No on-road tests for VW cars after recall, says ARAI

Volkswagen Group will soon start recalling 1.9 lakh cars in India over the infamous dieselgate emission scandal. Commenting on the steps being taken to ensure a proper recall, the Automotive Regulatory Authority of India (ARAI) has clarified that cars will be retested in the laboratory to verify their conformation of regulatory conditions. However, on-road tests won't be conducted to check the car's emission levels in practical conditions.

This announcement comes after many industry leaders suggested to start conducting on-road tests on vehicles to ensure regulatory compliance in real-world driving conditions. Such on-road tests are conducted in the United States, which helped reveal the dieselgate scandal last year. But Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director at ARAI, Pune has mentioned that since real driving emission measurement is currently not a part of the certified regulations, ARAI cannot conduct on-road emission tests.

Volkswagen has claimed that the recall in India is completely voluntary in nature, as its cars are compliant to the BS IV emission standards currently applicable in the country. However, with India moving to BS VI from April 1, 2020, emission norms are expected to become stringent. On-road tests might also be included into the regulations to minimize such emission frauds.

Source: ET Auto