The passenger vehicles segment is about to witness a massive upgrade as the new emission and safety norms come into effect next year. Carmakers have already started to launch BS6 compliant vehicles and auto component makers have a deadline to meet and supply components for BS6 powertrains. Continental, which is one of the leading component makers and powertrain solution providers across the globe, is also ready with its BS6 technology and will start supplying to carmakers by September 2019. The company is also targeting to be ready with its technology a little ahead of the deadline in a bid to give OEMs more time for installation and tuning which ultimately will ensure smoother transition to BS6.
Also Read: BS6 Two-Wheeler Technology To Be Delivered From September 2019: Continental
Speaking with carandbike, Prashanth Doreswamy, Managing Director and Head, Continental India said, "On the four wheeler side we have a lot of products which are lined up for Euro 6 (BS6). For passenger cars diesel we have NoX sensors and the SCR to SCR hoses, high-temperature sensors, general purpose actuators and more. We are also setting up a new facility in Pune, a greenfield facility with an investment of above Rs. 240 crores. The big plant is coming up and in the Q2 of next year we should be ready. We will also be localising some of the products like NoX and high-temperature sensors. Like two-wheelers, we are ready with the products, we are doing production trial runs and the validation process is going on. So as we are ready with the ramp-up plans, we will be ready to ship our BS6 powertrains." Doreswamy has confirmed that the company will be supplying new BS6 compliant Fuel Injections (FI) to two-wheeler makers from September this year."
The BS6 compliant diesel engines will be ready by September 2019.
Interestingly, along with BS6 diesel powertrains and MPFI (Fuel Injected) petrol powertrains, Continental has also developed a BS6 complaint Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) petrol engines. The MPFI petrol powertrains require least upgraders and investment for BS6 conversion and are done just using the actuators and exhaust catalyst solution. However, GDI powertrains are downsized and are tuned to put out higher power output which is equivalent to bigger engines or even more in comparison. The best example is the 1.0-litre GDI engine in the recently launched Hyundai Venue which belts out 118 bhp and 172 Nm of peak torque. The engine is small in size compared to the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder unit in the Venue but is more powerful. The 1.2-litre engine in the Venue puts out 89 bhp and 115 Nm of peak torque.
The BS6 complaint GDI petrol engine is also equipped with a Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) to dissolve particulate matters.
Therefore, combustion pressure in the 1.0-Litre GDI is much higher due to which bigger particulate matters are emitted. Hence, the company has fitted the GDI powertrain with a Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) along with all the other mechanism fitted in regular petrol engines. GPF is an oval cylinder (capsule shape) just like a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) which is attached with a BS6 diesel engine to break and dissolve particulate matters. Hence, Continental is ready with all three types of BS6 powertrains which will be manufactured at its upcoming plant in Pune.
