The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH) has notified new emission test standards for vehicles seeking approval under BS-VI emission norms. According to the new standards notified by the government, all bi-fuel vehicles with flex-fuel options will have to take both gaseous pollutant and particulate matter pollutant tests. However, vehicles that run on hydrogen will only have to undergo nitrogen oxide tests.

The government’s notification reads: “When a bi-fuel has flex fuel option, both test requirements are applicable… Only NOx emissions shall be determined when the vehicle is running on Hydrogen.”

It has clarified that particulate mass and number limits for vehicles with positive ignition engines, including hybrids, shall apply only to vehicles with direct injection engines.

“Vehicles fuelled with biodiesel blends up to 7 per cent will be tested with reference to diesel (B7), and vehicles fuelled with biodiesel blends above 7 per cent will be tested with respective blends,” the notification has said.

Carbon dioxide emission and fuel consumption shall be measured according to procedure laid down in AIS 137 and as amended from time to time, it has added.

The notification states that manufacturers will have the option to choose either gasoline (E10) or gasoline (E20) as fuel for type approval and conformity of production test.

The conformity of production period for each vehicle model (including variants) will be once a year and at least 50 per cent of the models produced from a particular plant per year will be selected randomly for tests.