First-Ever Cat On-Road Trucks to Launch in October

13/10/2010

Caterpillar and Navistar Joint Venture, NC2, Targets Australia for First On-Highway Vehicles

TULLAMARINE, Victoria, Australia, 8 October, 2010 .The first-ever Cat® on-road trucks will be available in October by NC2 Global LLC, the global joint venture between Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) and Navistar Inc. (NYSE: NAV).

The new trucks - the Cat CT 610 and CT 630 - are expressly designed and optimised for the Australian market and are being assembled at NC2’s manufacturing facility in Tullamarine, Victoria.

A view down the chassis line at the Caterpillar Assembly line in Tullamarine, Victoria

In a multi-million-dollar conversion overseen by Ted Pulver, NC2 manufacturing operations manager in Australia, the assembly facility, which was formerly used for production of Cat earth-moving equipment, has rapidly changed over to production of the first-ever Cat on-road vehicles.
“We have come a long way since NC2 was initially formed in September 2009” said Jeff Tyzack, General Manager of Sales and Marketing for NC2 in Australia. “Now we are building Cat trucks in Australia, for Australian conditions".
The NC2 team has also moved quickly to prepare a network of Cat dealers who will sell and service the vehicles. The Cat dealers, operating initially in 54 locations, were selected based on market coverage, service orientation, experience with servicing Cat engines, and commitment to the on-highway truck market.

Cat CT 610 Trucks in production at Tullamarine, Victoria, Australia

“We have established an NC2 Australian team that is addressing every aspect of customer needs” Tyzack said. “Along with engineering and production, the NC2 team includes staff focused on sales, marketing, parts, service, finance and dealer operations. The team is working together to build a business model that is geared to the Australian market, and especially to the needs of the Australian customer"
Tyzack provided an update on the Cat CT 610 and CT 630. Both vehicles are conventional prime movers and will be available in day-cab and extended-cab options:

·        The CT 610 has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 24.5 tonne and a gross combination mass (GCM) of up to 57 tonne. It will be powered by the Cat C13 engine, which is rated up to 470 HP at 2100 rpm and 1,650 ft-lb at 1,200 rpm.

·        The CT 630 also has a GVM of 24.5 tonne, and provides a GCM of 72 tonne, with an optional 90 tonne rating. It will be powered by the Cat C15 engine, which is rated at 550 hp at 1,800 rpm and 1,850 ft-lb at 1,200 rpm.

Both vehicles are equipped with 18-speed manual gearboxes.

“We have left nothing to chance with the world launch of the CT 610 and CT 630” Tyzack said. “We are proud that the world.s first on-road Cat trucks are being launched in Australia, built in Australia, and manufactured to Australian customer’s specifications”

About NC2 Global LLC

NC2 Global LLC is a 50/50 joint venture between Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) and Navistar Inc. (NYSE: NAV) which will develop, manufacture and distribute commercial trucks globally, outside North America and India. NC2.s product line will feature both conventional and cab-over truck designs and will be sold under both the Cat and International® brands. More information is available at www.nc2.com