Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG (Daimler Truck), announced the market launch of the BharatBenz heavy-duty truck (HDT) range equipped with the globally-proven 12-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) by bagging the first order of 80 units 3532CM mining tippers to a single customer. BharatBenz, known for its highly capable construction and mining heavy-duty range, strengthened its product portfolio by adding ‘Torqshift’ to the mix. Named as ‘Torqshift’ for the BharatBenz range, the 12-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) has earned its stripes globally in hundreds of thousands of Mercedes-Benz trucks. Known for making driving easy, the transmission will be available in the latest BharatBenz models including the 4032T, 5532TS, 5532T, 2832CM, and the flagship model 3532CM. Sreeram Venkateswaran, President and Chief Business Officer commented, “Heavy-duty Construction and Mining (CM) trucks are one of our strengths and we have considerable presence in this space. With the new 12-speed AMT in our CM portfolio, the customers will see a significant benefit in productivity improvement in their operations and notable savings as the overall fleet efficiency will go up. The deliveries for the 3532CM BharatBenz Torqshift trucks have started and vehicles are already being deployed in operations. We will offer AMT in Tractor Trailers (TT) as well, which will not only enhance the productivity of the vehicles, but play a critical role in improving road safety as well. This is a segment we foresee growing steadily and with road infrastructure rapidly shaping up, BharatBenz Torqshift range will add a lot of value to our long-haul logistics customers. Our AMT technology, adapted from Mercedes-Benz trucks, delivers consistently on the total cost of ownership equation. It is ideally engineered to suit Indian conditions to offer incredible value through our Mining Tippers, Surface Tippers and Tractor Trailers.” BharatBenz Torqshift range offers superior driving comfort with its smooth, jerk-free gear shifting and significantly faster shift times, which greatly enhances the vehicle’s drivability. Integration of the shift lever into the steering column not only improves the ergonomics within the cabin but also contributes to better isolation of noise and heat, ensuring a more comfortable drive. Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan, President and Chief Technology Officer, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles said, “The 12-speed AMT is a big triumph for us at India Product Engineering as we achieved our goal to introduce this transmission in our BharatBenz portfolio after meticulous planning and adaptive engineering, ensuring minimal cost of development. A global technology like the Mercedes-Benz AMT, seamlessly integrated in our BharatBenz Torqshift range of trucks, keeps in mind our customers’ needs in the market. This technology is designed to reduce driving stress and to ensure a faster turnaround with significantly higher fuel efficiency. Torqshift is engineered to minimize maintenance, significantly improving the total cost of ownership for our customers. This aligns perfectly with our intent to deliver not only well-engineered and safe products, but also ones that add tremendous value to our customers’ businesses. Engineered to accommodate heavy-duty requirements in the Indian construction and mining segments and long-haul, the Torqshift range has a wider selection of gear ratios and higher input torque capacity, making the BharatBenz trucks ideally suited for handling gross combination weights (GCW) from 28 to 55 tonnes. This robust performance is complemented by an innovative design that eliminates the need for synchromesh parts, enhancing reliability and reducing the need for frequent overhauls. Its compact and lightweight alloy housing offers optimal mounting and an ideal power-to-weight ratio. Designed for extended service intervals and reduced operating costs, the Torqshift’s fuel-efficient design is optimized for specific operational conditions, thereby lowering the total cost of ownership. Safety is also a key feature, with powertrain protection systems controlled by software that reduce the chance of driveline component damage in demanding operating conditions. Additionally, the best-in-class shifting mechanism enables very smooth gear transitions, promoting maximum driving comfort and safety across multiple driving modes like auto, manual, power and eco.