Bharat Stage 7 (BS7) Norms Explained

India is now prepping up for new BS7 norms, the Bharat Stage 6 is now a thing of the past with the introduction of the new one. Most recently, the European Commission announced a plan to rollout the Euro Seven norms and all the mass manufactured cars will now have to comply with a new set of rules from July 1, 2025, under 7 norms. It is yet to be officially confirmed what the norms would be but just as the BS6 was based on the Euro Six emission norms, the BS7 will be based on Euro Seven norms.

What are BS7 Norms Going to Be?

It is to be officially introduced in a few years, the BS7 will be built on the Euro Seven standard. This means that we can expect some more strict controls over the emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles. One of the standout aspects of this new norm will be the ‘On Board Monitoring’ (OBM), to monitor tailpipe emissions in real-time.

History of Emission Norms in India

It is known to everyone that vehicles are some major contributors to air pollution, and how important it is to have continuous efforts to decrease vehicular emissions. As a study conducted by an organization in Delhi on CO2 emission, it is expected that the emission of CO2 on Indian roads is likely to reach 1212 million tonnes by 2035 from 208 million tonnes in 2005.

The Automotive Industry of India is not new to this truth and has been constantly working towards controlling emissions as per the roadmap suggested by the Auto Fuel Policy. Through which, India is one of the countries in the world that manufactures the most fuel-efficient vehicles.

Let’s have a look at its history to get an idea of how it has been working:
 

What Additional Standards to Be Introduced with BS7?

The brakes and tyres also contribute to pollution, as the vehicle is in motion there are microplastics and brake dust that get discharged from them which are harmful pollutants. With the introduction of BS7 norms, control and regulation on this pollutant will be there. Also, the EVs and plug-in hybrids are to be tested strictly for longevity, and charge-holding capacity to go for over certain time periods and distances.

How much of the vehicle's emission through its lifetime will be monitored in the new norms. The vehicles under the BS7 norms are likely to come equipped with special sensors that detect issues which cause the vehicle to pollute more over time because emission levels increase as the vehicle gets old.

Challenges with BS7
 

To follow up with the measure under BS7 norms, manufacturers will have to make extra investments because upgrading any vehicle for the new norms would need a lot of time and capital. They will have to install an advanced emission control system to the vehicle which means that the buyers will have to pay more to get them.

For example, as last year's BS6 emission norms were implemented in the Indian automobile market, the automakers also increased their prices.

Moreover, a lot of cars could face the risk of discontinuation if not equipped with the right emission control system under BS7.

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