Norms of BS6 & Its Impact on the Two-Wheeler Industry

What is the BS6 Emission Standard?

BS6 stands for Bharat Stage 6 is a regulation set by the Government of India. It is an advanced gas emission standard equivalent to EURO 6 norms that are applied in European nations. With the constant rise in pollution, the emission norms are mandatory for all the vehicles in India. The objective of the emission norm is to reduce the harmful gas emission, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) from motor vehicles.

Effect of BS6 on Two-wheeler Manufacturers

The transition from BS4 to BS6 has changed the two-wheeler engine also. After the introduction of BS6, the two-wheeler manufacturers changed the calibration and combustion of the engine. Moreover, they improved the fuel injection and cylinder pressures for the treatment of NOx and PM.

To comply with the BS6 norms, bike manufacturers introduced a better fuel injection system in India. After this, the carbon emission in two-wheeler petrol engines has decreased although the BS6 engines are less powerful but more fuel efficient.

Does it Affect the On-road Price of Two-wheelers?

When the government made it mandatory for the manufacturers to follow the BS6 norms, they modified the engine that emits lesser harmful gases on emission. Moreover, it stopped them from using affordable carburetors and replaced them with expensive fuel injection for their two-wheeler engines. This made the on-road price go up a notch by10-15 percent.As we have mentioned the carburetor and fuel injection system, let's understand the difference between them.

Key Difference Between BS4 and BS6 Norms

Here are the 4 key differences between BS4 (previous norm) and BS6 (current norms):

1. Emission Limits: BS6 engines produce significantly lower levels of NOx (by up to 70% for diesel engines and 25% for petrol engines) as compared to BS4.
2. On-Board Diagnostics (OBD): BS6 vehicles have OBD systems, which gives real-time monitoring of emissions.
3. Particulate Filters: BS6 petrol engines have particulate filters, which helps in reducing harmful exhaust particles.
4. Improved Fuel Quality: BS6 fuel has a significantly lower sulfur content (10 ppm vs 50 ppm in BS4), leading to cleaner combustion.

Impact on Two-wheeler Manufacturers

The automobile industry, particularly two-wheeler segment, faced unique challenges and grabbed opportunities with the transition to BS6 norms:

1. Increased Manufacturing Costs: With the incorporation of BS6 fuel injection systems along with catalytic converters, and OBDs has increased production costs, pushing up the retail prices of bikes.
2. Enhanced Engine Technology: There is a significant upgrade in the engine technology, shifting from carburetors to fuel injection for precise air-fuel mixture control.
3. Improved Fuel Efficiency: While the overall MRP are higher, BS6-compliant bikes generally offer better fuel efficiency and lower running or operational costs.
4. Reduced Emissions: The most important, there is a significant drop in overall emissions has contributed to improved air quality, aligning with global environmental goals.
5. Market Realignment: The two-wheeler manufacturing companies had to take apart their product portfolios, phasing out non-compliant models such as BS4 and introducing BS6 variants.

Effects on Demand for Two-wheelers

Since there was an increment in the prices of two-wheelers by up to 10-15%, there was a fall in the sale graph of the two-wheeler manufacturing companies after the introduction of BS6.Moreover, this made a sharp hike in price of two-wheeler insurance policy.

What's Next?

The evolution of emission norms from BS4 to BS6 has made significant changes in the two-wheeler manufacturing companies in India. After several COVID-19 shutdowns, the industry started to recover in 2022.
With that saying, the two-wheeler industry has started working tirelessly to produce different models of new-age electric vehicles. Moreover, the retail sales of electric two-wheelers have been consistently rising since May 2022. If you are planning to buy your dream bike, this is the right time. Ensure that you purchase the right bike insurance policy along with it.