Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp Ltd said that it has received the BS-VI certification for its Splendor iSmart motorcycle, becoming the first two-wheeler manufacturer in India to receive the stamp.
Hero MotoCorp said that it received the Type Approval Certificate from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) for the Splendor iSmart model, after it was successfully tested for compliance to the BS-VI emission norms.
The company did not disclose the price of the new model.
It is estimated that bike prices would rise by between Rs 10,000-25,000 due to the shift, depending on the model.
ICAT is the premier testing and certification agency authorised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) for giving testing and certification services to the vehicle and component manufacturers situated within India and abroad.
BS or Bharat Stage refers to emission regulation standards set by Indian regulatory bodies.
Worried by rising pollution and global warming, India had decided to implemented the strict emission norm BS-VI from April next year, bypassing the BS-V standard altogether.
All auto-makers, including those who manufacture two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers and trucks, have to make their vehicles compliant with the new, stricter norms by then.
While earlier norms put a stop on the manufacturing of outdated vehicles, this time, both the manufacture and sale of BS-IV vehicles will be banned from April 1.
As a result, companies will have to stop producing such vehicles in January or so, so that the inventory that is in the pipeline can be flushed out over the next two months.
To stop the manufacturing of older models by January, they will have to start making the new model in October-November period. Most automakers are still in the design and testing stages of their BSVI models. Car makers had announced that they will stop making cars with diesel engines as it becomes extremely difficult to make such vehicles compliant with the new norms, and still affordable.
The emission standards were set by the central government to keep a check on the pollutant levels emitted by vehicles that use combustion engines. To bring them into force, the Central Pollution Control Board sets timelines and standards which have to be followed by automakers.
BS norms are largely similar to the European emission norms followed globally.
Following the Type Approval process, in which a manufacturer is required to build a prototype and get it tested and certified from any of the Govt approved test agencies such as ICAT, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) , the manufacturer is eligible to start the manufacturing of the certified model.
The new Splendor has been developed in-house, at Hero MotorCorp’s research and development hub, the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Hero MotorCorp said that with the BS-VI certification, it has reaffirmed its commitment to be ready for the BSVI transition much ahead of the April 1, 2020 deadline.
Hero MotorCorp added that it has the technological prowess for meeting the BS-VI norms and will now be gearing up to make its large portfolio of motorcycles and scooters BS-VI compliant.
“The Type Approval Certificate was issued to the Company’s Splendor iSmart motorcycle that has been developed and manufactured indigenously by Hero MotoCorp. Last year ICAT issued the country’s first approval for BS-VI norms for Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) segment also.The BS-VI emission standards are much more elaborate in their scope and integrate substantial changes to existing emission standards ensuring cleaner products to the consumer”, said Dinesh Tyagi, Director, ICAT.
Hero MotoCorp, formerly known as Hero Honda, is the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world. Headquartered in New Delhi, the company claims to have a market share of over 46% in the two-wheeler segment in India.
Hero MotoCorp has five manufacturing facilities based at Dharuhera, Gurgaon, Neemrana, Haridwar and Halol. These plants together have a production capacity of over 76 lakh units of two wheelers per year.