TL;DR
Indian two-wheeler manufacturers are resisting immediate BS7 RDE norms due to concerns about PEMS equipment weight affecting emission accuracy.
The Indian automobile industry, through the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), is preparing to oppose the immediate implementation of Real Driving Emissions (RDE) measurement norms for two-wheelers under the proposed BS7 emission regime. Major two-wheeler manufacturers have raised significant concerns regarding the weight and accuracy of the Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) equipment used for on-road RDE testing. They argue that the sheer weight of this equipment can itself lead to an increase in emissions, thereby compromising the accuracy of the measurements.
Currently, RDE requirements are applied to four-wheelers weighing less than 3.5 tonnes in India, but there is no global precedent for RDE norms specifically for two-wheelers. A study conducted by manufacturers revealed that adding 120 kg of PEMS equipment resulted in a substantial increase in emissions, with average CO emissions rising by 26 percent and NOx emissions by 66 percent across tested motorcycles. SIAM plans to propose that alternative motorcycle RDE procedures be phased in as a Phase-II activity under BS7, allowing for sufficient time for data collection, methodology development, and validation before regulatory enforcement.
