Government forms panel on rating fuel-efficiency of cars

New Delhi: Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath Wednesday said the government has constituted a committee to decide how cars would be rated on the basis of fuel-efficiency.

"We have formed a four-member committee to prepare the norms for rating fuel efficiency of cars," Kamal Nath said after formally inaugurating the 10th Auto Export here.

The minister's statement comes two days after auto makers said they were not comfortable with the government's move.

"The industry is wondering what the star rating is all about," said Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) director general Dilip Chenoy.

"It will not give any additional information to the customer. We already inform passengers about the mileage and other features when they buy vehicles," Chenoy told reporters Monday during the curtain-raiser of the Auto Expo.

The proposal to rate cars on the basis of fuel efficiency comes from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), and the power ministry is expected to implement it soon.

The rating will be done on a voluntary basis initially, but will be made mandatory later.

Industry representatives said the new five-star rating will only duplicate norms that are already in place. "But we are not opposed to declaring fuel efficiency," said SIAM president Pawan Goenka.