If you’re in the market to purchase a car, you might have heard the terms Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) and Bharat Stage 4 (BS4). But what are these new standards and how much is going to change after 1 April (the deadline to switch to BS6 infrastructure and cars)?
To put it simply, BS4 and BS6 indicate the different levels of emission norms that India has set. The Supreme Court of India passed a verdict asking car manufacturers and oil distributors to switch to engines that emit lesser pollutants and cleaner fuels by 1 April 2020. BS6 norms decide if the car and fuel fall under the official threshold for emissions.
All fuels that are used in internal combustion engines (ICE) release certain pollutants in the air. They emit carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and even particulate matter (PM) which is capable of having an immediate impact on respiratory tracts of humans and animals.
The BS6 norms will drastically pull down these emissions that also contribute to global warming. The major change in emissions includes:
Nitrous Oxides
Petrol engines: The emissions will be 25% lesser compared to BS6
Diesel engines: There’s a drastic change of 68%
Particulate Matter
Petrol engines: For the first time, PM levels will be limited for petrol engines with direct injectors. The emissions are capped at 4.5mg/km
Diesel engines: They will also have to stick to the same limit of 4.5mg/km. This is a massive decline of 82% when compared to BS4 standards
Hydrocarbons
Petrol engines: There is no change in emission standards
Diesel engines: The combination of HC and NOx will decline by 43%
Carbon Monoxide
There’s no change in emission levels for either petrol or diesel engines
Fuel
The switch to BS6 norms is not possible without cleaner fuel. All fuel stations in the nation are aiming to upgrade to BS6 compliant fuel by 1 April. The new fuel will have significantly lower sulphur content which is responsible for CO, HC and NOx emissions.
The switch to BS6 from BS4 and skipping BS5 entirely in a little over three years is an unprecedented move on a global scale. The switch, though drastic, is much needed due to growing pollution levels in all major Indian cities. The new norms will ensure cleaner technology but the cost of high filtration process and more sophisticated engines will percolate to new car buyers.
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