How to distinguish between China 4 and China 5 standards?
2 Answers
Distinguishing between China 4 and China 5 standards can be done by: 1. Checking the vehicle's fuel consumption label; 2. Looking at the vehicle's nameplate to find the vehicle model number (a combination of numbers and letters), identifying the engine model, and then logging into the Motor Vehicle Environmental Protection Website to input the vehicle model and engine model for query. The China 4 emission standard is the national fourth-stage motor vehicle pollutant emission standard. The main pollutants emitted by vehicles include hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulates. Through the application of technologies such as improved catalytic converter active layers, secondary air injection, and exhaust gas recirculation systems with cooling devices, the standard controls and reduces vehicle emissions to below specified levels.
Distinguishing between National 4 and National 5 mainly relies on checking the manufacturing year and environmental labels. From my car usage experience, the National 5 standard was implemented starting from 2017, so vehicles produced in 2017 and later are mostly National 5. You can check the environmental label on the vehicle body: a green pentagram usually indicates National 5, while blue indicates National 4. The VIN code is also crucial—the tenth letter represents the year, for example, 2017 is 'M' corresponding to National 5. Additionally, in some major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, National 4 vehicles might be restricted from entering certain zones, while National 5 vehicles face no issues. I recommend directly asking the salesperson for label information when buying a new car or checking the emission level by entering the license plate on the environmental protection bureau's website. This affects daily driving convenience and also relates to environmental protection, as National 5 has stricter emission controls and significantly less pollution. In short, checking the year and label is the simplest and most practical method.
