Tough to have BS-VI cars in Delhi by 2018: Auto industry

Industry players also said there has to be a holistic approach to combat pollution in the national Capital and focus must also be on phasing out old vehicles.

"Directionally, we feel it is a step in the right direction to fight pollution in Delhi. However, as far as the automobile industry is concerned we are already working on a stretched deadline to launch BS VI vehicles by April 2020," Mahindra & Mahindra Managing Director Pawan Goenka said.

He was reacting to the announcement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that introduction of BS VI fuels will be advanced to April 2018 in the national capital territory considering the serious pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas.

The ministry also said oil marketing companies have also been asked to examine the possibility of introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in the whole of NCR from April 1, 2019.

When asked if companies could launch BS VI vehicles by 2018, Goenka, who is also the past-president of SIAM said it was unlikely that automobile manufacturers would be able to do it so soon.

"I don't foresee any mainline player with multiple models being able to launch complete portfolio of BS VI compliant vehicles by April 2018," he said.

He further said, "We at Mahindra are working on all our ongoing projects with the April 2020 deadline in mind."

Expressing similar views, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Director General Vishnu Mathur said: "We have been given a roadmap by the ministry of road transport for implementation of BS-VI norms by April 2020 and we are working on the basis of that timeline. It is not possible for the industry to advance that date at this stage."

Highlighting a potential problem with the launching of BS-VI vehicles only for Delhi, Goekna said, "It is also not feasible as the fuel will not be available outside the Capital and BS-VI vehicles cannot run on BS-IV fuel".

Calling for a holistic approach to address the pollution issue, Mathur said, "Leaving aside other sources of pollution, if we are looking at addressing vehicular pollution then old vehicles above 10-15 years depending on the type of fuel used need to be phased out."

New Delhi: State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) will float another tender for 10,000 e- cars in March-April next year in line with the government's vision of having all electric passenger cars by 2030.

"There will be another tender for 10,000 electric cars in March or April next year," EESL Managing Director Saurabh (rpt) Saurabh Kumar told reporters in a media interaction.

Kumar said the company is expecting a turnover of Rs 3,500 crore during the current fiscal with bottom line of Rs 250 crore.

He also spoke about the EESL's plans to have a share in the big electric vehicle charging infrastructure market, following the government's focus on e-vehicles. Another senior official of the company said the EESL would also have plans for procuring electric buses in the country but the scale of business would depend on demand.

In view of rising pollution in the national capital region, the Delhi government was planning to procure electric buses to provide clean mode of public transport.

The official said there is a huge potential in electric charging infrastructure as there are available technology which can charge an electric vehicles in 5 to 10 minutes, but those are expensive.

However, the EESL has already floated tender for AC (alternate Current) and DC (Direct Current) electric vehicle charges. These DC chargers can fully charge an electric vehicles in 45 to 60 minutes, while the AC charges takes 6 to 7 hours.

Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra had emerged as successful bidders in the first of tender of the EESL for 10,000 car finalised last month.