Long-term we have to go back to diesel to address pollution concerns. At the BS VI level particulate emissions for both petrol and diesel are similar.
German luxury car maker Mercedes Benz on Thursday said in the long term to address pollution concerns India will have to go back to and adopt diesel technology.
The statement comes in wake of the uncertainty over the future of the fuel after Supreme Court banned registration of new diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR) in December last year and the NGT hearing a petition to take similar action in 11 major metropolitan cities across the country.
“Long-term we have to go back to diesel to address pollution concerns. At the BS VI level particulate emissions for both petrol and diesel are similar. But CO2 emission in petrol is higher. Given the commitments India has made in Paris, diesel technology is the way forward “, said Roland Folger, managing director, Mercedes Benz India Limited (MBIL).
Faster upgradation to higher emission norms would be more beneficial in allaying concerns over environment. Folger informed, “We are ready to bring in BS VI vehicles even in 2018 if fuel is available. We are not saying that BS VI standards should be advanced but an upgradation to higher emission norms can be a solution to this critical issue.”
Mid-term, Mercedes Benz is working at increasing flexibility. Folger said the company is making efforts to inculcate a cultural shift within the organisation that will enable them to react faster to “sudden surprises” and changes in the market here. Mercedes has been ramping up production of petrol engines and increasing allocation of petrol vehicles for sale in Delhi-NCR.
The company managed to post marginal growth in the first quarter of this calendar year selling 3622 units. Folger said that Mercedes Benz India may still be able to meet its annual growth targets, but only if the ban on sale of larger diesel vehicles in the NCR is lifted soon.
In the meantime, the company is working towards introducing a steady line of vehicles in the Indian market to meet customer requirements and up sentiments. Mercedes Benz today launched its sixth sports utility vehicle GLC priced between Rs 50.7 lakh and Rs 50.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune) in the country. This is the fifth launch for the company in 2016. The GLC is pitted against BMW X3 and Audi Q5
