E-Nexco India (ENI) has launched a road network survey business by using a specific vehicle E-Nexco Eye in India, to measure road surface conditions.

Tetsuo Miyairi, President, ENI and Director General of Nexco East, said, “In order to provide safe and comfortable driving circumstances on roads for the users of our customers, the most important thing is to keep its pavement condition in a desirable service level. We have launched E-Nexco, which measures pavement conditions such as cracks, rutting and international roughness index (IRI) with a speed of up to 100 km per hour at night. E-Nexco Eye is an output of India and Nexco East.”

E-Nexco Eye, a joint product is made using Japan’s state-of-the-art technologies and assembled in India.

The inauguration ceremony was held Thursday at the Toll Plaza of Delhi Agra Toll Road, owned by Cube Highways, which helped develop and introduce E-Nexco Eye.

Dr. Reddy, CEO, Cube Highways and Transportation Assets Advisors, said, “It took five years since I first visited Japan and Miyairi and other Nexco members showed us Japan’s expressways around. We are so impressed by the good expressways that are very well maintained. I thought we want this machine with high technologies used in Japan to improve road quality and achieve the efficient maintenance of the road surface in India.”

Miyairi added, “I am quite confident that E-Nexco Eye will make significant changes to road maintenance procedures. I strongly believe, as a result, that E-Nexco Eye will contribute to upgrading the quality of life, economy, and society in India.”

The International Roughness Index (IRI) values are calculated by measuring the longitudinal profile of roads using lasers and a gyro. The company said E-Nexco Eye could measure the profile via three survey lines, i.e. Outer/Between/Inner wheel path, simultaneously.

It said a longitudinal profile with a 1-mm interval is output from E-NEXCO Eye. The calculated IRI values maintain accuracy of more than 95 per cent compared with Class-1 equipment, it claimed.

The company pointed out that the colour line-sensor cameras can continuously take high-precision colour images of pavement surfaces with a width of 4.5 metres. Maintaining a resolution of 1 pixel per square mm can detect cracks, potholes, and any other defects on the surface even less than 1mm width of cracks.

E-Nexco Eye is mounted with 3D scanning cameras that allow it to measure the height of pavement in the transverse direction at 1 mm intervals across a width of 4 metres, permitting not just calculating rutting depth but also identifying road surface contours, the release said.

It said the product is equipped with a rotating patrolling light, allowing for safe measurement at night. The message signboard can display multiple information for road users.

ENI was established in November 2019 as the Indian subsidiary of East Nippon Expressway Company, a Japanese government-owned company engaging in the development, management, operation and maintenance of expressways in the eastern part of Japan. (MT)

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Force Motors, India's largest van maker, reported a strong 59 percent YoY growth in domestic wholesale for November 2025, as compared to last year.

The company attributed the surge in sales to the rapid scaling of the Urbania and Trax platforms, both of which now contribute a higher share to overall volumes. Trax, in particular, has benefited from the recent GST rationalisation on rural mobility categories, which has improved affordability and accelerated replacement demand across rural and semi-urban markets.

Traveller, the company’s people-mobility platform, continues to anchor volumes with consistency and year-to-date growth, while the Monobus recorded sustained traction through increased institutional and state transport requirements.

For April to November 2025, Force Motors registered a 23 percent year-to-date growth, driven by adoption of new-generation platforms and improved demand across core customer segments.

Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors, said, “We are pleased with the sustainable growth in our domestic sales, which reflects the strong customer confidence in our range of reliable and robust vehicles. While domestic wholesales grew by 59 percent in November 2025, overall volumes were moderated by expected fluctuations in export dispatches, which typically vary based on shipment cycles across international markets. Despite this, total wholesales still registered a strong 53 percent YoY increase, underscoring the company’s resilient growth trajectory”.

The company continues to see rising demand across key sectors including rural transportation, staff carriers and goods movement. Force Motors remains committed to innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring performance and low total cost of ownership.

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Montra Electric, the clean mobility brand of the Murugappa Group, has marked its entry into the northern markets with the Montra Electric E-27 tractor at the EIMA Agrimach India 2025 exhibition.

The E-27 is stated to be India’s first ARAI-certified electric tractor and delivers 27 HP equivalent power and 90 Nm torque through a high-efficiency PMSM motor, enabling performance in plowing, tilling, spraying and haulage. The e-tractor comes with 2WD and 4WD drivetrain options.

The E-27 is now available for purchase in 17 dealerships across 10 states, with prices starting from INR 1.07 million (ex-showroom).

Its 22.37 kWh LFP prismatic-cell battery pack offers a runtime of approximately 4.5 hours with a charging time of 2.15 hours. The E-27 is ARAI certified, confirming its compliance with national standards for safety, reliability and performance.

The tractor features an 8F + 2R side-shift transmission, a dual-speed PTO (540 and 1000 rpm) and a 720 kg hydraulic lifting capacity. Economically, the E-27 reduces operating costs by up to 70 percent due to no diesel consumption and lower maintenance requirements, resulting in lifetime savings nearing INR one million compared to conventional diesel models. The quiet operation and reduced vibration improve operator comfort.

Harish Prasad, CEO, Montra Electric Tractors, said, “The expansion into the northern markets with our Montra Electric E-27 tractor is a pivotal milestone for us and a major step in India’s clean-mobility and agricultural transformation. Agriculture is the largest consumer of tractors, which makes electrification essential for achieving meaningful sustainability at scale. The E-27 reflects our broader vision of building clean, accessible, and future-ready mobility solutions. By bringing zero-emission technology to India’s farmlands, we are aligning our mission of sustainable mobility with the nation’s long-term environmental and economic priorities. Farmers can now embrace cutting-edge technology without compromising productivity, while substantially reducing their total cost of ownership.”

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Piaggio Vehicles, a subsidiary of the Piaggio Group, has launched two new diesel cargo three-wheelers in India – the Ape Xtra Bada 700 and the Ape Xtra 600 priced at INR 345,000 and INR 288,000 (ex-showroom Maharashtra), respectively.

The new three-wheelers are designed to strengthen the company’s position in the last-mile cargo sector and compete with entry-level four-wheel cargo small commercial vehicles (SCVs).

The Ape Xtra Bada 700 introduces features intended to set new industry standards in the three-wheeler cargo category. It features the company's 700 DI diesel engine, providing pulling power and enhanced torque. The vehicle debuts India's first 7 feet cargo deck, allowing for larger and longer loads. It offers a segment-best 750 kg payload capacity, the largest in any three-wheeler cargo vehicle. Other features include a new platform, a digital cluster, 12-inch radial tyres, a new cab and an industry warranty of five years.

The new Ape Xtra 600 features Piaggio's newly developed 600 DI diesel engine, offering improved mileage, better gradeability, and enhanced load-carrying performance. The vehicle is positioned as a reliable and efficient option at an accessible price point.

Diego Graffi, Chairman & Managing Director, Piaggio Vehicles, said, “At Piaggio India, we have always believed in pushing the boundaries of innovation in the last-mile mobility segment. The Ape Xtra Bada 700 is a landmark product that disrupts the cargo 3-wheeler category with industry-first features in engine capacity, deck size and payload. It is designed to empower customers with more productivity and superior earnings. Alongside, the Ape Xtra 600 continues our commitment to delivering efficient, high-value solutions. With these new diesel cargo products, we strengthen our Ape legacy and reiterate our focus on customer-centric engineering.”

Amit Sagar, Executive Vice-President, CV Domestic Business & Retail Finance, Piaggio Vehicles, added, “Cargo mobility demands are changing rapidly, with customers expecting higher power, higher payload, better comfort, and stronger performance. The Ape Xtra Bada 700 addresses all these needs with a fresh, powerful new platform and several industry-firsts that directly enhance profitability for customers. It provides the most efficient, economical, and affordable option for a Cargo 3W and provides a compelling alternate to the four-wheeler cargo vehicles with an advantageous Opeco and TCO. The Ape Xtra 600 also brings improved capabilities to our strong diesel cargo portfolio. We are confident that these products will further strengthen our leadership in the cargo three-wheeler market.”

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IVECO, a manufacturer in alternative propulsion, has demonstrated the endurance of its gas-powered heavy vehicles with the IVECO S-Way CNG truck travelling over 1,000 kilometres on one refill of compressed natural gas (CNG).

The test was carried out under real-world conditions by French journalists Fabien Calvet and Loic Fieux, driving between the Belgian and Spanish borders. The tractor unit towed a loaded curtain-sided semi-trailer with a gross combination weight of 30 tonnes, confirming the S-Way CNG’s efficiency and viability for daily operations. The result showed an average consumption of below 21 kg / 100 km over the distance, combined with quick refuelling.

The truck's gas engine is said to have delivered smooth, responsive and quiet performance, with handling comparable to a diesel model. The journalists noted the vehicle's high-performance engine brake and intarder hydraulic retarder offered strong braking, while the full air suspension enhanced driving comfort.

The model tested uses the xCursor 13 engine by FPT Industrial, producing 500 hp and 2,200 Nm of torque. This engine is designed to meet future Euro VII emissions standards and is paired with a second-generation ZF TraXon 12-speed automated gearbox.

The vehicle was equipped with new 620-litre tanks, providing a total capacity of 1,240 litres equivalent to at least 190 kg of CNG. This capacity represents an 18 percent increase over the previous generation.

IVECO utilised multiple systems to maximise fuel efficiency:

• Predictive GPS systems worked to recover kinetic energy on downhill sections and adjust engine speed ahead of climbs.
• Intelligent energy management features, including a controlled alternator and a dis-engageable air compressor, ensure energy is only consumed when necessary.
• Aerodynamic improvements such as deflectors, side fairings and mirror-cams help to reduce drag.

The gas-powered trucks offer a transport solution that is both sustainable and cost-effective, supported by an established European refuelling network. Operators can utilise the approximately 4,300 bioLNG and 800 BioCNG stations currently in operation.

When running on biomethane, which is produced from organic waste, the trucks can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by an average of 95 percent, alongside lower fine particle and nitrogen oxide emissions compared to diesel. The European gas refuelling network is set to expand further, with 50 new stations scheduled to open in 2026.

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