Can National 5 Vehicles Be Upgraded to National 6?
2 Answers
National 5 vehicles cannot be upgraded to National 6. Converting National 5 standard vehicles to National 6 standard will not allow for normal license plate registration procedures. If vehicle owners privately modify National 5 or lower standard motor vehicles, it will violate the relevant regulations of the public security department regarding vehicle management. According to regulations, all imported, sold, and registered light-duty gasoline vehicles, light-duty diesel passenger vehicles, and heavy-duty diesel vehicles in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region must comply with the National 5 emission standard. The National 6 emission standard consists of two phases: National 6a and National 6b. The National 6a standard is a transitional phase between National 5 and National 6, merely adopting the strictest values from the National 5 emission requirements, while National 6b represents the true National 6 emission standard.
From a technical perspective, upgrading a China 5 vehicle to China 6 standards is far from simple. Emission standards aren't something you can meet by just replacing a part—it involves the entire system. Major modifications to components like the engine control unit, three-way catalytic converter, and exhaust treatment system are necessary to potentially achieve China 6's stringent limits. China 6 requires pollutant emissions to be halved compared to China 5. With mismatched hardware and inadequate software tuning, such conversions often lead to malfunctions. I've seen owners attempt this, only to end up with constant warning lights, skyrocketing fuel consumption, and eventual trips back to the shop. Worse still, the technical success rate is extremely low because testing equipment rarely meets standards—failures become obvious during annual inspections. For those truly wanting to be eco-friendly while saving money, it's wiser to take advantage of promotions and buy new vehicles. Modern cars come with intelligent emission control systems and offer smoother driving experiences.
