Real-world motor vehicle exhaust emissions in Delhi and Gurugram using Opus remote sensing
Delhi 2023
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The TRUE Initiative, with analysis led by the ICCT and in collaboration with local authorities, contracted Opus to conduct a remote sensing campaign that provides an independent evaluation of tailpipe emissions from vehicles to support evidence-based policymaking.
The objectives of the project were successfully accomplished, delivering a full database of more than 278,000 records. The data was collected on 65 days, over a period of 4 months, from December 15th 2022 to April 28th 2023, on 20 different sites of Delhi and Gurugram. This represents a very diverse sample of data, with different fleet mixes, driving conditions, metropolitan areas and weather conditions.
The study found that vehicles certified to the newest emission standard, Bharat Stage (BS) VI, show significant improvements across all pollutants and vehicle types measured. However, real-world emissions from BS VI vehicles in many cases remain higher than type-approval limits. This is particularly the case for high-use commercial vehicles; for example, BS VI taxi and light good vehicle fleets were shown to emit 2.4 and 5.0 times more nitrogen oxides emissions than the counterpart private car fleet.
The results also challenge the notion that vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) are a “clean” transportation alternative. Across the range of BS VI vehicles measured fueled by CNG, emissions were 1.5–14 times greater than the type-approval limits.
Related to
The TRUE Initiative, with analysis led by the ICCT and in collaboration with local authorities, contracted Opus to conduct a remote sensing campaign that provides an independent evaluation of tailpipe emissions from vehicles to support evidence-based policymaking.
The objectives of the project were successfully accomplished, delivering a full database of more than 278,000 records. The data was collected on 65 days, over a period of 4 months, from December 15th 2022 to April 28th 2023, on 20 different sites of Delhi and Gurugram. This represents a very diverse sample of data, with different fleet mixes, driving conditions, metropolitan areas and weather conditions.
The study found that vehicles certified to the newest emission standard, Bharat Stage (BS) VI, show significant improvements across all pollutants and vehicle types measured. However, real-world emissions from BS VI vehicles in many cases remain higher than type-approval limits. This is particularly the case for high-use commercial vehicles; for example, BS VI taxi and light good vehicle fleets were shown to emit 2.4 and 5.0 times more nitrogen oxides emissions than the counterpart private car fleet.
The results also challenge the notion that vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) are a “clean” transportation alternative. Across the range of BS VI vehicles measured fueled by CNG, emissions were 1.5–14 times greater than the type-approval limits.