The Apex Court has banned new luxury diesel vehicles in the Capital, doubling a recently imposed “green tax” on trucks coming into the city, in a series of tough measures to curb pollution. The ban on the registration of new diesel vehicles with engines of two litres or more will only be in force until March 31. But, it comes as a warning to India's car industry of the growing backlash against diesels, especially larger, heavy sport utility vehicles popular among the wealthy.
The Society of Indian Automotive Manufactures said, 37 per cent of all passenger cars sold in India during the financial year to March 2015, were diesel variants, and the share of diesels in total car sales has been rising in the recent months. However, about 90 per cent of the SUVs and other utility vehicles sold last year, and many German-made luxury cars, run on diesel, which is substantially cheaper than petrol.
The ban will affect some of India’s best-selling passenger vehicles, including Mahindra & Mahindra’s Scorpio, Tata Motors’ Safari and Sumo, Toyota’s Innova, Mitsubishi’s Pajero. Most vehicles sold in India by luxury carmakers Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi are also diesel variants. “The rich can’t be allowed to buy luxury diesel cars and SUVs and pollute the air with adverse consequences on the health of the rest of the population,” the court said.
