MoRTH drafting BS7 emission norms for India expected soon

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is preparing to release the draft for India's upcoming Bharat Stage 7 emission norms within the next couple of months. V Umashankar, Secretary at MoRTH, stated at the recent SIAM convention in Delhi that consultations on these new regulations are now reaching their final stages.

What BS7 means for real world driving

The transition to Bharat Stage 7 aims to place a much stronger focus on vehicle emissions measured during actual driving conditions rather than relying purely on controlled laboratory tests. Buyers should expect individual vehicle pollutant limits to tighten further compared to the current BS6 Phase 2 standards.

• Greater emphasis on real world driving emissions
• Tighter limits on hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides
• Implementation timeline to be finalized soon
• Potential upgrade costs for certain engine types

Impact on car prices and commercial viability

While the shift from BS4 to BS6 required massive technological leaps in 2020, the move to BS7 is expected to be more incremental. However, manufacturers will likely pass on some additional upgrade costs to buyers, leading to modest price increases depending on the specific technology needed for each model.

Models that prove too expensive to upgrade may face discontinuation, much like what happened during previous emission norm transitions when carmakers trimmed unviable variants from their lineups.

Differences between BS norms and CAFE standards

Bharat Stage regulations specifically govern the permissible pollutant emissions coming from individual vehicles on the road. In contrast, Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards apply to a manufacturer's entire fleet to manage overall carbon dioxide emissions and average fuel consumption.

How will these upcoming emission changes influence your next car purchase decision?