Indias Bureau of Energy Efficiency has advised that it will require carmakers to achieve average fuel economy of 18.2 kilometers per liter by April 2017, a 15 percent improvement over the current mandate.
The national government wants to improve fuel economy both to benefit consumers and to help cut down on Indias air pollution problems.
The 2017 requirement, communicated to automakers earlier this month, will apply to gasoline and diesel-powered passenger cars whether they are produced within India or imported. The mandate will be extra challenging to domestic automakers, which could likely see the weights of their vehicles increase as they change vehicle designs to comply with new crash safety regulations also scheduled to take effect in 2017.
The bureau is expected to adopt separate fuel economy guidelines for buses and trucks.
Automakers typically advise motorists to use engine oils that offer fuel economy benefits as one way to achieving fuel economy requirements.