We all are aware that the Phase-II of the BS6 norms will be getting implemented by the 1st of April this year. This means that from April 1, 2023, all new vehicles in the country will have to comply with the new emission norms. The more stringent BS6-2 norms will be equivalent to Euro 6 standards valid for all vehicles across Europe.
All the automakers in India have either upgraded their engines to comply with the regulations or phased them out completely. But there are a few expensive changes that are required to make an engine comply with the stricter emission norms. These upgrades lead to higher costs of production and increased input costs. This will translate to higher prices and reduced sales.
Here, we explain all that is needed to make an engine comply with the newer RDE regulations.
What exactly are RDE norms?
As a part of Phase 2 of BS6, the Real Driving Emission Norm (RDE) is being implemented to evaluate the emission levels of cars in both ideal lab test conditions as well as the real world. The RDE norms rely on measurement from real-world conditions.
Whereas BS6 required that vehicles be tested in a lab, BS6-2 will require that vehicles fulfill the required emission limits both while being tested in a real-world setting and when being tested in a lab setting on the MIDC (Modified Indian Test Cycle).
As a contrast to more constant settings in lab testing, the new RDE test will give a more accurate estimate of the quantity of emissions emitted by cars in real traffic situations with frequent fluctuations in speed.
How Are Engines Made RDE-Complaint?
Firstly, all BS6-compliant vehicles must be powered by engines that emit less NOx and Particulate Matter (harmful pollutants) and do so within the established limitations. Automakers employ either the Lean NOx Trap (LNT) or Selective Catalytic Reduction to accomplish this (SCR). Also, this guarantees that fuel is burned cleanly, effectively, and with minimal environmental impact.
This will require fitting the engines with an integrated self-diagnostic system (OBD Device) that can track variables like changing driving habits and traffic conditions in real-time. The OBD device will be responsible for constantly checking emissions levels by processing readings from key components, including oxygen sensors and catalytic converter.
https://www.motoroids.com/news/renault-updates-its-entire-portfolio-with-rde-compliant-engines/: Changes Required to Make Engines RDE-CompliantIf at any time, a vehicle’s emissions exceed the desired parameters of the BS6 Norms, an alert will be displayed to the driver that the vehicle needs to be serviced immediately. Additionally, vehicles will now be required to be equipped with programmed fuel injectors to manage the amount of fuel injected and its timing.
The bigger capacity diesel engines, however, must comply with SCR, which effectively employs AdBlue (a water-based urea solution) as a catalyst to eliminate hazardous emissions, in order to make diesel engines BS6 Stage 2 compliant.
For automakers with small-capacity diesel engine models, this update is costly. This has caused several companies to abandon diesel-powered vehicles in the entry-level market. For Eg. Hyundai discontinued the i20 Diesel, Honda discontinued the Amaze & City diesel, etc.