BSIV vs BSVI Engines: Know the Difference

Posted on: Dec 7, 2022 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

BSIV vs BSVI Engines: Know the Difference

The implementation of Bharat Stage VI, or BS6, is indeed a significant move made by the Indian Ministry of Road Transport & Highway (also known as MoRTH) to cut pollution from all modes of transportation, including two-wheelers. Nevertheless, both the BS4 as well as BS6 emission standards have been created to reduce car emissions and preserve the ecosystem. The integration of this will also lead you to get some advantages with third-party bike insurance and other comprehensive insurance.

Check out this article to learn the distinction between the BS4 vs BS6 standard in two-wheelers.

What is BS4 (BSIV)?

BS4 is also referred to as Bharat Stage 4. These are the emission standards that the Indian government has set. The BS4 is the successor of BS2 and BS3, where the emission norms were introduced. The BS4 was introduced to the market in 2017 with stricter emission standards and norms.

The governing body looks into all the potential emission-related changes such as ignition control, Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and tailpipe emissions. The AHO (Automatic Headlamp On) is one of the most common norms to be followed under BS4 in order to cater to safety standards.

What is BS6 (BSVI)?

BS6 or Bharat Stage 6 is also looked after by the governing body, Bharat Stage Emission Standards. The BS6 was introduced in the market as a method to overcome the challenges that BS4 faces, especially in terms of reducing pollution. BS5 was skipped in order to launch better emission standards across the country.

BS6 adheres to stricter norms promoting low levels of harmful pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide and nitrogen peroxide. BS6 was introduced in the market to improve air quality and lower the environmental impact of vehicles.

Pollution Emission Norms (BS4 vs BS6)

The BSVI has been pushed into the market by the Indian government since April 1, 2020, to fight the growing concerns around global warming. Here are some of the pollution norms to know about BS4 vs BS6:

1. BSVI refers to the sixth emission benchmark introduced to lower pollution. It is stricter and better managed than the BS4 emission norms. However, both these norms measure how much maximum pollution can be released from the exhaust of a motor vehicle.

2. The emission norm for BSIV is 80mg/km of nitrogen dioxide, whereas for BSVI is 60mg/km. The particulate matter is also restricted to 4.5mg/km as BSVI.

3. Sulphur has a crucial role for lubrication inside the engine. BSVI fuel however has lower BSIV sulphur content. Instead, additives are included to ensure better lubrication.

4. Onboard Diagnostic (OD) wasn't a part of BSIV norms but is that of the BSVI norms. However, you will have to check with your two-wheeler insurance provider about the conditions for this.

5. If a BSVI vehicle uses BSIV fuel, it is not adhering to the safety norms. Therefore, it is crucial for a BSVI vehicle to use only BSVI fuel to achieve the required emission level.

6. For the BSVI motor vehicles, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) have been introduced in the schedule for emission levels. This was not a part of the BSIV emission levels.

7. BSVI fuel is being dispensed across all the petrol pumps in the country. The BSIV vehicles can also use BSVI fuel.

8. Real Driving Emission (RDE) is also introduced in BSVI to ensure that there's a real-time analysis of emissions from motor vehicles.

9. BSVI emission norms also cover fuel and not only vehicles. Sulphur and nitrogen oxide are essential components of petrol and diesel. However, BSVI fuel contains less sulphur and nitrogen oxide. For BSIV fuel, the sulphur content is 50ppm whereas for BSVI, it is 10ppm. Moreover, the nitrogen content has also been reduced by 75% and 25% for diesel and petrol vehicles.

10. BSVI norm introduction has led to significant decline in pollution. The BSVI norms have led to the reduction of HC+NOx content from 300mg/km to 170mg/km. On the other hand, the PM level has also been reduced from 25mg/km to 4.5mg/km to ensure safety and better pollution control.

BS4 vs BS6-Compliant Automobile Engine

The Government of India has mandated the BS6 pollution standards from 1st April 2020 in order to create a cleaner ecosystem and tackle rising worries about global warming. As a result, instead of upgrading to BS5 and then subsequently to BS6, the transition from BS4 standards directly to BS6 standards was made. The following are the distinctions between BS4 and BS6 pollution standards:

Here is a table showing the difference between BS4 and BS6-compliant automobile engines:

Particulars	BS4 Compliant Engine	BS6 Compliant Engine
Content of sulphur	Higher amount of sulphur contents which leads to higher emissions of air pollutants	Significantly lower amount of sulphur content which leads to much cleaner engine
Emission of NOx	80mg per km	60mg or less per km
Concentration of sulphur	Much higher (50ppm)	Much lower (10ppm)
Characteristics of lubricating	Real sulphur is used which emits more air pollutants	Mimic sulphur is used which offers better performance
Real Driving Emission	Cannot be traced	BS6 rigorously enforces Driving Emission Standards.

Comparison on the Basis of Emission Level

Fuel Engine Type	Pollutant	Emission level in BS6 Engine	Emission level in BS4 Engine
Petrol Engine Vehicle	PM or Particulate matter limit	<4.5mg per km	Nil
Diesel Passenger Vehicle	PM or Particulate matter limit	<4.5mg per km	~25mg
Petrol Engine Vehicle	NOx or Nitrogen oxide Limit	~60mg	~80mg
Diesel Passenger Vehicle	NOx or Nitrogen Oxide Limit	~80mg	~250mg
Diesel Passenger Vehicle	HC + NOx or Hydrocarbons plus Nitrogen oxide	170mg per km	~300mg

What are BSI, BSII, BSIII, BSIV and BSVI Emission Norms?

All these are emission standards that the Bharat Safety Emission Standards (BSEB) set to regulate how much pollutants are being released on the road. The Central Pollution Control Board regulated by the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change was responsible for setting the allowed pollution level limit. This was required to be implemented by the vehicle manufacturers. These are very similar to European norms.

1. BSI:

This is the first set of pollution norms brought into effect in the year 2000. The main aim of this was to regulate carbon monoxide, nitrogen and hydrogen emissions from the vehicles.

2. BSII:

A year after BSI was implemented, BSII was launched in 2001, introducing stricter measures to lower air pollution further.

3. BSIII:

This was brought into effect in 2005 with stricter standards. However, this time, the aim was to reduce pollutants such as sulphur dioxides from all the vehicle exhausts.

4. BSIV:

BSIV was implemented in 2017 and aimed at reducing various pollutants such as particulate matter emissions and nitrogen dioxide.

5. BSVI:

BSVI has been introduced in the market in 2020 to meet the current standards. This rule aims at lowering various pollutants in the air such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. Aligning with the global standards, the main aim of this is to reduce pollutants and improve air quality.

The emission norms play an important role in lowering air pollution while promoting a cleaner and fresher environment. It also leads to the adoption of clean technologies across the automotive sector which aims at protecting the environment while also promoting public health benefits. This can also have a positive impact on the two-wheeler insurance you take.

How Does a BS6 Engine Works?

The SCR or Selective Catalytic Reduction unit uses a catalyst to turn nitrogen oxide or NOx into diatomic nitrogen plus water (both of which are harmless by-products). To minimise NOx emission levels, this SCR unit employs diesel exhaust fluid or AdBlue. The fluid is composed of two components: urea with a deionized form of water. Whenever exhaust gases in connection with this AdBlue fluid, urea is transformed into carbon dioxide and ammonia. After that, the ammonia then transforms NOx to nitrogen plus water vapour, decreasing pollutants.

Presently, distributors sell AdBlue at a high charge; nevertheless, with the fast increase in the number of BS6-compliant diesel engines, this high cost of AdBlue is likely to fall.

Effect of BSVI Emission Standards on Two-wheeler Vehicle Performance

Along with the progress of engine development and technology, BS6 has achieved significant advancements in all areas. This standard requires two-wheeler producers to adopt gasoline injection technologies in order to decrease hazardous emission levels.

Since the BS6-compliant bike engines are less robust and much more fuel-efficient, they have lowered environmental carbon emissions. Finally, this low level of emission has increased a bike's overall performance.

Conclusion:

The Government of India has introduced BS6 to lower pollution levels and conserve our ecosystem by moving to more stringent pollution emission rules. If you are preparing to get a new two-wheeler, be certain that you'll not swap BS6 standards for their contemporaries in order to save some money. You should also get the best two-wheeler insurance coverage to protect your prized two-wheeler from a variety of unanticipated events. It is advisable to get third party bike insurance that promises to offer the best deals.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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