Defer rollout: Mahindra to govt on more accurate emissions test

Automaker Mahindra & Mahindra has requested the government to defer the implementation of a more accurate emissions measuring standard for passenger and light commercial vehicles, proposed to take effect from April 2027, it has learnt.

- Aggam Walia & Soumyarendra Barik

The draft norms, issued by the ministry of road transport and highways on April 28, introduce a new testing procedure as part of enforcing the next phase of Bharat Stage (BS) VI standards.

The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), which the European Union adopted in 2018, ensures that emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter from vehicles on the road more closely reflect results recorded in laboratory conditions.

In its response to the draft notification, Mahindra & Mahindra, in a letter dated May 26, urged the ministry that a "standalone migration to WLTP be avoided" and its implementation be deferred. The automaker also suggested that the government wait until the upcoming Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) phase 3 norms—currently under discussion—clarify their position on adopting WLTP.