Summary of regions that opt to conduct China 6 Emission Standard ahead of national schedule

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine released on December 23, 2016 the rule of the Stage 6 Limits and Measurement Methods for Emissions from Light-Duty Vehicles (hereinafter referred to as the China 6 or CN6). The standard sets the emission limits for targeted vehicles and the planned effective date across the country.

According to the document, there are two sets of emission limits—China 6a (CN6 a) and 6b (CN6 b)--for air and climate pollutants, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), particle number (PN), and so on. They are set to be implemented in two phases countrywide—China 6a in July 1, 2020 and China 6b in July 1, 2023.  

A number of cities and provinces who are struggling with severe air contamination have decided to conduct both phases much earlier than the state’s schedule. There have been a total of 13 provincial level administrative units that announced operation ahead of July 1, 2020. Some cities or provinces like Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangdong opted to skip the China 6a and directly execute the China 6b standard from July 1, 2019. Gasgoo hereby summarized part of regions with their due dates and corresponding vehicle categories based on the announcements and regulations from local governments.

As to the reason that triggers the earlier acts, it would be traced back to a file dubbed the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle for a Blue Sky issued by the State Council in July, 2018. The document said some key regions, the Pearl River Delta and the Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster should take the China 6 Standard into effect ahead of the national schedule time from July 1, 2019. 

As July is approaching, the China 6b will be available in such cities as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing. Besides, Hainan Province had started a pilot plan to ban the sale and registration of light-duty vehicles failing the new standard from November 1, 2018.

The China 6 emission standard is applicable to light-duty vehicles covering the M1, M2 and N1 categories with maximum weight up to 3,500kg per the European regulatory classification. It features stringent evaporative and refueling emission-control requirements equivalent to the U.S. Tier 2 requirement with a streamlined test procedure.