Car firms to reveal fuel efficiency data to govt
For the first time in India, car and two-wheeler manufacturers will reveal a closely guarded secret - data on fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions - to the government.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: By the end of this month, the consumer will have scored one small victory. For the first time in India,
car and two-wheeler manufacturers will reveal a closely guarded secret - data on fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (carbon dixiode) emissions - to the government.
This disclosure comes as part of the process of petroleum ministry's Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) setting fuel-efficiency standards for the automotive industry.
The industry has agreed to share the data with government on February 25 in the third round of meetings. However, sources told TOI that in case the automotive industry is unable to share the data, then the government would go ahead with standards based on data it secures from the market and other government agencies like Indian Institute of Petroleum.
PCRA has come up with some data on its own which explains industry's reluctance so far to share the data.
The data revealed that even while using the same size engines, different car models were giving a wide range of mileage. While sources refused to reveal the models studied, they said that the cars were in the 'small' segment.
The data, presented at the meeting of the committee on fuel-efficiency norms, was a startling revelation of how the norms could force the car manufacturers to employ the best existing technologies to improve their bad performers.
A similar trend was found in two-wheelers as well. The data also found that there was a massive fall in fuel efficiency with increase in vehicle weight towards the high end.
But sources pointed out that industry could improve efficiency even with existing technologies as the modelling showed that a mere 5% reduction of body weight could lead to substantial improvement of mileage in cars.
Based on these leads, PCRA is planning to create a rubric of rules that would force the laggards to catch up or pay for bad mileage. The standards will be mandatory, based on mileage and carbon dioxide emissions and would be technology neutral.
(nitin.sethi@timesgroup.com)
car and two-wheeler manufacturers will reveal a closely guarded secret - data on fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (carbon dixiode) emissions - to the government.
This disclosure comes as part of the process of petroleum ministry's Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) setting fuel-efficiency standards for the automotive industry.
The industry has agreed to share the data with government on February 25 in the third round of meetings. However, sources told TOI that in case the automotive industry is unable to share the data, then the government would go ahead with standards based on data it secures from the market and other government agencies like Indian Institute of Petroleum.
PCRA has come up with some data on its own which explains industry's reluctance so far to share the data.
The data revealed that even while using the same size engines, different car models were giving a wide range of mileage. While sources refused to reveal the models studied, they said that the cars were in the 'small' segment.
The data, presented at the meeting of the committee on fuel-efficiency norms, was a startling revelation of how the norms could force the car manufacturers to employ the best existing technologies to improve their bad performers.
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A similar trend was found in two-wheelers as well. The data also found that there was a massive fall in fuel efficiency with increase in vehicle weight towards the high end.
But sources pointed out that industry could improve efficiency even with existing technologies as the modelling showed that a mere 5% reduction of body weight could lead to substantial improvement of mileage in cars.
Based on these leads, PCRA is planning to create a rubric of rules that would force the laggards to catch up or pay for bad mileage. The standards will be mandatory, based on mileage and carbon dioxide emissions and would be technology neutral.
(nitin.sethi@timesgroup.com)
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