Autos snubbed on fuel emission

India's top energy efficiency agency has snubbed a demand by automakers such as Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd to exclude light commercial vehicles (LCVs) weighing less than 3.5 tonnes from fuel efficiency norms.

- Ayaan Kartik & Manas Pimpalkhare

In a notification released on Monday night, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) issued the latest draft of fuel efficiency norms for heavy, medium and light CVs, that is N1, N2 and N3 categories of trucks.

The proposal included LCVs despite opposition from automakers which said the segment caters to a poorer segment of the economy and such norms will raise costs. They have made several representations to the government over the past few months.

However, BEE has not budged.

"Passenger cars (M1 Category) are regulated under CAFE standards, but LCVs (<3,500kg gross vehicle weight) remain unregulated.