Shanghai to adopt tougher auto emissions standards

The national VI B emissions standard for new light-duty vehicles weighing less than 3,500 kilograms will take effect in Shanghai from July 1 — one of the world's toughest standards.

According to the new National VI B standard, the carbon monoxide emission of the cars should not exceed 500 milligrams per kilometer, and the oxynitride emission should not exceed 35 milligrams per kilometer.

In the existing National V standard, the figures were 1,000 and 60 milligrams.

The new standard is stricter than the current European emission standards in carbon monoxide discharging. The emission limit is close to the EPA's Tier 3 standard used in the U.S.

The new standard only applies to new cars and will not affect existing vehicles. Those who bought or buy their vehicles before July 1 but do not yet have a registration plate can still register their cars.

Under the "defending blue skies" policy, Gas stations nationwide started supplying fuels for National VI vehicles this year.

Statistics show there are over 5 million cars on the road in Shanghai, about 3.58 million of which are light-duty vehicles with local plates. They have become one of the major sources of pollution as more than 30 percent of PM2.5 particles in the city's air are generated by cars.

The number of light-duty vehicles is increasing by 300,000 every year in the city. With National VI B, the city government is expecting to see a drop of oxynitride emission by 2,000 tons and volatile organic compounds by 1,000 tons annually.

For more information, check www.vecc.org.cn to ensure any new vehicle you are looking at meets the National VI B standard.