TVS Motor Company, on Monday, launched its new 200cc, four-stroke engine CNG auto-rickshaw — TVS King ZS — priced at Rs. 1.24 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It also announced its intention to launch diesel auto-rickshaws as part of its strategy to grow in the domestic market. The company, which started export of its three-wheelers a couple of months back, is also exploring to venture into new markets like Bangladesh, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala. “Our next plan is to enter the diesel passenger market in the auto-rickshaw category of three-wheelers and we should be able to accomplish this within the next 18-24 months,” President (Marketing) H. S. Goindi told reporters here.
He said the company already had a presence in two-Stroke and four-Stroke engine segments in petrol, LPG and CNG variants. The diesel three-wheeler would target the semi-urban and rural markets, he said.
About exports, K. Srinivasan, Vice-President (Sales & Service), three-wheeler, said “We have just started exports to select countries like Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Egypt and our aim is to sell at least 10,000 units in the overseas markets next fiscal.”
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It hoped to end this fiscal with domestic sales of 18,000-20,000 units of three-wheelers and take it to 30,000 units in 2010-11, he added. The company’s three-wheeler facility at Hosur has an installed capacity of one lakh units annually and Mr. Srinivasan said it was looking at increasing the capacity utilisation of the plant.