Miron Thoms Vice President and Head, Volvo Penta India. In an interview With B2B Purchase.

Please brief about the latest solutions range of products offered by Volvo Penta? 

Volvo Penta has modular engine concept with 5 engine models – 5L, 8L, 11L, 13L and 16L. All these engine models and its corresponding power ratings are available with various emission certifications like Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4f/BS CEV IV and Stage V. Fixed speed engine options are available for generator manufacturers. In 2022, we will launch a 250 to 300kVA engines, Made in India, for the Indian and global market.

How is Volvo Penta encouraging smarter & greener technology solutions? 

As a part of the Volvo Group, Volvo Penta has the benefit of the strength and experience from the development and technological innovations from all other companies within the group. Our collective ambition is to offer our customers the most competitive, sustainable and environment friendly solutions when it comes to electromobility and fossil free alternative fuels. This ambition gathers strength from already proven electromobility technology from Volvo Trucks, Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Buses. Volvo is one of the world leaders within advanced electrification and hybrid technology, with electric power concepts that have undergone hundreds of thousands of testing hours and real-world use. Today, we already contribute to a greener India as all of our products are emission controlled despite the legal requirements.

What are the unique features of your solutions range that makes Volvo Penta as a most preferred? 

Our engines share several high-technology design features like compact design and market leading high power to weight ratio, electronically controlled engine control system and waste-gate turbocharger for increased block load acceptance, excellent performance with peak torque at low engine speed. All these features contribute to optimised total cost of operations. The top USPs for our engines are high reliability owing to our high-quality standards; less down time due to longer service intervals and excellent fuel efficiency. On the aftertreatment side, Volvo Penta use its proven Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to meet stringent BS CEV IV emission regulations. The SCR only technology is the most simple and efficient solution available and is maintenance free.

How is your organisation responding to the customised client requirements? How are you catering to their needs? 

Characterised by the high performance, reliability, fuel efficiency, and low emission levels, our engines for industrial applications are built to be versatile and can cover almost any application use within the industrial segment. We offer a wide range of value-adding, beneficial factors such as the engine installation commonality and vital aftermarket support – with engineering support on site when needed, even in remote locations.

We have optional equipments like heavy duty cooling packages, heavy duty air filter, heavy duty cables, AC compressors, multiple PTO options, remote filter options, engine brakes and many more. Together with our application engineering team and the OEM the engine configuration and installation will be defined together and customised. Also, we can offer tailor made service market solutions so that end customers benefit from the highest machine uptime.

Looking at the market opportunities and the push towards infrastructural development, what plans you have to encash the opportunities? Today Indian customers are focusing more and more on “Total cost of Operations” rather than initial costs as over a period of 5 years almost 95 percent of total cost of operation is ascribed to fuel cost alone. Volvo Penta has been pushing the TCO concept from long and will further help understand the benefits of same to end customers and OEMs. Considering high fuel efficiency, reliability and longer service intervals, Volvo Penta engines stand tall in view of TCO. We are supporting and supplying all major Indian OEMs that participate in infrastructural development.

How do you see the transitions from fossil fuel to Hybrid & Electric solutions? 

How Volvo Penta is complementing this shift? Depending on the application, the drive cycle and the location of operation different needs should be considered. The combustion engine has also a place in future concepts but instead of fossil fuels, fossil free fuels will be utilised. Smaller and more locally operating applications will shift earlier to an electric driveline. If battery driven or hydrogen powered with a fuel cell will be depending on local availability of electricity or hydrogen. 

At Volvo Penta we’re fully dedicated to innovations and new solutions – the development of sustainable power and electromobility. Working together with our customers, we leverage the knowledge and proven technology of the entire Volvo Group to move towards an electric power future. At Volvo Penta we are seeing ourselves as a leading supplier of sustainable driveline solutions. 

Meet Volvo Penta industry experts during the EXCON at Volvo Stall