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SC order deals another blow to diesel engines
The Supreme Court’s ban on the sales of diesel cars with 2,000cc engines or higher in Delhi and the narrowing price gap between petrol and diesel may mark the beginning of the end for diesel cars in India.
Between 2011-12 and 2013-14, auto makers such as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Honda Cars India Ltd and Ford India Pvt. Ltd invested significantly to increase their capacity to make more diesel engines as customers preferred diesel-run vehicles due to a huge price difference between petrol and diesel.
In 2011-12, when petrol prices were freed from government control, a litre cost at least 30% higher than diesel. In 2014, government linked diesel prices to market forces. But in that time Maruti, Hyundai and Honda had already invested Rs.5,700 crore to boost production of diesel engines.
The government’s 2014 decision led to a sharp fall in demand for diesel cars. Petrol cars made up as much as 63% of all cars sold in the year ended 31 March, the highest in the past four years, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, a lobby group.
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What is wrong with SC? It is a policy decision. How can it dictate states on what to do?
The Supreme Court’s ban on the sales of diesel cars with 2,000cc engines or higher in Delhi and the narrowing price gap between petrol and diesel may mark the beginning of the end for diesel cars in India.
Between 2011-12 and 2013-14, auto makers such as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Honda Cars India Ltd and Ford India Pvt. Ltd invested significantly to increase their capacity to make more diesel engines as customers preferred diesel-run vehicles due to a huge price difference between petrol and diesel.
In 2011-12, when petrol prices were freed from government control, a litre cost at least 30% higher than diesel. In 2014, government linked diesel prices to market forces. But in that time Maruti, Hyundai and Honda had already invested Rs.5,700 crore to boost production of diesel engines.
The government’s 2014 decision led to a sharp fall in demand for diesel cars. Petrol cars made up as much as 63% of all cars sold in the year ended 31 March, the highest in the past four years, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, a lobby group.
##############################################
What is wrong with SC? It is a policy decision. How can it dictate states on what to do?