Oct 25, 2010 2:52 PM

The first-ever Cat on-road trucks will be launched in October by NC2 Global LLC, the global joint venture between Caterpillar Inc and Navistar Inc. The new trucks—the Cat CT 610 and CT 630—are designed for the Australian market and are being assembled at NC2’s manufacturing facility 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 changed over to production of the first Cat on-road vehicles.

The NC2 team has also prepared a network of Cat dealers that 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.

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 tonnes and a gross combination mass (GCM) of up to 57 tonnes. It will be powered by the Cat C13 engine, which is rated at 470 hp at 2100 rpm and 1,650 ft-lb at 1,200 rpm.

•The CT 630 also has a GVM of 24.5 tonnes, 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. More information is available at www.nc2.com.