The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is considering easing technical requirements for four passenger-car components, potentially giving automakers greater design flexibility and reducing testing and homologation costs. According to reports from Business Standard, the proposal was discussed at a meeting of the ministry with industry stakeholders a few months ago. The deregulation could reduce the testing and compliance burden on automakers, although the proposal does not specify which tests or certification requirements would be removed or relaxed. However, the proposal is being considered on the condition that the industry would ensure quality control and recall vehicles if failures are observed in the field.
Among the items being considered for potential deregulation, wheel-hub assemblies are the components that secure a car's wheels to the vehicle, while brake fluid transfers the force from the brake pedal to the braking system. As reported by Business Standard, ground clearance represents the vertical space between the road surface and the lowest part of a vehicle's chassis, and the accelerator control system is the mechanism through which the driver controls the vehicle's acceleration. The proposal suggesting deregulation of these items was submitted by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) earlier this year.
During the meeting, the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (Acma) said that it would submit recommendations on deregulating brake-fluid requirements, adding that while deregulation of the proposed items was appreciated, some critical information related to brake fluids had to be documented. According to Business Standard, MoRTH said that the responsibility for ensuring quality, after the aforementioned deregulation, would rest with vehicle manufacturers. It added that manufacturers would be responsible for recalling vehicles if failures were observed in the field.
A June 2019 Indo-German automotive study put indicative testing charges for wheel-nut, ground-clearance and accelerator-performance tests at ₹23,700 combined, while hydraulic brake-fluid testing was estimated at ₹1.38 lakh. As reported by Business Standard, the combined indicative testing charge for the four requirements was therefore about ₹1.62 lakh. The study also estimated indicative vehicle-level testing charges for an 'M1 category' passenger vehicle at ₹80.2 lakh. The actual cost of homologation varies depending on the tests and activities required for each vehicle model, according to the study.
The Siam has also asked for deregulation of testing requirements related to bumpers, brake hoses, hood latch systems, gradeability, hand holds and wheel rims. However, according to Business Standard, the request for these six systems was unlikely to be accepted by MoRTH. The four requirements form a part of the broader type approval process for a new passenger vehicle, which involves multiple vehicle- and component-level tests to ensure that the vehicles adhere to the prescribed quality and safety norms.
