A decade after it first generated controversy in India with carmakers facing up against three-wheeler manufacturers, the quadricycle has received a go-ahead from the government in India.

The basic concept is a four-wheel vehicle with a small engine to be positioned between a three-wheeler and a passenger car which does not meet the same safety and emission norms of regular passenger cars and have their own set of regulations. Last year, the Ministry of Roads had formed a technical committee to examine all aspects including safety norms which would then enable the government to announce a policy. So far, only Europe has a quadricycle segment with the Renault Twizy being one example. 

Now, with the Centre deciding to give a nod to manufacture and sale of the quadricycle, a new vehicle category in the Indian market, there is finally some clarity on the subject. With this approval, Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto, who has been aggressively pushing the case for the company’s RE60 quadricycle, can go ahead with production soon. It will be Bajaj Auto’s first foray into the four-wheeler space. In fact, a near-production-ready RE60 was recently snapped testing.

The approval is good news for Bajaj Auto, which has already developed a model called RE60. But these vehicles are unlikely to be allowed as personal transport, something that Bajaj was pushing for. “A separate category has been proposed for notification to include quadricycle with specifications adopting present norms notified in the 3-wheeler category of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) or the European Union quadricycle, whichever is more stringent,” a road ministry statement, issued after a meeting under the chairmanship of road secretary Vijay Chhibber said.

Quadricycles will also have to carry a signboard that will have “Q” written on it in order to distinguish them from cars.