The current two-wheelers emit 4-5 times more NOx than a petrol powered car in India and hence the government wants to implement BS-IV norms that will lead to reduction in fuel efficiency.
Delhi (Where “aaja meri gaadi mein baith jaa” is socially acceptable for the next 14 days) raised some alarming concerns about the air pollution crises in the country. While the city combats the issue with the much talked about Odd-Even rule restricted only to cars; a new report suggests that two-wheelers are larger contributors to air pollution with higher Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions. As a result, it is more important than ever to implement Euro 4 norms on two-wheelers, which automakers have opposed stating it will lead to lower fuel efficiency figures.
It is suggested that one two-wheeler in India emits NOx equivalent to five petrol powered cars. Those are some seriously high numbers once you consider the fact that our country is one of the biggest two-wheeler markets globally and motorcycles/moped/scooters account for nearly 75 percent of the total vehicular population. Hence, the government has proposed to make the emission regulations stringent by introducing BS-IV norms, under which the NOx limit is restricted to 0.08 gm/km on a petrol car and 0.39 gm/km on a two-wheeler.
The BS-IV norms will come into effect from April 2016 for new models while the existing models need to be upgraded by April 2017. The government has notified the auto industry about the stricter regulations in order to attain a cleaner environment. The centre plans to implement BS-V (on par with Euro 4 norms) by 2019 for two-wheelers that will see the NOx emission limit come down to 0.07 gm/km. However, the auto industry argues that this will result in a drop of fuel efficiency figures, not to forget the price hike due to the change in technology.
While the price hike and technological upgrades seem like a legitimate reason, the government is not entirely convinced by the low fuel efficiency claim. The stringent norms will result in a drop of 4-5 km/l in the overall efficiency figure; but one does not really get the manufacturer claimed figures, does it now? India is severely lacking in upgrading its emission regulations and the government wants to take concrete steps to counter this issue. However, it needs equal support from auto manufacturers and oil companies in order to achieve the same.
