India’s shift to real-world fuel-efficiency norms for commercial vehicles (CV) is nearing the finish line according to Tata Motors CEO & Managing Director Girish Wagh.
Wagh said the government has agreed to the proposed Bharat Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (Bharat VECTO). The new framework will replace the current laboratory-based fuel-efficiency tests for medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs).
It is expected to become the CV equivalent of the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFÉ) norms for passenger vehicles and N1-category light commercial vehicles. The framework envisages a significantly higher improvement in fuel efficiency for M&HCVs initially, over the five-year period, by shifting the focus from laboratory testing to real-world vehicle performance.
“The targets will promote electrification and more of alternate fuels,” Wagh said. “The targets will be set in a manner that achievers are able to achieve.”
The proposal also brings light commercial vehicles (LCVs) under fuel-efficiency regulation for the first time, significantly expanding the scope of India’s commercial vehicle efficiency programme.
Unlike the current constant-speed laboratory tests, Bharat VECTO estimates fuel consumption through computer simulations that account for payload, road gradients, traffic conditions, vehicle configuration and driving cycles, providing a more accurate assessment of energy consumption under actual operating conditions. Adapted from Europe’s Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO), the Indian version is currently being calibrated by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in consultation with commercial vehicle manufacturers to reflect domestic roads, freight operations and driving patterns.
The proposal is now in its final consultative phase, with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), BEE, ARAI and the industry jointly validating Bharat VECTO before fleet-wide fuel-efficiency targets are finalised ahead of its planned rollout from April 1, 2027.
Once implemented, this will, for the first time bring LCVs under fuel-efficiency regulations. LCVs clock in nearly 6,38,000-units annual in sales and account for than 60 % of India’s CV market.
