Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday Rajya Sabha that fuel compliant to BS-VI (Bharat Stage VI) emissions norms has been introduced in the national capital. The minister also confirmed to the Upper House that the sale of BS-VI compliant vehicles will begin in April next year. “BS-VI compliant fuel is now available in Delhi and from next year BS-VI emission compliant vehicles will also be available,” Javadekar said the Question Hour.
He said dust pollution causes respiratory diseases and hence all forms of pollution should come down. The government is developing various peripheral expressways to ensure that no trucks pass through the national capital and nearly 60,000 trucks are currently not entering the national capital, Javadekar added.
Car manufacturers are currently preparing for a smooth transition from BS-IV to BS-VI norms compliance. Maruti Suzuki has already launched four of its models with BS-VI engines – Baleno, Swift, Alto, and WagonR.
Only petrol variants of WagonR and Swift, i.e. the 1.2-litre, K-Series VVT engine has been upgraded. Maruti is only upgrading its petrol lineup since it’s already announced that it will not roll any more diesel engines starting April 2020.
Speaking of two-wheelers, Hero MotoCorp has upgraded its Splendour iSmart motorcycle model with a BS-VI compliant engine. Having received certification for the Splendor iSmart motorcycle, Hero MotoCorp will now be gearing up to make its entire portfolio of motorcycles and scooters BS-VI compliant.
Also, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India unveiled its first BS-VI two-wheeler in the form of the new Honda Activa 125. It is now also the second scooter in India to come with fuel injection (the first being Hero Maestro Edge 125 FI). Honda will launch it in September this year.
Expect a rise in prices for all cars, motorcycles and scooters that are upgraded to BS-VI compliance since the engines will undergo an overhaul. Pawan Goenka, managing director, Mahindra and Mahindra, said that the transition will result in an increase of about 10% in prices. “A car priced at Rs 10,00,000 will see an increase of Rs 1 lakh,” Goenka said.
What happens if you use BS-VI fuel in a BS-IV vehicle?
As far as using BS-VI fuel in your current BS-IV compliant vehicle is concerned, car and bike owners have nothing to worry about. A BS-IV engine will run smoothly on BS-VI fuel. In fact, there are more advantages of using BS-VI fuel in BS-III and BS-IV compliant cars.
The lower the sulphur content in the fuel, the cleaner it burns (10ppm in BS-VI fuel compared to 50 ppm in BS-IV fuel). This will result in lower emissions of NOx, CO and Hydrocarbons on the petrol powered vehicles and on diesel engines, there will be a significant reduction in the lower particulate matter. Reports by ARAI suggests that a BS-IV compliant car running on BS-VI fuel (diesel) could emit 50% less particulate matter. To understand more about why BS-IV engines need to upgraded with BS-VI compliance, click the link above.
