Ashok Leyland showcases six commercial vehicles at the Auto Expo 2023

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland revealed six new "alternative energy" products at the Auto Expo 2023. The vehicles showcased were "green" powered by electric and hydrogen options.

The new products include a battery electric vehicle, a fuel cell electric vehicle, a hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, a liquefied natural gas vehicle, an intercity CNG bus and a mini passenger bus.

"The range of our new clean-energy products, covering both the truck and bus segments, underscores our capability and readiness to lead the transformation in the road transportation sector. We will remain deeply invested in the cause of sustainability, aspiring to lead the market with our new-generation commercial vehicles," said Dheeraj Hinduja, executive chairman at Ashok Leyland.

"The automotive sector has seen a wave of technological upgrade in the last two years with green fuel being the future of the industry. Having one of the best R&D teams in the country, we want to continue our path to innovate and leverage new technology to be a leader in sustainable and environment friendly mobility. Our aim is to make India's alternate fuel segment self-reliant and be one of the flag bearers of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign," said Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO at Ashok Leyland.

The battery electric vehicle runs on a Lithium-ion battery, which is charged externally. To provide payload advantage, this vehicle comes with a lightweight design, the company said.

The fuel cell electric vehicle is powered by Hydrogen. In the fuel cell, atmospheric oxygen and hydrogen produce electricity and power the power electronics and the motor that drives the vehicle. This vehicle uses a Lithium-ion battery with an external charging provision to run as a limited-battery vehicle. It has a Leak Detection System (LDS) to ensure maximum safety.

The HICEV is also powered by hydrogen. It is equipped with an Advanced Driver Assistant System (ADAS) for vehicle and road safety.

The LNG vehicle runs on LNG and CNG. LNG is typically preferred in heavy-duty vehicles to meet longer-range requirements. FCEV, H2-ICE, and LNG are built on the AVTR Modular Vehicle Platform and incorporate a majority of the sub-aggregates from the company's current diesel vehicles.

The 13.5 m intercity CNG bus will have a capacity of 1,500 Liters (255 kg) of CNG fuel and a range of 1000 km. It will have a luggage space of 11 cubic meters and a passenger capacity of 36 berths.