Leapfrog standards

The upgrading of emission standards in China was postponed several times previously because of petrol quality and a clash of views inside government.

Michael Walsh, chairman of the International Council on Clean Transportation, advised Chinese regulators to skip the phase V standard and jump to phase VI, as the Euro VI standard is on the way and the Euro V will soon be obsolete.

"If China skips phase V, the industry will have enough time to get prepared for the phase VI standard after implementing phase IV," he said.

There is no need for China to rush into phase V and then phase VI, according to Walsh.

The turning point was Premier Li Keqiang's emphasis on environmental protection in last year's Government Work Report, which encouraged local governments to apply National IV standards and put more effort into car exhaust control.

According to a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Feb 26, 90.1 percent of 161 Chinese cities failed air quality testing in 2014.

To control car exhaust pollution, the government is taking action to reduce auto-related nitrogen and sulfur emissions and plans to implement the National V standard in the whole country by Jan 1, 2018.

Ni Hong, new vehicle registration director at the vehicle emission control center under the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said there were flaws in the national standard and regulations. In the specified test for exhausts, some products passed. But the retailed products in the market are different versions with higher pollutants.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's Chairman Li Shufu supported the idea that stricter emission standards should be applied as soon as possible and said carmakers should avoid being the main source of air pollution.

He called for a transparent schedule for new standard upgrading as Geely has already prepared for the National V standard.

Li Shufu said if prices were increased, customers would choose lower price models with lower standards and higher pollutants.

He proposed an air quality law amid the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, which started on March 3. Several auto-related topics were proposed during the meetings last week.

Zong Qinghou, a member of the CPPCC, said car exhaust pollutants should be controlled by improving petrol quality, heightening emission standards of environmental protection and stricter controls on car exhausts.

Industry analysts said Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturers needed to make higher quality products that meet stricter emission standards and use less fuel.

China sold more than 23 million vehicles last year, which made it the world leader in terms of sales, with a rising rate of 6.86 percent.