The government has declared that the new, BS-VI emission norms will be enforced from the month of April in 2020. All types of vehicles, including passenger and commercial cars, have to be made to comply with these new norms. Many companies, like Maruti Suzuki, Jeep and some more already are offering BS-VI compliant engines. Moreover, brands like Kia are making their debut in the Indian market with such new-generation engines. However, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways exempts one particular set of vehicles from these new emission norms. A recent notification issued by the ministry declares armoured and specialised vehicles of the Indian armed forces and paramilitary forces need not comply with the BS-6 emission regulations.
The government has also exempted these vehicles from complying with the older BS-IV emission norms. Now all of you must be wondering why does the government exempt these vehicles from these strict norms and regulations. Listed below are some possible reasons, do read ahead.
No Update Needed
The cars used by our armed forces are designed to tackle tough challenges, without breaking a sweat. Over the years, our soldiers have put their trust on a particular vehicle and would want to continue to do so, rather than commanding a new car. Moreover, it would take quite some time and money to implement this change.
Fuel Provision
Cars running on BS-VI compliant engines would require special fuel to help and meet these emission norms. While most parts of the country would be stocking up on this new fuel, there are some remote locations where our armed forces operate and stocking up this new fuel could prove to be a challenge. Maybe that is why it makes more sense for the armed forces to carry on the same cars, with the same engine, running on the same type of fuel.
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Low Demand
Unlike the passenger or commercial vehicle market, the armed forces do not buy an extremely high number of cars. Moreover, since the cars use by the armed forces are not your run-of-the-mill production cars, it could be safe to say the cost of developing and creating a BS-VI compliant engine for such a small batch would not be justifiable.