The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on October 13, 2026, issued the Draft Central Motor Vehicles.......Amendment) Rules, 2026, to further amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
The following has been amended, namely:
• The draft rules propose to amend Rule 115 by inserting sub-rule 23(i)(B) to introduce Bharat Stage VII (BS-VII) emission standards for category N1 vehicles, with the amendment rules scheduled to come into force on October 1, 2026. The prescribed emission limits for carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and particle numbers (PN) will apply to all N1 vehicle models manufactured on or after April 1, 2030, with different limits for Classes I, II and III based on mass in running order.
• The framework provides phased implementation of testing and compliance requirements, including type approval, conformity of production, in-service conformity, real-driving emissions (RDE), WLTP testing, evaporative emissions, battery durability, brake particle emissions and tyre abrasion. Brake particle emission limits and tyre abrasion requirements will apply from April 1, 2032, while further particle-number requirements are scheduled for April 1, 2035.
• Manufacturers will be required to comply with prescribed fuel specifications, engine durability and lifetime requirements, on-board diagnostics (OBD), on-board monitoring (OBM), on-board fuel and electric energy consumption monitoring (OBFCM), and Environmental Vehicle Passport (EVP) requirements.
• The draft also prescribes RDE testing during type approval from April 1, 2030, requirements for anti-tampering and cybersecurity, and applicable safety standards for CNG, Bio-CNG, HCNG and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. The proposed standards also address testing procedures, emission deterioration factors and conformity-of-production checks, including annual testing for each engine model and its variants.
• Objections and suggestions to these draft rules are invited by November 13, 2026 (Friday).
[Notification No. - G.S.R. 881(E)]
