[TusharK]

According to reports released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles), and IHS Markit, Ashok Leyland rose to no.3 in the global bus manufacturer's list for 2019.



According to Ashok Leyland, it sold 23,100 buses in CY 2019. The company claims to be the first to introduce features such as power steering and air brakes in buses in India. The company also claims to have built the country’s first rear engine bus and double decker bus.

Ashok Leyland's range of buses includes the JanBus, which is said to be the world's first single step entry, front engine, fully flat floor bus. The company also builds the Sunshine, which is a plug-in hybrid CNG bus and the electric bus called Circuit.

Link to Team-BHP News

[vibbs]

That's an interesting news.
Where all does Ashok Leyland sell?
Are the sales majorly from India, or is there another country where they are considered a major manufacturer?

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by vibbs

That's an interesting news.
Where all does Ashok Leyland sell?
Are the sales majorly from India, or is there another country where they are considered a major manufacturer?

Srilanka, I'd guess. They are a major player in the middle east for the employee transportation & school bus segment as well. I believe they have operations in Africa as well (not sure.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by vibbs

That's an interesting news.
Where all does Ashok Leyland sell?

Here in TN, its hard to find an non-AC bus that is not Ashok Leyland! Both government/private players love this brand.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Srilanka, I'd guess. They are a major player in the middle east for the employee transportation & school bus segment as well. I believe they have operations in Africa as well (not sure.

Oh yes. Sri Lanka. I remember seeing a lot of them in Colombo.

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Here in TN, its hard to find an non-AC bus that is not Ashok Leyland! Both government/private players love this brand.

Actually I meant outside India.

[SmartCat]

That's because average price of buses sold by Indian companies is significantly lower than its international peers. Similarly:

- M&M is the largest tractor manufacturer in the world.
- Hero Motocorp is the largest two wheeler manufacturer in the world.
- United Spirts + United Breweries is the largest alcoholic beverages maker in the world
- ITC is Asia's largest cigarette maker.

But when it comes to revenues, Indian companies rarely get into top 10.

[efuture]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The company also builds the Sunshine, which is a plug-in hybrid CNG bus and the electric bus called Circuit.

Link to Team-BHP News

When did Ashok Leyland announced plug-in hybrid CNG version of Sunshine, they do not have any electric vehicle other than regular 9/10M bus. Also they have recently signed MOU with ABB for 600kW ultra fast charging(Link below). Other than circuit there is no other news about any electric vehicle from Ashok leyland.

https://taas.news/article/110139/Ash...Electric_Buses

Force motors showcased a 15+ seater electric van. I think that is the only electric/hybrid vehicle in mini van/mini bus segment in India.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by binaiks

Srilanka, I'd guess. They are a major player in the middle east for the employee transportation & school bus segment as well. I believe they have operations in Africa as well (not sure.

I have definitely seen them in droves (it was like every other bus was an Ashok Leyland) in Abidjan, definitely spotted a large number in Maputo and Mombasa. Seen a few trucks in SA also.

China has conquered Africa but India is a decent second when it comes to Indian brands there

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by efuture

Force motors showcased a 15+ seater electric van. I think that is the only electric/hybrid vehicle in mini van/mini bus segment in India.

Realty check - who else, apart from Force, has a reasonable models to seat 14+ -20 passengers?
After the 7 seater SUV / MUVs, only viable vehicle is the Trax. (The rest have minuscule volumes). And then passenger body on truck chassis offerings whose DNA can be traced to Nissan, Eicher or Mitsubhishi.



AL had some articulated vehicles, low entry models and at least two passenger vehicle oriented chassis starting from 1970s. It is the Excise duty structure which encouraged, literally, custom fabrication of bus bodies that held back real growth in HCVs in India. It is the mandate of the Bus Code and not taxation reform that has encouraged better passenger comforts nowadays.
Real progress in HCV / passenger market will happen only when we have integrated units to manufacture passenger & / or goods vehicles.

[ChiragM]

Originally Posted by vibbs

Where all does Ashok Leyland sell?

Ashok Leyland buses ply in many parts of the world including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ghana. Outside India, the company has bus manufacturing facilities in UAE as well as in England. The England facility is operated under Optare Bus, which is a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland.

According to this 2018 report, Chinese bus maker Yutong is the world’s largest bus manufacturer followed by King Long, another Chinese bus maker. Daimler came third. Looks like Ashok Leyland overtook Daimler to take third spot.

[efuture]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Realty check - who else, apart from Force, has a reasonable models to seat 14+ -20 passengers?
After the 7 seater SUV / MUVs, only viable vehicle is the Trax. (The rest have minuscule volumes). And then passenger body on truck chassis offerings whose DNA can be traced to Nissan, Eicher or Mitsubhishi.

True, but the volume in the 13 to 26 seater segment is around 2000 per months which is very less. Force motors has tempo traveller and trax with multiple variants to fulfill this requirement. It is really hard for other manufacturer to enter this segment especially considering the sate at which force motors are at the moment with monocoque chassis. No other commercial vehicle manufacturer in India has expertise in monocoque LCV

https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/f...707022132.html

[Rajat347]

Actually AL has a huge presence in TN and Kerala. Its hard to find any other brand there.
They say that AL is powered by Hino engines and are longer in length. Hence they are best suited for planes.
Where as Tata is powered by cummins engine which has a greater torque and the buses are shorter in length. So one will find hardly any AL bus in North India. Infact I have never seen an AL bus in Jammu and Himachal. The terrain is conquered by Tata and Tata.

[nasa_hubble]

Originally Posted by Rajat347

So one will find hardly any AL bus in North India. Infact I have never seen an AL bus in Jammu and Himachal. The terrain is conquered by Tata and Tata.

Ashok Leyland buses are run by Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan state road transport in significant numbers, not to forget the Delhi Low-floor buses run by DTC.

They also have a plant in Rajasthan.

[SandyX]

Originally Posted by Rajat347

Actually AL has a huge presence in TN and Kerala. Its hard to find any other brand there.
They say that AL is powered by Hino engines and are longer in length. Hence they are best suited for planes.
Where as Tata is powered by cummins engine which has a greater torque and the buses are shorter in length. So one will find hardly any AL bus in North India. Infact I have never seen an AL bus in Jammu and Himachal. The terrain is conquered by Tata and Tata.

Actually IMO it's the opposite. AL with its Hino engines is known for the torque while Cummins powered Tata is considered high speed which makes them suitable for plains. From what I've experienced crisscrossing Kerala terrain, I tend to believe that. The throaty ALs always made quick work of the inclines while the Tatas screamed their way up eventually.

There's definitely a preference for Leyland there for mountain routes. In fact, I always preferred traveling in them for the throaty growl to that annoying Tata whine. I'm not putting any numbers out to back anything but that's how I felt.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Rajat347

They say that AL is powered by Hino engines and are longer in length. Hence they are best suited for planes.

The STUs in the south - the two states you mentioned, believe the opposite. Both TN and Kerala STUs prefer keeping the Leylands for the ghats, and the Tatas are relegated to duty in the coast/plains.