E-Paper
Gear up for in-car green sensors
For the first time, it plans to introduce on-board diagnostics (OBD-I) norms for passenger cars from April 2010, reports Deepak Joshi.
The government plans to introduce stricter monitoring of emission by passenger vehicles.
For the first time, it plans to introduce on-board diagnostics (OBD-I) norms for passenger cars from April 2010. Tougher OBD-II norms, however, will come into force from 2013. Bharat Stage-IV fuel will be used in following both the norms.
On-board diagnostics in an automotive context is a generic term referring to a vehicle's self-diagnostic and reporting capability. The regulatory intent of OBD-I was to encourage automobile manufacturers to design reliable emission control systems that remain effective for the vehicle's useful life.
Introduced for the first time in California, the hope was that by forcing annual emissions testing, and denying registration to vehicles that did not pass, the state’s drivers would tend to purchase vehicles that would more reliably pass the test.
OBD-II is an improvement over OBD-I in both capability and standardisation. The OBD-II standard specifies the type of diagnostic connector and its “pin-out”, the electrical signaling protocols available, and the messaging format. It also provides a candidate list of vehicle parameters to monitor along with how to encode the data for each. As a result of this standardisation, a single device can query the on-board computers in any vehicle.
The government is also considering asking the car manufacturers to conduct durability tests on certain models from their stable that confirm to emission control norms beyond 80,000 km. However, this will not be part of the Bharat Stage-IV notification. Separate procedure would be framed for implementation, officials said.
The bar for testing vehicles for the extra urban driving cycle is also being raised to 120 kmph from 90 kmph. This is being done to align cars to European standards and increase the export worthiness of the vehicles. The 90 kmph cycle has been followed since 2000 in Bharat Stage-II and Bharat Stage-III norms. The contention was that the maximum highway speed was limited to 80 kmph and the ceiling of 90 kmph was aimed to simulate real world conditions.
