Maruti Seeks Relaxation in CAFE Targets, Says Small Car Segment at Ris
Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, termed the emission targets proposed in the draft CAFE 3 norms as “unscientific” for small cars, and warned that “some may have to move out of the market” if those relaxations are removed. In a move that may further intensify the divide in the automobile industry over the upcoming vehicle emission norms.
“No car in the world can meet those unscientific targets even by a distance. The problem is not in the cars. The problem is in the targets,” says Maruti’s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, Rahul Bharti.
Bharti says that it would be difficult for small cars to meet the stringent targets proposed in the draft norms without emission relaxation, arguing that many other countries like the US, Europe, Japan, and Korea have also made such arrangements for the category.
Maruti’s comments come after Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and President of industry body SIAM, recently criticized the weight-based relaxation as “arbitrary” under the revised draft CAFE norms released by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in September.
The revised draft of the emission norms, which are to be implemented from 2027 to 2032, mandates fleet emissions to be reduced to 91.7 grams of CO2 per km. However, the latest draft has also proposed a CO2 concession of 3 g/km for every reporting year for cars weighing under 909 kg with up to a 1200cc engine and 4-meter length. The concession is limited to a total of 9 g/km.
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This came as a relief for Maruti, which is the largest player in the segment with models like Alto, S-Presso, Celerio, and Ignis.
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According to reports, SIAM had recently communicated to the BEE that its members could not come to a consensus on the issue of emission relaxations for small cars.Bharti also argued that allowing relaxation for a particular category would not undermine the industry’s transition toward cleaner vehicles.
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He claimed that the company was being extremely responsible with its new models in terms of CO2 emissions, unlike the “gas guzzlers” in the market. He said that its latest offering, Victoris, has CO2 emissions 20–35 percent lowers than competitive models in the same weight category.
Carmakers reported strong growth in the month of November as GST reforms and festive demand in the market continued to support the industry.