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The automobile industry wants vehicles to be phased out according to emission and not on the basis of fuel or age. It wants vehicles complying with Euro I norms, introduced in the year 2000, to be phased out first.
The demand follows the National Green Tribunal’s order banning diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying in the National Capital Region. The ban has been stayed and the matter is being heard by the tribunal. Euro, or Bharat Stage fuel norms were introduced in 2000 with BS I. India now follows BS IV in 50 cities and BS III in the rest of the country. But many vehicles that are BS I and BS II compliant, and more polluting, continue to ply.
“Diesel vehicles are receiving disproportionate attention. We need to look at all the factors. While it is right to remove old vehicles from polluted cities, the decision should be tied to emission levels and not to the kind of fuel. BS I could be the starting point and then a phased approach could be followed,” said Pawan Goenka, executive director and group president for the auto and farm divisions at Mahindra & Mahindra. Diesel vehicles are considered more polluting than those burning petrol.
Indian buyers chose costlier diesel vehicles because of controls that kept diesel cheaper than petrol. The gap is narrowing after diesel prices were deregulated last October.
The share of diesel vehicle sales was 37 per cent in 2014-15, down from 42 per cent in the previous year and 47 per cent in 2012-13, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).
In April-May 2015-16, this share fell further to 34 per cent.
Goenka, a past president of SIAM, said, “Diesel has negatives, but we do not look at the positive, that it has a 20 per cent lower Co2 emission. Companies are investing in cleaner diesel engines. Hypothetically, if we convert all vehicles to diesel, our crude oil imports can be reduced by approximately $1.2 billion.” Diesel also offers better efficiency than petrol.
He added an incentive should be provided to owners for discarding vehicles. “Thousands of families earn a living from these vehicles and they need an alternative. Do not create hardship by simply banning a vehicle. Provide an alternative,” Goenka said. Asked if bans would benefit the industry, he said, “The question here is not whether manufacturers will lose or gain. We have to find the right solution for Delhi.”
The demand follows the National Green Tribunal’s order banning diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying in the National Capital Region. The ban has been stayed and the matter is being heard by the tribunal. Euro, or Bharat Stage fuel norms were introduced in 2000 with BS I. India now follows BS IV in 50 cities and BS III in the rest of the country. But many vehicles that are BS I and BS II compliant, and more polluting, continue to ply.
“Diesel vehicles are receiving disproportionate attention. We need to look at all the factors. While it is right to remove old vehicles from polluted cities, the decision should be tied to emission levels and not to the kind of fuel. BS I could be the starting point and then a phased approach could be followed,” said Pawan Goenka, executive director and group president for the auto and farm divisions at Mahindra & Mahindra. Diesel vehicles are considered more polluting than those burning petrol.
Indian buyers chose costlier diesel vehicles because of controls that kept diesel cheaper than petrol. The gap is narrowing after diesel prices were deregulated last October.
The share of diesel vehicle sales was 37 per cent in 2014-15, down from 42 per cent in the previous year and 47 per cent in 2012-13, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).
In April-May 2015-16, this share fell further to 34 per cent.
Goenka, a past president of SIAM, said, “Diesel has negatives, but we do not look at the positive, that it has a 20 per cent lower Co2 emission. Companies are investing in cleaner diesel engines. Hypothetically, if we convert all vehicles to diesel, our crude oil imports can be reduced by approximately $1.2 billion.” Diesel also offers better efficiency than petrol.
He added an incentive should be provided to owners for discarding vehicles. “Thousands of families earn a living from these vehicles and they need an alternative. Do not create hardship by simply banning a vehicle. Provide an alternative,” Goenka said. Asked if bans would benefit the industry, he said, “The question here is not whether manufacturers will lose or gain. We have to find the right solution for Delhi.”
