Namaste BS7

Namaste BS 7: What does it mean for you?

You pave, we follow. Colonialism has given us aplenty to develop and prosper as a country. That’s not to demean our countrymen, its leaders and formulators. A little helping hand, guidance or following a formula with suitable adaptations for the application is no bad thing, right? After the end of colonialism British legislations served as blueprints to make our own legislations for sovereign India. Likewise European Emission Standards have always served as a paradigm for our own Bharat Stage Emission Standards (BSES) ever since they both came into existence, precisely in the years 1992 and 2000, respectively. 

First up, a bit of introduction and history – What is Bharat Stage Emission Standards or BS Norms, as it is popularly referred to? BS norms are basically emission standards stipulated and instituted by the Central Government of India to keep a watchful and stern eye on output of air pollution from compression, internal combustion and spark ignition engines & equipment. The standards are adapted from the corresponding EURO norms and set by the Central Pollution Control Board of India. BS norms in India were first introduced in the year 2000, and progressively the norms were made more stringent following close on the heels of ever-evolving EURO norms. In October 2010 BS Stage 3 norms were implemented across the country, while only 13 major cities were to comply with BS Stage 4 norms from April 2010. Rest of the country followed suit for BS 4 norms in April 2017. In 2016, India took a bold decision of skipping BS 5 norms altogether and leapfrogging to BS 6 norms from 2020. It was a huge step, because it meant all stakeholders, not just auto makers but also ancillary industries went into a flurry. It meant huge investments in research & development of BS 6 compliant everything, including fuels.

Up until now BS norms keep a check on hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of Carbon (COx), oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Sulphur from fuels, particulate matter (PM) form the tailpipes. 

For reference, below is the tabulation of maximum allowed emission of the above mentioned pollutants under BS 4 and BS 6 norms:

                             BS4 Petrol BS4 Diesel BS6 Petrol BS6 Diesel

CO (in mg/km): 1000 500 1000 500

HC (in mg/km): 100 300 100 170

NO (in mg/km): 80 250 60 80

PM (in mg/km): NA 25 4.5 4.5

The new standards on the above mentioned major pollutants have not been exactly decided upon yet, but last year in a closed door meeting with his technical committee, our Honourable Union Minister for Highways and Motor Transport, Mr. Nitin Gadkari urged automakers and all stake holders to start working on BS7 norms proactively, for a projected implementation by 2027 and not wait for the proverbial stick from the government. Historically, the industry has resisted every new stage because a new stage means huge costs in R&D, infrastructure, axing of some existing models of cars and motorcycles which are still profitable but it is not feasible enough to grant an upgrade to new norms, desperate & discounted sale of inventory not complying with new norms before the implementation deadline.

What to expect from BS7

Since the new standards of the major pollutants have not yet been decided upon, we will have to delve into the proposed EURO 7 norms, which will lend us a picture of what can be expected from BS7. The new BS7 norms will ensure cleaner vehicles on our roads and improved air quality vis-à-vis the current BS6 standards. The new norms are expected to make cars, vans, trucks & buses run much cleaner in “real driving conditions” that better reflect the situation in cities where air pollution problems are the largest. 

In case you are wondering why “real driving conditions” has been highlighted in quotes, I would like to take a short detour and shed some light on the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) emissions scandal that rocked the global automotive world in 2015. Infamously known as “Dieselgate” and “Emissiongate”, what VAG did was – they installed a pre-programmed chip in their diesel cars which detected when the cars were going through a check in a laboratory and upon detecting such conditions it would automatically bring down the emissions to the permissible levels. Whereas out in the real world driving conditions the NOx levels were found to be 40 times higher. VAG had deployed this chip in about 11 million cars worldwide in model years 2009 through 2015.

Coming back to BS7/EURO7 – it is expected to ensure reduction in pollutant emission in real world driving conditions, while also using digital technologies to better use (than what VAG did). All vehicles will need to comply with the rules for a more sustained period. Compliance for cars and vans will be checked until these vehicles reach 200000 kms and 10 years of age under EURO7. This doubles the durability requirements existing under EURO6 rules which were 100000 kms and 5 years of age. Similar increase is expected for buses and lorries as well. Since EURO7 is adopting this, we can expect increase in limits back home in our country too.

A dramatic change is not expected as far as emissions from the tailpipe are concerned, because we have almost maxed it out. Broadening the range of driving conditions that are covered by the on-road emissions tests is definitely on the cards. These will now better reflect the range of conditions that vehicles can experience. However, there are certain new things expected this time around other than exhaust emissions.

Regulation on emissions from brakes and tyres. Yes, you read that right. Have you noticed a black soot like deposition on your rims, especially light coloured ones, after longer drives. That is brake dust. The new norms look forward to reduce brake dust, which are ultimately let loose in the air we breathe and on the road. New cladding technologies make it possible to manufacture low-wear brake discs. Today’s grey cast iron brake discs, in spite of good service lives, are subject to wear and tear and need to be replaced multiple times during the life of a vehicle. Cladding with laser technology enables the production of low-wear brake disc. The inexpensive base material can still be retained, but decisive parameters can be optimised by a powder based additional layer which can be welded on by means of a high power diode laser, in addition to a layer of tungsten carbide. Similarly a regulation will be applied to the emission of micro-plastics from the current tyres. Research & development of newer compounds for manufacturing of such tyres must be paved.

BS7 will also see an uptake of electric vehicles too. The new rules will regulate the durability of batteries installed in vehicles in order to increase buyers’ confidence in EVs. This will also help in reduction of need of replacing batteries early in the life of a vehicle, thus reducing the need for new critical raw materials required to produce batteries.

The new norms will also look forward to make full use of digital possibilities. It will also ensure that vehicles are not tampered with (as in the VAG Dieselgate) and emissions can be controlled by the authorities in an easy way, by using sensors inside the vehicle to measure emissions throughout the lifetime of the vehicle. Basically a more advanced version of what was deployed and phase 2 of the BS6 norms.

The new BS7 norms will aim to be “Fuel Neutral”. What that means is – irrespective of what fuel is used for the propulsion of the vehicle, the emission standards will remain the same. There will be no different standards for petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG or even battery operated vehicles for that matter.

Last, but not the least – Fumes from petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG during refueling of vehicles will also need to be kept under check. Measures will be taken to minimize the fumes, which are a potential health hazard too. On a lighter note – this reminds me of, how many of us, as children would enjoy the smell of petrol at gas stations. Our future generation won’t have any more of that experience. 

Footnotes for the car enthusiasts;

Yes, your new BS7 car will feel more choked and wheezier as compared to BS6. As your BS6 car felt compared to your BS4 car. As your BS4 car felt compared to your BS3 car. And so on. Yes, throttling of the performance of our beloved toys is saddening. But think of it this way – do we want to have all the fun and leave the earth in a sorry state or do we want our future generations to also experience and know the joys of driving, especially internal combustion engines, for the time to come? It is a small price to pay. At least we get to keep cars longer.

Electric Vehicles

EV (Electric Vehicle), 

My worse nightmare. The simplest way to define EV is – a vehicle driven by an electric motor powered electrically by a battery on-board. Most of the mainstream EVs’ power is channelled via a single speed transmission, so gear changes of any sort are also absent. So simple recipe, right? Just charge, sit, accelerate-break-steer. Yes, it is indeed simple from a user’s perspective, but it does come with its share of flies in the ointment. 

 First up – range and charging infrastructure limitations, about which everyone talks and is byword. One is just limited to city confines with most mainstream EVs having a real-world range in the 200 km ballpark. One ought to have a premises of their own equipped with the most basic charging point in the charging hierarchy at the least. If one intends to do long distances on a regular basis then an EV cannot be the only vehicle in the garage because our highways don’t have public charging stations at an average of every 200 kms. 

 Secondly, the very important point which the automotive fraternity and authorities hardly talk about – SUSTAINABLE DISPOSAL OF THE HUGE PILE OF DEFUNCT LITHION ION BATTERIES. Take my word for it, it is a humungous yet unaddressed issue. Go back to the era when we had mobile phones with self-removable batteries. Remember those batteries would have trash bin crossed symbol on them — implying the user is not entitled or authorised to self-disposal into conventional bins, because lithium ion is a highly toxic substance and its disposal is a professional task. Did we see the implementation of it? The answer is a resounding and jarring NO. Those batteries were a miniscule quantity when compared to tonnes of defunct lithium-ion batteries EVs would generate and yet there is little discourse on it. 

 Thirdly, comes the “Green” chip on the shoulder it comes with. There’s a huge hullaballoo about the green environmental credentials associated with it. Is it really green? Let’s look at some facts first; 

1. An EV leaves more carbon footprint in its production process itself compared to what an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) counterpart would generate in its entire lifetime. Beat that! 

2. The self-proclaimed green warriors would argue that at least running an EV is entirely green, right? Sorry, Team green, you recharge your batteries with electricity which is generated by another fossil fuel (coal), so ultimately you are still leaving behind carbon footprint. I would have given you the green-running credentials if you used wind, hydel or any other renewable source of energy. 

3. Cobalt – a very important mineral which is indispensable in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. Cobalt reserves are found in abundance in African countries like Congo and Madagascar contributing a major chunk. It had been a non-issue, if the extraction was being done ethically and sustainably. The cheap labour in these poor countries is exploited to the core, and the damage caused to the environment for its extraction is a hushed topic still. Profiteering lobbies make sure these issues don’t come to light. 

 So, are EVs really the sustainable future especially in a country like ours? Are we ready? Simple answer is – NOT YET. Footnote of a driving and car enthusiast. There’s romance in the gradual and measured build-up of torque and power, as the analogue rev needle climbs and peaks at a specific rpm of the ICE and all the various ‘mechanical noises’ which it produces in the process is music to the ears, unlike the ‘whining’ of the electric motor. The symphony created by the orchestra of an ICE car is unsurpassed. From the diminuendo at idle to crescendo at the redline — that is pure, unadulterated joy

Autonomous Vehicles

ADAS

Arguably the hottest topics in the automotive scene today ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist System) The idea of Autonomous Cars and Electric Vehicles or EVs sent a chill down the spine of the car aficionado in me, even in my pre-teens – much before I learnt to drive. It still does. But, since it is one of the hottest topics in the industry and as an automotive blogger I can’t shirk off a subject if it’s even remotely automotive. I like my cars analogue – unadulterated driving. Period. Care for a 1986 BMW 316 (E30)? Heck, I even preferred The Flintstones over The Jetsons! 

What is an “Autonomous car”? To put it simply – it’s a car which can take cognizance of its environment and drive you or itself to a pre-determined destination with little to no human intervention. Autonomous cars basically use an array of sensors like radars, ultrasonics, video cameras and LIDARS (Light Detection and Ranging) to take cognizance of the environment and send all the information to high performance processors. The complex, pre-set algorithms, software and processors perform the task of driving the car via actuators which in a level-0 car a human would perform (tasks like accelerating, steering, braking, changing gears etc). All of this happens in REAL-TIME. Most of them use the Bayesian Simultaneous Localization & Mapping (SLAM) algorithms. 

SAE defines and demarcates six levels of automation; 

Level 0 – Little or no automation; human involvement is required at all times. 

Level 1 – Has some amount of automation like cruise control or park assist where the steering is automated and driver still controls the throttle and brake. 

Level 2 – This is where ADAS comes in and one of the topics of this piece. It’s the hot word today in the mass end of the Indian Automotive Spectrum. MG Astor, Mahindra XUV7OO, the latest iteration of the Hyundai Verna and Honda City are banking on their ADAS features as USPs, in their segments. Cars with ADAS have Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)—can keep a watch on lane and can even brake for you in an emergency. 

Level 3 – This is a conditional automation level in which the cars are capable of taking cognizance of its surroundings and can perform tasks expected from a driver, but human override cannot be ruled out. 

Level 4 – This is a high automation level but not fully autonomous yet. Level 4 cars can operate with optional human intervention provided there is geo-fencing in place (within specific areas, speed limits, markings and the whole shebang). 

Level 5 – This is the full autonomy level—no human intervention required, not even a steering wheel or pedals. This is where the car’s “CPU is without fear and the throttle is held high. Where knowledge is free….” Okay. That’s enough poetry and tomfoolery. 

Let’s address the elephant in the room now — is India ready for ADAS or Level 2 automation yet? Or do they just earn the car’s spec sheet some bragging rights and gimmicks? In my opinion – it’s the latter in the current scenario or even in the near future for that matter. For ADAS to work efficiently and unobtrusively the following are imperative: 1. Well-marked lanes. 2. Signboards which adhere to global standards. 3. Orderly roads and surroundings, with disciplined road users. It is needless to say majority of roads lack all the aforementioned attributes. 

The other major deterrent is – the psyche and psychic development of our populace. Let’s admit it we are a reckless lot and tend to misuse things more than using it appropriately. We’ve seen people making social media reels with ADAS on. ADAS never means “no human intervention”. It is only an “assist” and an alert driver is still required as long as the car is in motion. At the end of the day ADAS is based on electronics and they might crash at any moment. The other psyche which concerns me is the attentiveness and attention span of people since the integration of social media and smartphones in our lives. It has reduced drastically and man is not completely mentally present in congruence to his physical presence (and women too). Thus, to put it straight, India is not ADAS-ready yet in my opinion.