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Piaggio Greaves to export its three-wheelers made in Maharashtra

Piaggio Greaves Vehicles Limited, a joint venture of Piaggio and C Spa of Italy and Greaves of India, will set up a global sourcing manufacturing unit at Aurangabad in Maharashtra to produce multi-utility three-wheelers.

Company managing director Ravi Chopra, who was in Bangalore to launch the "Ape" range of multi-utility three wheelers, told newsmen today that the 750 kg and one tonner capacity models for international market with indigenious engine with 422 cc capacity would be manufactured in the new plant.

He said the target markets were southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and Sri Lanka. The company would also look after the servicing requirement after sales in these areas except Europe, he added.

The present manufacturing unit at Baramati, also in Maharahstra, has the capacity to produce 25,000 units per annum now.

The first of the tri-wheelers were launched in the country in July last at Pune, followed by Hyderabad and Delhi. The same model was launched at London in July this year. Piaggio has a 51 per cent holding and the rest is held by Greaves in this venture.

On the tri-wheeler domestic market, he said it was expected to grow at the rate of 15 to 20 per cent annually and the company was likely to touch a target of 10,000 units sale during the current year and 25,000 vehicles by next year-end.

He said Ape-600 was the diesel-tri-wheeler with a four-stroke engine having 395 cc capacity and came in three variants. All the three, the passenger, delivery and pick-up models, were fuel- efficient and have a most advanced breaking system and good road grip.

The company was planning to double the service network from the present 288 centres during the year to improve the after-sales requirements. The tri-wheelers were priced in the range of Rs 65,000 to Rs 85,000 (ex-works) based on the model. It would also take up custom-built orders to suit the requirement of the customer, he said.

UNI

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