Emission norms for passenger cars

Norms
1991Norms
1996 Norms
1998Norms
India stage 2000 norms
Bharat stage-II
Bharat Stage-III
Bharat Stage-IV

CO( g/km)
14.3-27.1
8.68-12.40
4.34-6.20
2.72
2.2
2.3
1.0

Emission norms for Heavy Diesel vehicles

HC+ NOx(g/km)
2.0(Only HC)
3.00-4.36
1.50-2.18
0.97
0.5
0.35(combined)
0.18(combined)

Emission Norms for 2/3 wheeler

HC
CO( g/k
NOx
PM(g/kwhr Norms
(g/kmhr
mhr)
(g/kmhr))
1991Norms
)
1996 Norms
1991Norm
14
3.5
18
India stage 2000
s
norms
1996
11.2
2.4
14.4
Bharat stage-II
Norms
Bharat Stage-III
India stage 4.5
1.1
8.0
0.36

CO( g/km) HC+ NOx)(g/km)

Norms

12-30
4.5
2.0

8-12 (only HC)

3.6
2.0

1.6
1.0

1.5
1.0

2000
norms
Bharat
4.0
1.1
7.0
0.15
stage-II
Bharat
2.1
1.6
5.0
0.10
Stage-III
Bharat
1.5
0.96
3.5
0.02
Stage-IV
The pollution standards for in use vehicles have been prescribed under Rule 115(2) of Central Motor
vehicles Rules, 1989. They are:
(i) Petrol/CNG/LPG Vehicles:
S.
No

Vehicle Type

CO
%

HC (n-hexane equivalent)
ppm

2&3-Wheelers (2/4-stroke) (Vehicles manufactured on and

before 31/3/2000)

4.5

9000

2&3-Wheelers (2-stroke) (Vehicles manufactured after

31/3/2000)

3.5

6000

2&3-Wheelers (4-stroke) (Vehicles manufactured after

31/3/2000)

3.5

4500

3.0

1500

0.5

750

4
5

4- wheelers manufactured as per pre Bharat Stage II norms

4- wheelers manufactured as per Bharat Stage- II, Bharat
Stage III

(Petrol/Compressed Natural Gas/liquefied Petroleum Gas driven vehicles, manufactured

Stage IV norms)

S.No.

Vehicle Type

Idle emission limits

High idle
limited

emission

as per Bharat

(1)

(2)

(4)

CO%

HC(n hexane
equivalent )
ppm

CO
%

Compressed
Natural
Gas/Liquefied
Petroleum Gas driven 4
wheelers manufactured
as per Bharat Stage IV
norms.

0.3%

200 ppm

Petrol
driven
4wheelers manufactured
as per Bharat Stage IV
norms.
For (Diesel Vehicles)

0.3%

200 ppm

0.2

1/+ 0.03 oras

declared
by
the
vehicle
manufacturer.

1.

2.

(II)

(3)

S.No.
(1)

Lambda
(RPM-2500 +
200)

Method of Test

Maximum smoke density

(2)

(3)
Light absorption coefficient (1/metre)

Hartidge units

1.

Free acceleration test

for
turbo
charged
engine and naturally
aspirated engine for
vehicles manufactured
as per pre-Bharat Stage
IV norms.

2.45

65

2.

Free acceleration test

for
turbo
charged
engine and naturally
aspirated engine for
vehicles manufactured
as per Bharat Stage IV
norms

1.62

50

Vehicle emission norms were set for the first time in 1990s when the government under the Supreme
Court order introduced Euro norms in 1999. Later, it was replaced by Bharat Stage Emission standards.
Under the Bharat Stage IV norms which are in turn based on Euro IV norms, Bharat Stage-IV , CO should
be 1.0 (g/km) and HC+NOx (g/km) should be 0.18 (combined) 1 as per CPCB.
The implementation has however suffered from certain limitations such as the need for retro fitting of
catalytic converter and other devices on older systems in use. New vehicles and systems come with
these devices but the bottleneck is that the process gets hampered in the presence of lead/sulphur. So
to counter this, the fuel needs to have less of lead and sulphur. In India, this has been achieved by
selling unleaded fuel and placing a limit on amount of sulphur.
Table 1: Emission Standards and their Implementation in India 1 & 2

Emission Standard
India 2000 Based on Euro 1
Bharat Stage II Based on
Euro 2
Bharat Stage IIIBased on
Euro 3
Bharat Stage IV Based on
Euro IV
Bharat Stage V
Bharat Stage VI

Implementation
Nationwide

RSPM*
0.14

NCR*, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai 0.08

NCR+ 11 cities (Nationwide
0.05
implementation by 2010)
NCR+ 13 Cities (Plan for all India
0.025
implementation by 2017)
2022 (All India)**
0.005
2024 and onwards (All India)** 0.0025

* RSPM- Respirable suspended particulate matter

** As per Saumitra committee recommendation
In 2012 end, The Government of India appointed a committee under Saumitra Chaudhri to draft the
Auto Fuel Vision Policy road map up to the year 2025. He was a member of planning commission (no
longer in office because of government change at the centre).
Recommendations of Saumitra Chaudhri Committee3
1. Discusses implementation of next series of Bharat norms, financial and taxation issues.
There is not enough BS IV fuel to meet the entire needs of the country, but this objective
can be achieved by timely completion of ongoing projects and initiating and completing
some others.
2. Alternate fuels are discussed in detail including Hydrogen vision 2020.
3. Suggests differential taxation, i.e. more on diesel SUV cars and less on hybrid and EV
cars, CNG vehicles etc.
4. The report notes that, Reducing the sulphur content of auto fuel, especially diesel, opens
up greater options for emission control by way of after treatment devices.
5. Discuses capacity and fiscal investment required by refineries to be able to meet the
demand for fuel for implementation of Bharat emissions standards.
6. The report notes that, Vehicle pollution strategy consists of four components i.e.
increasingly stringent new vehicles standards, specifications for clean fuel, proper
inspection and maintenance of in used vehicles and transport and travel management.
7. Retro fitting of emission control devices.
8. Suggests carrying out a number of studies including on environment and health impact.
NEW DELHI: In the battle between oil and auto companies, an expert panel is all set to recommend a
shift to cleaner emission norms and is expected to take the middle path, suggesting a move to Bharat
Stage IV+ from 2016, before moving to Bharat Stage V in 2021.
The shift to Bharat V, a long delayed move, will lead to a steep decline in sulphur levels and help in
aiding the fight against pollution. Enforcement of cleaner emission norms across the country has taken
time.
Sources said in the initial rounds, BS-IV+ will be introduced in the major cities as the oil companies are
not fully geared for a nationwide transition that will take place from January 2017. Similarly, a national
rollout of BS-V is proposed to take place in 2022. The sources said that even under this route the
sulphur level will come down to 50PPM from 350 under BS-III, and then move to 10PPM.
The auto industry and several environmental groups are keen that BS-V should be rolled out nationally
by 2016 since car and bike makers will gain from the transition, requiring retrofitting as well as

replacement of old vehicles. Besides, the auto industry resorts to a price hike when new emission norms
are introduced, helping it improve its margins.

In contrast, oil companies have to make significant investment in upgrading the quality of fuel, with
some estimates pegging the shift to BS-V at over Rs 75,000 crore. "There are some refineries that can
make the transition quickly but there are several others that need time. In fact, the ones in the North
East may find it tough to meet the aromatic requirements even later," said a source familiar with the
discussions in the panel.
Besides they pointed out that even the transition to BS-IV has not been smooth with a phased rollout
taking place. The government moved to BS-IV in 13 cities from 2010, while other parts of the country
remained on a lower level of emission. Experts said the government should move towards a common
emission norm throughout the country.
"You cannot have a dual system for emission norms. The government must implement BS-IV across the
country and then move to BS-V. The move to have a BS-IV+ is a half-baked exercise and will not solve
the real purpose which is clean air," said S P Singh, senior fellow Indian Foundation of Transport
Research and Training.
The emission standards for the country were first set out in the National Auto Fuel Policy 2003. It had
set out a road map for achieving various vehicular emission norms over a period of time and the
corresponding fuel quality upgrade requirements.
While it did not recommend any particular fuel or technology for achieving the desired emission norms,
it had suggested, taking into account security of supplies and existing logistics perspectives, that liquid
fuels should remain as main auto fuels throughout the country and that the use of CNG/LPG be
encouraged in cities affected by higher pollution levels so as to enable vehicle owners to have the
choice of the fuel and technology combination.