Shanghai to implement China’s Stage 6 Emission Standard from July 1

China's Stage 6 Emission Standard applying to light-duty vehicles will officially come into effect in Shanghai from July 1, 2019, according to an announcement recently released by Shanghai municipal government.

On December 23, 2016, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) released the final rule of the Stage 6 Limits and Measurement Methods for Emissions from Light-Duty Vehicles, namely, the China 6 standard or China 6. This standard applies to light-duty vehicles primarily powered by gasoline or diesel. The document said the China 6 Standard would take effect beginning on July 1, 2020.

Apart from Shanghai, there were several provinces and cities in China such as Hangzhou, Hainan, Tianjin, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shandong, Chengdu, Hebei and Shaanxi whose local governments have announced the plan to formally implement the China 6 prior to the official required time.

Different from the previous standard phases, which closely follow the European emission standards, the China 6 combines best practices from both European and U.S. regulatory requirements while takes China's actual situation as the foothold. Specifically, it features two sets of fuel-neutral emission limits for air and climate pollutants—China 6a and 6b, which will be put into effect from July 1, 2020 and July 2, 2023 respectively.

In addition, the China 6 Standard has its testing basis shifted from the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) to the more representative and dynamic World Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Cycle (WLTC) and more rigorous World Harmonized Light Vehicle Test procedures (WLTP).