BackGovt notifies BS-VI emission norms for quadricycles
This notification completes the process of BS-VI for all category vehicles in IndiaIn 2018, the government had introduced the quadricycle segment with necessary standards to produce the vehicle
PremiumNEW DELHI: The government has notified BS-VI emission norms for quadricycles, paving the way for higher production of the new category of vehicle that was introduced less than two years ago.
“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued notification regarding the emission norms for L7 (quadricycle) category for BS-VI. These norms are applicable from the date of notification. This notification completes the process of BS-VI for all category vehicles in India," the government said in a release on Sunday.
The emission norms are on the lines of the European Union’s World Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC), the release said.
In 2018, the government had introduced the quadricycle segment with necessary standards to produce the vehicle. It had approved the vehicle for both commercial and private use.
According to the road transport ministry, a quadricycle is the size of a three-wheeler but with four tyres and is fully covered like a car. "It has an engine like that of a three-wheeler. This makes it a cheap and safe mode of transport for last-mile connectivity."
A quadricycle cannot be more than 3.6 metres long, should have an engine smaller than 800cc, and should not weigh more than 475 kilograms.
India's automobile industry has been urging the ministry to set BS-VI emission standards for quadricycles, after the norms were rolled out for other segments starting 1 April, 2020.
Currently, only a few automobile players In India manufacture quadricycles. After the government had allowed the introduction of the vehicle in 2018, Bajaj Auto Ltd was the first to commercially launch 'Qute’ under this segment.
Bajaj Qute was launched in India in April, 2019 in both CNG and petrol variants. The company produced 6,095 quadricycles in fiscal 2020, of which 942 were sold domestically and 5,185 were exported. Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd showcased the Atom, an electric quadricycle, at Auto Expo 2020. The vehicle is likely to be launched later this year.
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