All bi-fuel vehicles with flex fuel option will have to undergo tests for both gaseous pollutants as well as particulate mass and number when seeking vehicle type approval under BS VI emission norms.
However, hydrogen-run vehicles will have to undergo tests only for emissions of nitrogen oxide, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway said in its notification on applicability of test requirements for type approvals.
According to the notification, particulate mass and number limits for vehicles with positive ignition engines including hybrids shall apply only to vehicles with direct injection engines.
“Further, vehicles fuelled with biodiesel blends up to 7% will be tested with reference to diesel (B7) and vehicles fuelled with biodiesel blends above 7% will be tested with respective blends,” it said.
The ministry has given manufacturers the option to select either Gasoline (E10) or Gasoline (E20) as fuel for type approval and conformity of production tests.
As per the notification, the conformity of production period for each vehicle model including its variants shall be once a year and at least 50% of vehicle models, rounded to nearest integer value, produced from a particular plant per year shall be selected randomly from dealers location or warehouse for tests.
The notification further said that the exhaust gas sampling for the vehicle under test should start at the intimation of the engine start up procedure and that the driving cycle shall be at a maximum speed of 90km per hour.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway, had in May last year, published the draft applicability of tests required for vehicle type (M and N category) which includes passenger cars as well as commercial vehicles. Following the feedback from stakeholders, the ministry on January 5, 2024 notified the tests required for vehicles for approval under BS VI norms.
The government has put across regulations known as Bharat Stage Emission Standards (BSES) under which it has made it mandatory for every vehicle manufacturer, each two-wheels and four-wheels, to manufacture, sell and register solely BS6 (BSVI) vehicles from April 1, 2020 instead of BS IV which was in force since 2017.
The move is aimed at regulating the pollution emitted by cars and two-wheelers and ensuring that the companies constantly upgrade to cleaner and better fuel technologies.
