Bajaj Auto has announced that its entire product range sold in India is now compliant with Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) emission standards. This means that all Bajaj two-wheelers and three-wheelers manufactured in the country for domestic sales will adhere to BS-IV emission regulations.
"We are proud to have achieved this clean emission milestone well ahead of the stipulated date of March 31, 2017," said Eric Vas, President, Motorcycle Division, Bajaj Auto.
The fact that Bajaj Auto has achieved BS-IV compliance well in advance before the mandated deadline is quite commendable. In fact, Bajaj started updating its motorcycles with BS-IV compliant engines from 2016 itself. Bajaj launched its first set of BS-IV compliant motorcycles from the Pulsar brand - the Pulsar 180, Pulsar 150 and 135 LS in December 2016. Later that month, Bajaj also updated the Pulsar 220F with a BS-IV engine, simultaneously launching the BS-IV compliant Avenger range.
The same month Bajaj also launched its new 125cc premium commuter V12 followed by its most powerful motorcycle, the Dominar 400, which are also BS-IV compliant. The bike maker even temporarily discontinued the relatively new Pulsar AS200 and AS150 to re-launch them later as BS-VI compliant motorcycles.
Bajaj is not the only two-wheeler manufacturer in India to take such proactive measures. Earlier this month, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) launched the updated Honda CB Unicorn 160, which also came with BS-IV compliant engine along with several new features. In fact, Honda's naked street fighter CB Hornet 160R which was launched at the end of 2015 also came with a new BS-IV compliant motor.
Currently most two-wheelers manufactured in India are still following BS-III emission norms. As mentioned before, the BS-IV norms will kick in from 1st April 2017 and the government has directed all manufactures to achieve BS-IV compliance for all their existing two-wheeler models by then. With less than three months to go, right now Bajaj Auto is the only two-wheeler manufacturer who has successfully achieved BS-IV compliance for all its models. And this is a bit worrisome.
