Nitin Gadkari urges carmakers to begin preparation for BS7 vehicles, to keep up with EU norms

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, urged a group of CEOs from the automotive industry to begin preparations for the BS7 vehicles. 

“Indian OEMs better start their preparation to start working on the next generation of Euro-7-compliant automobiles on their own rather than wait for the government diktat,” he told executives at a meeting in Delhi, yesterday.

Gadkari said it would be wise if the industry began working in this direction immediately, as the country plans on capturing a larger share of the European export market and reducing Co2 emissions. The minister’s remarks about Euro7 come on the back of the European Commission announcing its adoption of the Euro-7 pollution standards, which come into effect in two phases, with the first one in 2025 and the second, in 2027.

The Euro 7 emission standards are needed to set more ambitious limits for air pollutants. Existing technologies can help achieve that. The new standards will also ensure that vehicles remain clean for a much longer part of their lifetime.

The cost of two-wheelers in the country, which is already in the thick of BS6 Phase 2 compliance, has risen by Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, while the cost of four-wheelers has risen by Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. As a result of the consolidation of multiple regulations, the domestic auto industry faces numerous challenges.

Tata Motors’ Chief Technology Officer Rajendra Petkar stated earlier at the Autocar Road Safety Conference organised by Autocar Professional, that the industry is completely dedicated to working on lowering its CO2 emissions by using the most recent green technologies, which would accelerate the transition to Net Zero.

Battery safety regulations and CAFE compliance are issues that need to be addressed, according to Petkar. The industry needs to be effectively managed, and transition times should be long enough, he added.

Vehicles had to be fitted with cutting-edge pollution control technologies like particle filters, selective catalytic reduction, and enhanced engine management systems as a result of the BS6 requirements, which imposed higher limitations on the number of pollutants they may emit. Real-world driving emissions were the emphasis of the BS6 phase 2 emission requirements, and all new vehicles will be equipped with an OBD (on-board diagnostic) device to track current emission levels.

The automotive sector had to face the weight of technical improvements, and the vehicles became much more expensive during the switch from BS4 to BS6 emission requirements in April 2020.

Gadkari’s directive to Indian automakers to move to Euro 7 comes at a time when global and Indian automakers have already allocated billions of euros for new zero-emission electric vehicles, and are unprepared for Euro 7, as that would force them to invest in technology for combustion engine models when they have committed to alternative green technologies. 

As per the Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) Sigrid de Vries, this is "a prime example" of regulation that would increase complexity and uncertainty as the sector battles with "key decisions and investments."

According to the ACEA, Euro 7 would only slightly enhance present standards while increasing the cost of a new automobile by 2,000 Euros (US$ 2,150), causing many people to continue driving their older, more polluting models rather than purchasing new ones.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, urged a group of CEOs from the automotive industry to begin preparations for the BS7 vehicles. “Indian OEMs better start their preparation to start working on the next generation of Euro-7-compliant automobiles on their own rather than wait for the government diktat,” he told executives at a meeting in Delhi, yesterday.

Gadkari said it would be wise if the industry began working in this direction immediately, as the country plans on capturing a larger share of the European export market and reducing Co2 emissions. The minister’s remarks about Euro7 come on the back of the European Commission announcing its adoption of the Euro-7 pollution standards, which come into effect in two phases, with the first one in 2025 and the second, in 2027.

The Euro 7 emission standards are needed to set more ambitious limits for air pollutants. Existing technologies can help achieve that. The new standards will also ensure that vehicles remain clean for a much longer part of their lifetime.

The cost of two-wheelers in the country, which is already in the thick of BS6 Phase 2 compliance, has risen by Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, while the cost of four-wheelers has risen by Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. As a result of the consolidation of multiple regulations, the domestic auto industry faces numerous challenges.

Tata Motors’ Chief Technology Officer Rajendra Petkar stated earlier at the Autocar Road Safety Conference organised by Autocar Professional, that the industry is completely dedicated to working on lowering its CO2 emissions by using the most recent green technologies, which would accelerate the transition to Net Zero.

Battery safety regulations and CAFE compliance are issues that need to be addressed, according to Petkar. The industry needs to be effectively managed, and transition times should be long enough, he added.

Vehicles had to be fitted with cutting-edge pollution control technologies like particle filters, selective catalytic reduction, and enhanced engine management systems as a result of the BS6 requirements, which imposed higher limitations on the number of pollutants they may emit. Real-world driving emissions were the emphasis of the BS6 phase 2 emission requirements, and all new vehicles will be equipped with an OBD (on-board diagnostic) device to track current emission levels.

The automotive sector had to face the weight of technical improvements, and the vehicles became much more expensive during the switch from BS4 to BS6 emission requirements in April 2020.

Gadkari’s directive to Indian automakers to move to Euro 7 comes at a time when global and Indian automakers have already allocated billions of euros for new zero-emission electric vehicles, and are unprepared for Euro 7, as that would force them to invest in technology for combustion engine models when they have committed to alternative green technologies. 

As per the Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) Sigrid de Vries, this is "a prime example" of regulation that would increase complexity and uncertainty as the sector battles with "key decisions and investments."

According to the ACEA, Euro 7 would only slightly enhance present standards while increasing the cost of a new automobile by 2,000 Euros (US$ 2,150), causing many people to continue driving their older, more polluting models rather than purchasing new ones.

“For Euro norms, only those OEMs will change who have models common between India and Europe. For the rest, it does not make sense to add the additional cost. If the government is serious about Euro 7, it should define the equivalent Bharat 7 straightaway and give Industry a clear roadmap of 4-5 years to switch over. Else technology development does not happen and OEMs will buy solutions from global players at high cost. Any change is fine, as long as it is managed well,” said Subhabrata Sengupta , Executive Director of global consulting firm, Avalon Consulting.