Local authorities in Beijing say they plan to implement a stricter emissions standard starting from July this year. In doing so, they will join the growing effort being undertaken by many cities in the country to clean up the air in the world's largest car market.
The State VI standard, which is equivalent to the Euro VI standard, is expected to slash emissions of major exhaust pollutants around 50% from the current State V standard.
Starting from July 1, heavy-duty gas and diesel-powered vehicles sold in Beijing should meet the State VI standard, said the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau in a document released on its website last Monday.
It said light vehicles, which include light commercial vehicles and passenger cars, shall be in line with the emissions standard from January 1, 2020. Light vehicles account for the absolute majority of vehicles sold in Beijing and any other Chinese cities.
Local authorities in Tianjin announced late last month that the State VI standard will be put in place for all vehicles starting from July this year, which means vehicles that do not meet the standard are not allowed to be sold or registered in the city.
Currently, the absolute majority of models available at dealerships are produced in line with the State V standard. Some customers are complaining the small number of choices and delaying their purchase plans.
In addition to the new emissions standard, more stringent policies on fuel consumption are likely to prompt carmakers to come up with more fuel-effective models and thus help boost sales of new energy vehicles, including electric and plug-in hybrid ones.