The government is on an aggressive push for a sustainable future of ICE-powered two-wheelers. As per the fresh mandates,
the OEMs have to comply with BS6 Phase 2 for their engines. Complying with these strict emission norms requires significant
hardware changes and tweaking the powertrain to meet the prescribed standards.
Here’s what these emission norms are all about: -
BS6 Phase 2
While BS6 primarily focused on lab testing for compliance, BS6 Phase 2 focused on real-world emissions and mandated
the vehicles to comply with the norms to meet the emission standards in real world usage.
The engines of BS6 Phase 2 include both OBD 2 and RDE with some additional compliance requirements for vehicles.
To ensure that their engines are compliant, OEMs are required to make significant changes to the powertrain and
exhaust that increase the input cost, resulting in high prices for BS6 and BS6 phase 2 compliant vehicles.
Mechanically, the compliance specifies a stricter limit on pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO)
and particulate matter. The standard also includes a major overhaul in (OBD) onboard diagnostics system to monitor
emission-related malfunctions in real time.
• Real Driving Emission (RDE)
RDE norms are a part of BS6 phase 2 emission standards and came into effect in April 2023. It is the real-world test
of the vehicle conducted on a set route of traffic, highways, steep inclines, slopes and gradients at a set pace with
predefined acceleration and deceleration.
During the test, the vehicle is equipped with a device known as a Portable Emission measurement System (PEMS) that
runs on an emission testing map. This map is known as MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle) used to test both emission
and fuel efficiency; the results are more accurate than what the OEMs used to get in labs.
• OBD 2
OBD (On-board diagnostics) refers to the self-diagnosis and reporting capabilities of the vehicle. Modern OBD ports
implement a standardized digital communications port to provide real-time data. This, in turn, allows the owner/technician to
swiftly identify and remedy any malfunction in the vehicle.
In 2016, the Government of India rolled out the compliance mandate for all OEMs to integrate on-board diagnostics devices
from 1st April 2020, as part of BS6 emission norms. The emission threshold for OBD and OBD-2 are equivalent to EURO 6 threshold limits.
OB2 has been applicable in recent years and the Government has mandated the norm for two-wheelers under the BS6 Phase 2.
Functionality
OBD-2 deploys several sensors that collect data for throttle response, air-fuel ratio, engine temperature, fuel pressure and engine speed.
The ECU analyzes data on pre-programmed parameters. Any deviation found is stored as DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code).
The mechanic can use a scanning device that connects with an OBD port to access DTC and make accurate diagnostics and repairs.
Timely detection and correction of emission-related concerns can be rectified quickly. Also, early detection of any mechanical concern
drastically reduces the probability of major repairs and the related high cost.
Technology is continuously evolving and new regulations have been put in place. At the same time, the government is also pursuing
bio-fuel or ethanol blended petrol and its long-term feasibility. The driving objective behind all this is to ensure more fuel-efficient and
less polluting vehicles run on the roads.
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