JCB, market leader in the Indian construction equipment (CE) and earthmoving space, has launched the industry’s first dual-fuel CNG backhoe loader in the country. Called the JCB 3DX DFi, the new machine can operate on CNG and diesel simultaneously using a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) technology.
The machine was launched at New Delhi by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, who has been a leading voice for the development of construction machinery that uses alternative fuels and an inspiration on CNG interventions in CE vehicles.
The utilisation of alternative fuels is a significant step-change in the CE vehicle Sector. Since the JCB 3DX DFi operates on a mixture of CNG and diesel, there is a substantial drop in particulate emission. This also leads to a reduction of proportionate CO2 emissions.
CNG is also more economical and helps lower the operating costs to the end customer. With the global concern on environment and sustainability, JCB is committed to supporting the cause through the launch of this dual-fuel CNG backhoe loader. The machine has been developed in India and has been tested in various operating conditions before its launch. It will be built at the company’s Delhi-NCR factory at Ballabgarh.
Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Shetty, JCB India’s CEO and Managing Director, said: “Throughout our four decades of operations in India, we have continued to invest in Innovation. It is one of the cornerstones of our operations. This dual-fuel machine can substitute diesel with CNG and has been developed to cater to the evolving needs of our customers. It will further contribute to the creation of Infrastructure in the country and will also be exported to countries around the world”.
The dual-fuel CNG backhoe loader is based on the same 3DX model which is well established in the Indian market. It offers flexible fuelling, which will help customers sustain in remote areas, where a CNG refilling point is unavailable.
Deepak Shetty further said: “JCB has been working on this project with the inputs of our customers, dealers and suppliers. These machines have been tested at actual customer sites across various geographies and terrains and feedback has been incorporated in the development of the product”.
JCB has one of the widest dealer networks in the country. Engineers at its 60+ dealers and more than 700 outlets are trained and with adequate parts stock at each of its locations. This ensures customers get professional product support. The machine will also come fitted with JCB’s advanced telematics technology – JCB LiveLink. Through this, machines can be tracked and monitored in real-time. This technology also gives updates on Service, Operations and Security of the machine, online or through a mobile application.
Till date, approximately 1,60,000 LiveLink-enabled JCB machines have been sold. They can be geo-fenced, time-fenced and can be located through GPS. Customers get to know about the machine’s health, fuel level, battery conditions, etc., almost all critical parameters of their fleet on their mobile devices. It also gives out service reminders and the history of the machine.
JCB India has further integrated digital technology into its operations through the JCB Genuine Parts application. This enables customers to order parts online for their JCB machines. Further, an internal tool, Smart Serve has been developed to help dealerships support engineers to improve efficiency and productivity and also reach customers in remote areas, thus helping in machine uptime.