India: Motorcycles: Emissions

Overview

 * Standard type: Conventional pollutant emission limits
 * Regulating bodies: Further detail regarding India's regulatory bodies can be found on the India Regulatory Background page.
 * Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
 * Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG)
 * Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF)
 * Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
 * Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
 * Current standard: Bharat III
 * Applicability: Two and three-wheeled vehicles including motorcycles, mopeds, autorickshaws, and small three-wheeled goods carriers

History
The number of two and three-wheeled vehicles on India’s roads is high in terms of both absolute numbers and percentage of total vehicles. Two-wheelers alone represented over 72 percent of registered vehicles in the country in 2005, up from 66 percent in 1991. At over 9.8 million units sold, they made up almost 80 percent of all new vehicle sales in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Regulated pollutants for these vehicles in India are HC, CO, and NOx, with extra PM regulations for diesel powered three-wheelers. Gasoline is the most common fuel for these types of vehicles, although some three-wheelers, particularly commercial ones, run on CNG or diesel.

India introduced its first two and three-wheeler emissions standards in 1991, with limits for CO and HC. Since then, other pollutants have been brought under regulation and emission limits have been tightened. In the case of two and three-wheelers, India does not follow the European model.

As emission standards were tightened, two-stroke motorcycles all but disappeared from the market. However, two-strokes do continue to be produced for some mopeds (50 cc or smaller engines), which are a small part of the market, as well as for three wheelers (mainly auto-rickshaws).

Even as standards for two and three-wheelers are tightened over time, these remain more polluting than four-wheeled vehicles on a per kilometer basis, particularly for PM.

India has a joint HC+NOx emission standard for two and three-wheelers. This often leads to the situation in which two and three-wheeler engines run fuel lean, lowering HC emissions but increasing NOx emissions.

Technical Standards
While Europe uses the ECE and WMTC test cycles, India has traditionally used the India Drive Cycle (IDC), which is said to more closely represent Indian driving norms. The differences in these test cycles mean measurements of pollutant emissions vary, making it difficult to compare Indian and European emission standards.

India recently made testing under the WMTC optional for two-wheelers. It is expected to become mandatory for the next stage of two-wheeler emission standards after 2015.

Emission standards for two and three-wheel vehicles are listed in the following table.

Information on in-use emissions standards for two and three-wheelers may be found on the India: Compliance and Enforcement page.

Regulatory documents

 * The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981


 * The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986


 * The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988