Draft BS-VII Emission Norms from April 2029: New Rules for Brakes, Tyres and EV Batteries
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft notification proposing Bharat Stage VII (BS-VII) emission norms for category M1 vehicles (passenger cars) made from 1 April 2029. The public has 30 days to send comments.
The rules will be added to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. India has followed BS-VI norms nationwide since April 2020.
BS-VII comes in three phases: April 2029 (exhaust limits, evaporative emissions, fuel and electric energy use, battery durability), April 2031 (limits on brake dust and tyre wear) and April 2035 (one common brake-dust limit for all vehicles, more particle controls).
For the first time, electric vehicles (EVs) are covered: their batteries must keep at least 75% of their performance for 5 years or 1,00,000 km, and 67% up to 8 years or 1,60,000 km, whichever comes first.
Cars must pass real-world on-road tests (not just laboratory tests), carry on-board monitoring that can catch emissions above 2.5 times the limit, and stay clean for 1,60,000 km or 8 years.
Buyers will get an Environmental Vehicle Passport showing fuel use, battery health and pollutant emissions. Cars with geofencing technology (which can switch to a cleaner mode inside marked zones) can be approved as "BS-VII-G" vehicles.
Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Norms
Bharat Stage (BS) norms are the rules that fix how much pollution a new vehicle is allowed to release from its exhaust pipe in India. The government sets the maximum amount of harmful gases and tiny particles a car, bike, bus or truck may emit for every kilometre it runs. A vehicle must pass these limits before it can be sold. Each new "stage" (BS-I, BS-II and so on) is stricter than the one before, so newer vehicles pollute less.
The draft BS-VII norms are the next step after BS-VI. Instead of only cutting tailpipe numbers again, they test cars on real roads, make them stay clean for longer, and for the first time bring EV batteries, brakes and tyres into the rules.
Particulate Matter: PM2.5 and PM10
Particulate matter (PM) means tiny bits of solid or liquid floating in the air: dust, soot, smoke, and droplets. They are so small that most cannot be seen one by one. PM10 means particles 10 micrometres wide or smaller, and PM2.5 means particles 2.5 micrometres or smaller. To picture it, a human hair is about 50 to 70 micrometres thick, so a PM2.5 particle is roughly 20 to 30 times thinner than a hair. PM is the most important air pollutant for human health in India.
The draft BS-VII norms set limits on brake particle emissions measured as PM10, which is the first time India has targeted non-exhaust PM from cars. The lower limit for pure EVs reflects that regenerative braking makes them shed less brake dust, while tyre-abrasion limits will target the wear that heavier vehicles cause.
- Draft BS-VII issued by MoRTH; applies to M1 (passenger cars) from 1 April 2029; 30 days for public comments
- Phases: April 2029, April 2031, April 2035
- Draft CO limits: 1,000 mg/km (petrol-type) and 500 mg/km (diesel); NOx: 60 mg/km (petrol-type) and 80 mg/km (diesel)
- Brake particle (PM10) limits from 1 April 2031: 3 mg/km for pure EVs; 7 mg/km for hybrids, fuel-cell and combustion vehicles; single 3 mg/km limit for all from 1 April 2035
- C1 tyre abrasion limits from 1 April 2031 (values to be notified separately)
- EV and plug-in hybrid battery: at least 75% performance for 5 years or 1,00,000 km; 67% up to 8 years or 1,60,000 km
- On-road tests in type approval from 1 April 2030, conformity factor 1.0 for NOx and particle number
- On-board monitoring must detect emissions at least 2.5 times the limit
- Emission durability: 1,60,000 km or 8 years; lifetime period to 2,00,000 km or 10 years
- Environmental Vehicle Passport; "BS-VII-G" label for geofencing-equipped petrol and diesel cars; ethanol compatibility above E20 must be declared
- BS-VI in force nationwide since 1 April 2020