BS6 Emission Norms Are Now In Effect

The big day has finally arrived, but under the shadow of a much bigger event

• The sale of BS4 cars will no longer be allowed. All new cars must comply with BS6 emission norms from here on.

• Most carmakers have already updated their model lineup to be BS6 compliant, some delayed due to COVID-19.

• Due to nationwide lockdown, slight relief given to dealers with unsold stock of BS4 cars.

• Diesel engines hit hardest by shift to BS6, many have been axed.

• BS4 cars are still permitted on the road as long as the vehicle is within its registration period.

• The authorities have completely skipped BS5 as the shift is directly from BS4 to BS6.

In October 2018, the Supreme Court of India announced the final deadline for the sale of BS4 cars to be April 1, 2020. The day is now here and from this date onwards, only vehicles that meet the new BS6 emission standards can be sold in the country. All carmakers have made arrangements to update their model range to be BS6 compliant. However, the transition has not been smooth.

The new BS6 emission norms set a stricter limit for pollutants coming out of a vehicle’s exhaust. The main emissions in consideration are the NOx gas and particulate matter which contribute to air pollution. Cars bought before BS6 updates were introduced will be permitted to run on the road till the end of their registration period. You can know more about the differences between BS4 and BS6 and the details of the new norms here.

In the shift to BS6, diesel engine models have been the worst affected. Diesel engine variants were already considerably pricier than their petrol counterparts. The updates to meet the new emission norms has made them even more expensive. Meanwhile, some of the country’s most popular diesel engines have now been discontinued altogether as few carmakers opted to go petrol-only for the foreseeable future. That includes the Fiat’s 1.3-litre MultiJet that Maruti was using primarily, the Renault 1.5-litre and Hyundai 1.6-litre diesel engines.

Also read: 9 Diesel Engines We’ll Miss In The BS6 Era

Various stakeholders in the automotive industry have been rallying for a deadline extension in order to clear unsold BS4 stock. That was before the government mandated a lockdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it even harder for dealers to get rid of BS4 inventory in time. For now, the government has allowed dealers to sell 10 per cent of their unsold stock for a period of 10 days once the lockdown is lifted.

Related: Supreme Court Extends BS4 Registration Deadline Amid Coronavirus Lockdown