Imagine a vehicle that requires stairs to climb into the driver’s seat. This gigantic behemoth of a vehicle is something humankind has barely ever seen before. While Transportation Design has pushed its design limits and reached places far and away, the Tata Hitachi 3500 AC3 truly takes the cake in this regard. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the complex design process of this complicated machinery – a testament to man-made invention.
If the Tata Ace is a shark in the ocean, visualize the Tata Hitachi 3500 AC3 as Godzilla lying deep inside the ocean. The size comparison is mind-boggling. To begin with, this mammoth vehicle has a 50,000 cc engine, and it weighs 322 tonnes. That’s equivalent to 65 elephants. Of course, one of the first and the biggest questions that the amount of weight would raise is, ‘How will the vehicle carry that much weight? How will it move with that much weight?’
To understand the motion of this vehicle, we need to learn about its large engines and numerous cylinders that provide the required torque. But before that, let’s learn about the tyres that provide support to this vehicle. These are the 3700R57 tyres, each 3 meters tall, and they contain 35 fastening nuts. The tyres have a compound grip that makes them soft enough to find a grip with the land, but also strong enough to carry this incredible load. The weight of each tyre is 3 tonnes, that too for the rubber part and without the rim.
The other element that helps bear the weight of the truck is its suspension. The Hitachi 3500 is a single-strut helium and air suspension that takes the load of this truck. The disc brake doesn’t do much of the braking in this vehicle. Next comes the engine, which has a 50.3 litre capacity. There are a total of 16 cylinders in the V, and it is a quad-turbo setup. There are 4 turbos, each with 2 channels. This is what allows this vehicle to gulp in massive amounts of air and churn out 2000 horsepower. The truck also has a torque of up to 7671 Newton-meters.
An engine of such massive size will also require an enormous amount of fuel to function properly and provide the motor force. Hence, the tank capacity is 3600 litres. But the main engine isn’t the only engine this truck has. It is also designed to fit another 50-liter 16-cylinder engine up front, under the truck. Behind the engine, there is also a gearbox. The truck also has a 3-phase generator.
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So what happens is that the diesel engine makes the power, which then turns the alternator. The alternator makes current and sends it back to the rear motors. And this is how the truck is driven, without the presence of any gearbox or differential. For such a heavy vehicle, it is actually a super-efficient method of driving. A differential is a system of gears that allows the wheels on the same axle to rotate at different speeds while cornering. Its main function is to deliver engine power to the wheels and accommodate the different rotational speeds required for smooth and stable turns. It is an essential feature for any large vehicle.
Speaking of it, there is something at the rear end of the truck that looks like a differential. Except, it’s not. It’s where the two electric motors are situated, one on each side. The back side of the truck opens up, allowing an entrance. Inside it are kept two disc-like objects, which are actually the ‘Parking Brakes’. Behind the Parking Brakes lie the AC Motors. The Hitachi 3500 AC3 also has 3 exhaust outlets. Two of them are in white, and there is the 3rd one at the edge of the loading bay that heats the tray. There are 4 bulbous entities that look like headlights, but are indeed Air Filters. They are placed 2 on each side. Underneath that lie the dust collectors, where the dust drips out.
Now, when it’s time to drive the vehicle, one needs to climb up a ladder as mentioned above. The ladder runs diagonally across the radiator. Before one starts operating the vehicle, they need to check the cameras installed inside the vehicle. The front camera allows you to change the modes with these buttons, see what’s around you, and get a clear picture of it after increasing the brightness. There is another camera made especially for the rear end of the vehicle.
The digital instrument panel in front is designed to display the maximum RPM of the engine, i.e., 2100 RPM. It can, however, go up to 2500 RPM as per the dial. The speedometer shows that the vehicle can go up to 80 kmph, but realistically, it will be around 55 kmph at maximum. The speed of the vehicle is where this truck operates, opposite to most lightweight vehicles, where the speed can rise to 250-300 kmp.
There is an accelerator, a brake, and a separate brake for the discs. The separate brake is labeled ‘Hydraulic Brakes’. Now, unlike a normal electric or hybrid car, when you apply the brake, you get regen, and then the friction builds up. This monstrous vehicle, however, has two brakes. Hence, to drive the vehicle, we need to release the parking brake with our foot on it, select forward, and then gently add a bit of power. The vehicle starts to move slowly, even without using 10% of the throttle.
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As per one of the drivers of this vehicle, one who made the video for the YouTube channel ‘Autocar India,’ the feeling of driving this vehicle is very unnerving, scary, and the fact that he is sitting 2-3 storeys above ground makes it disorienting for him.
The design of the vehicle is so smartly done that the electric motors make it accelerate, but the power delivery is very linear. You rev the 16-cylinder engine more, and it moves forward smartly. You rev it less, and that’s the amount of power you get. The feeling of zero transmission and zero differential in this vehicle is almost negligible, and it’s all happening through electric motors. The entire system is seamless and a very impressive feat of design.
Unlike most vehicles, this truck has a massive full-length mirror fitted on its right side, which is helpful in making turns. This also makes visibility very good on the left side of the vehicle. The steering wheel is very smooth, as it can hardly be felt in the hands. Driving this vehicle has repeatedly been described as steering a ship in ocean waters. Although the engine’s red line is at 2100 RPM, an 800 RPM is all you need to drive this vehicle. At 1200 RPM, there is a huge ramp-up in performance.
Overall, the Tata Hitachi 3500 AC3 is quite easy to operate once you understand the size, the performance, the power, the brakes, the width, the height, and all the other factors. The momentum is especially important. It is massive, efficient, high-tech, and a perfect fit for the job of hauling nearly 200 tons.
But just like with most vehicles that are designed to perfection but still show up a few flaws, the Tata Hitachi 3500 AC3 is no different. A vehicle of this enormous size and payload cannot really provide a very comfortable ride. The cabin often feels like it’s moving around a bit. This truck actually has a pitch control stabilizer when it comes to ride. So, it’s a bit flatter than its rivals.
Tata Hitachi CEO and Managing Director Sandeep Singh believes that they can now assemble this machine at the Kharagpur plant, alongside their already-existing Dharwad plant. Their core competence is in making excavators, and they can make excavators ranging from 2 tonnes to up to 120 tonnes in weight. That is a huge array of weighted vehicles in their range. All these vehicles are localized in India.
The Tata Hitachi 3500 AC3 costs nearly INR 20 crores, and even if you can afford to buy one as a citizen, there is no way you can drive it anywhere. That is, unless you are inside a quarry or mine.
The EH 3500 AC3 is a machine that distorts reality. It is basically as large and as formidable as an apartment block on wheels; it combines diesel, electric, hybrid, tech, massive size, and weight into the same equation seamlessly. It is an extreme machine that is both a feat in engineering and transportation design.
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