million km in various conditions at its test track in Oragadam.[12]

Research & Development facility

DICV set up a fine research and development facility at Oragadam manufacturing plant with initial investment of ₹12 billion.[20]

Bus Manufacturing Plant

On May 27, 2015, DICV inaugurated its new bus manufacturing facility in Oragadam, Chennai.[21] The new state-of-the-art bus manufacturing plant, constructed within the existing premises of DICV spread across an area of 27.91 acres, will manufacture and assemble buses under two brands: Mercedes-Benz and BharatBenz. With an investment of Rs 425 crore, the bus plant is set up for an initial capacity of 1,500 units which can be further expanded to 4,000 units subsequently.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Daimler News
  2. ↑ The Hindu-BharatBenz trucks from Daimler by mid-2012
  3. ↑ Economic Times - Daimler-Hero JV to start in 2010, make 70,000 trucks
  4. ↑ Daimler News - The Indo-German joint venture Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles (DHCV)
  5. ↑ Money Control News- Hero pulls out of Rs 4400cr Daimler JV
  6. ↑ Daimler News - Repositioning of the Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles Ltd. joint venture in India
  7. ↑ Hindustan Times - Hero exits truck J-V with Daimler, citing slowdown
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 BharatBenz News - Daimler Reveals Its First Truck "Made in India"
  9. ↑ Daimler News - Daimler Unveils BharatBenz – An Exclusive Brand for its Trucks in India
  10. ↑ ZigWheels - BharatBenz reveals 'Made in India' truck
  11. ↑ AutoCarIndia - BharatBenz's 17 new products
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "The German invasion of the Indian trucking sector"
  13. ↑ "Daimler AG rolls out BharatBenz buses in India"
  14. ↑ "WrightBus open factory in India"
  15. ↑ "Daimler exports buses from India"
  16. ↑ http://bharatbenz.com/products
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 BharatBenz News - Daimler India Commercial Vehicles unveils Test Track at Oragadam, near Chennai
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Financial Express - DICV to roll out BharatBenz trucks by Q3 2012
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Business Line - Daimler India working on new range of buses to take on Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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