Capital Equipment News September 2018

HEAVY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

The Pro 6025T (10 m 3 ) 6 x 4 construction tipper comes with 25 t GVM.

Trucking into new segments

Following the success of the Eicher brand since it ventured into the market some two years ago, VECV South Africa has expanded the range with the launch of two new models in the Pro 6000 Series, allowing it to compete for a share of the local heavy commercial vehicle market for the first time, writes Munesu Shoko .

V E Commercial Vehicles Limited (VECV), a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Indian headquartered Eicher Motors Ltd, entered the South African market with its range of Eicher trucks over two years ago. To set the ball rolling, the joint venture set up its South African base in the form of a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary, VECV South Africa, which reports significant growth of its offering for the time it has operated locally. Following the success of its maiden 4-t Pro 3008 model, which already has proven its efficiency locally, VECV South Africa has expanded the range with the launch of its Pro 6025T, a 10 m³ tipper, and the Pro 6016, a 16 t GVM freight carrier – giving the company the much-needed offering to wrestle for a share of the local heavy commercial vehicle market.

“We have had a good run with our 3008 model. The Eicher brand has been well accepted in SA since we launched some two years ago,” explains Mark Diab, Director of Sales & Marketing at VECV South Africa. Surender Singh, Vice President & Country Head, VECV South Africa, says the Eicher Pro 6000 Series marks a milestone in the journey of Eicher Trucks in South Africa. He says the company’s approach was to initially stabilise the first model before rolling out the larger ranges. “We did our research before coming into the South African market. It is an unforgiving market which offers you a single chance as a new entrant, and if you mess it up, you are out. As a result, we have put much focus on our aftermarket structures, with the creation of a strong dealer network and parts availability being key focus areas,” says Singh. Eicher’s early success has largely hinged on its strong

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 18