MSI limits use of metals like lead, mercury in its models

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Monday said it has started the practice of controlling its use of substances of concern (SoC) like lead and mercury in its mass production vehicles.

With the implementation of International Material Data System (IMDS), the company will be able to meet international norms and quantify recoverable and recyclable materials in its vehicles, MSI said in a statement.

The company has initiated the practice with the recently launched WagonR and it will progressively continue for all future models, it added.

WagonR and all upcoming models would be minimum 95 per cent recoverable and 85 per cent recyclable, MSI said.

"We are taking a pro-active step and voluntarily putting in place global mechanism for controlling hazardous substances in our vehicles," MSI MD and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said.

With the implementation of globally accepted IMDS system, the company will be ready to comply with end-of-life vehicles (ELV) regulations when they are launched in India, he added.

Using IMDS, data related to materials used for automobile manufacturing are collected, maintained, analysed and archived.

It facilitates meeting the ELV obligations placed on automobile manufacturers by national and international standards, laws and regulations.

An ELV-compliant vehicle aims at limiting the use of SoC such as lead, hexavalent chromium, mercury and cadmium, among others, in vehicles. It also promotes recycling and recovery of materials used to manufacture a vehicle.

The auto major said it is also closely working and supporting its vendor partners to establish an efficient SoC management system as well.