CHENNAI: Automobile industry stakeholders have resolved to formulate fuel-efficiency standards for all categories of vehicles.

The aims are a better fuel economy, energy security and the environment.

A technical committee will be constituted for convening a series of meetings with the various stakeholders to evolve fuel-efficiency standards within two-three years, it was decided at the conclusion of a two-day consultation organised by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA).

The PCRA, along with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), will draft the mandatory norms that will be implemented across all categories of vehicles. The decision to opt for mandatory implementation through legislation rather than press for voluntary adoption was taken after the feedback from the nine countries whose delegates shared their experience at the seminar was evaluated.

Energy experts told The Hindu that given the sheer diversity of vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers and three-wheelers to cars and heavy duty vehicles, India would have to evolve its own benchmarks for fuel economy.

The vehicular mix in the country was unique; so was the consumption pattern, with almost 83 per cent diesel-dependent. Again, nearly two-thirds of the 17 per cent petrol-driven vehicles featured two-wheelers and three-wheelers. Passenger cars constituted barely one-third of the petrol-based vehicles in a country that guzzled an estimated 60 million tonnes of petrol and diesel.

“The fuel efficiency standards being evolved for the country’s curious vehicular mix will have to account for these road realities,” a PCRA member said.

Once the fuel efficiency standards and labelling of transport vehicles are in place, the PCRA and the BEE will move towards implementation of the norms by invoking provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

The fuel-efficiency standards initiative will involve the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Shipping, Road Transport and Highways and a host of agencies including the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the Automobile Research Association of India, besides around 38 manufacturers.

As far as possible, the norms will be evolved through consensus, a PCRA member said. The exercise will take into account factors unique to Indian conditions, especially the infrastructure.