Regenerative braking, solar paint: India’s new checklist for greener cars

Automatic start-stop systems, solar-reflective paint and regenerative braking are among nine technologies that could soon help Indian carmakers meet fuel-efficiency targets, under a new draft policy from the power ministry.

The draft Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)-III regulations, opened for stakeholder consultation, would credit manufacturers for fitting these technologies as an alternative to relying solely on electric and hybrid vehicles to comply with fuel-economy norms.

Besides start-stop systems, solar-reflective paint and regenerative braking, the list includes tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), six-speed-or-higher transmissions, high-efficiency alternators, LED exterior lighting, advanced glazing and electric water pumps – some offered only by specific manufacturers today.

Each approved technology is worth 1 gram of CO2 per kilometre, or 0.0422 litres per 100 km of fuel consumption under the Modified Indian Driving Cycle (MIDC), and benefits can be stacked across technologies up to a cap of 9 grams of CO2 per kilometre, equal to 0.3795 litres per 100 km.

Manufacturers have so far mostly relied on more efficient engines or a larger share of electric and hybrid models to hit compliance targets. The new framework would let features traditionally marketed as premium or convenience extras double as regulatory tools.

Since these technologies are already available in premium and mid-segment vehicles, the incentive is designed to push their adoption into mass-market cars as a relatively low-cost route to improving fleet-average fuel economy, while the draft’s renewable-fuel provisions also strengthen the case for flex-fuel vehicles.

Wikimedia Commons/by Rameshng