India To Adopt WLTP Emission Testing Cycle From April 2027: What It Means For You?

In a positive move for Indian car buyers, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a new draft notification that proposes a move to the more stringent WLTP emission cycle. What is this about, and how does it affect you? Scroll down to read more! 

But before that, the gazette doesn’t have any mention about EVs being tested in the WLTP cycle. It has only mentioned ICE vehicles, meaning the EVs will continue to follow the MIDC cycle. 

What Is The WLTP Cycle?

WLTP or Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Testing Procedure is an emission test which involves simulated real-world driving conditions, thus providing a fairly accurate picture of the fuel economy and emission figures for vehicles.

Adopted by the European Union back in 2018, this new method will replace the MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle) used till now, which heavily relied on lab-tested figures and resulted in a large mismatch between claimed figures, and those actually seen by buyers in real world conditions. 

What Has Changed?

These new protocols will be applicable to all M1 category of vehicles which include all types of cars, SUVs and MPVs with a seating capacity of up to 9 seats. Additionally they will also be used for commercial vehicles that fall under the M2 (9+ seats and below 5 tons GVW), and N1 (Goods carriage under 3.5 tons GVW) categories as well. 

The notification also proposes that the testing will be conducted on a chassis dynamometer, with frequent testing throughout the lifecycle of the product for better accuracy and strict monitoring. Additionally, carmakers will also be mandated to declare compatibility with high ethanol fuel blends such as E85 and E100 through visible stickers. 

Notably, the regulated emission limits remain unchanged, and will continue to adhere to those set by Bharat Stage VI (BS6), which has been the standard since 2020. Just like before, vehicles will also have to comply with AIS-175 norms for safety regulations which enhance passenger safety with equipment such as fire retardant systems, emergency exits and driver alerts.

What Does It Mean For You?

This amendment will be a win for buyers given that these new testing protocols that are used globally will bridge the gap between the fuel-efficiency figures as seen on the brochures and those in real life usage.

Manufacturers will also be mandated to have on-board diagnostics in cars to alert drivers whenever emissions go above a certain threshold, which will also help in identifying issues with their powertrains. 

Also, since this is just a regulation change for testing vehicles, you can also be assured that prices of most cars are likely to be the same.