Ban on Diesel Vehicles

The Energy Transition Advisory Committee has recommended a ban on the use of diesel-powered 4-wheel vehicles by 2027 in cities with a population over 1 million. The panel, headed by former petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor and formed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has instead recommended transition to electric and gas-fuelled vehicles.

Background –

• According to the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, diesel currently accounts for about 40% of India’s petroleum products consumption.
• The panel’s recommendations come in the wake of the government’s stated aim to reduce GHG emission, and to produce 40% of its electricity from renewables as part of its 2070 net zero goal.
• Since 2020, most carmakers have taken significant steps towards deleveraging their diesel portfolios.
  • • Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, stopped making diesel vehicles from April 1, 2020.
• Diesel cars accounted for 48% of passenger vehicle sales in the country in 2013 due to the sharply lower price of diesel as compared to petrol.
• But this changed when the decontrol of fuel prices started in 2014. The price difference has since come down to around Rs 7 per litre (from Rs 25).
• Consequently, diesel cars accounted for less than 20% of overall passenger vehicle sales in 2021-22.

Why are carmakers moving away from diesel?

• There are increased emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
• An external trigger – the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which led to an increase in the negative perception against diesel across markets, including India.
  • • In 2015, Volkswagen admitted to having installed emissions-cheating devices in its vehicles to cheat on emissions tests.
• The rollout of the new BS-VI (directly from BS-IV) emission norms (the reason why Maruti Suzuki announced an exit) from April 1, 2020, involves prohibitively high cost of upgrading diesel engines to meet the new standard.
  • • While petrol vehicles needed upgrades for this transition, these were limited to catalysts and electronic control upgrades.

What is the proposal?

• A ban on diesel-powered four-wheelers in all Million Plus cities and all towns with high pollution has to be enforced in five years, i.e., by 2027.
• Commercial vehicles may transition to LNG in the short term and no diesel city buses addition be allowed in urban areas.
• City transport should be a mix of Metro trains and electric buses by 2030 to drive transition towards clean fuel urban public transport.

Issue with the Proposal –

• People still prefer diesel vehicles —
  • • The higher fuel economy of diesel engines — This stems from the greater energy content per litre of diesel, and the inherent efficiency of the diesel engine (do not use spark plugs, have higher compression ratios).
    • Offer more torque (rotational or turning force) — Also, they are less likely to stall as they are controlled by a mechanical or electronic governor.
• How practical it would be to implement the ban — This is especially true in the case of medium and heavy commercial vehicles (transport trucks, buses).
  • • Around 87% of diesel fuel sales are in the transport segment, with trucks and buses accounting for about 68%.
    • Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana makeup almost 40% of the diesel sold in India.
• Transition challenges — While it seems easier at the moment to convert diesel trucks to compressed natural gas (CNG), there are certain limitations —
  • • CNG being used for shorter distances, and
    • Its lower tonnage carrying capacity.
• Already compliant with current emission norms — Carmakers in the diesel segment and oil marketing companies (reducing the level of sulphur in diesel) claim have invested heavily to transition their diesel fleet from BS-IV to BS-VI emission norms.