How to Distinguish Between China 5 and China 6?

[MacReagan]

The differences between China 5 and China 6 emission standards are as follows: Different emission standards: China 6 emission standards are more than 30% stricter than China 5. Excluding the influence of working conditions and testing, gasoline vehicles' carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by 50%, total hydrocarbons and non-methane hydrocarbons emissions are reduced by 50%, and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 42%. Different implementation times: The China 5 standard was implemented nationwide on January 1, 2017. The China 6 standard was implemented on July 1, 2019. Different principles: Under the China 5 standard, diesel and gasoline vehicles had different emission standards. However, China 6 adopts a fuel-neutral principle, meaning the emission limits are the same regardless of the fuel type. Different issuing departments: The China 5 standard was issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The China 6 standard was jointly issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine. Different letter representations: China 5 is represented by 'V,' while China 6 is represented by 'VI.' Different monitoring requirements for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: Compared to China 5, China 6 has improved monitoring requirements for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, including energy storage systems, thermal management systems, brake regeneration, drive motors, generators, and other regulations. China 5 standard limits are as follows: Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 1,000 milligrams of carbon monoxide per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 68 milligrams of non-methane hydrocarbons per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 60 milligrams of nitrogen oxides per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 4.5 milligrams of PM (particulate matter) per kilometer driven. China 6 has two standards: China 6a and China 6b, as follows: China 6a standard limits: Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 700 milligrams of carbon monoxide per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 68 milligrams of non-methane hydrocarbons per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 60 milligrams of nitrogen oxides per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 4.5 milligrams of PM (particulate matter) per kilometer driven. China 6b standard limits: Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 500 milligrams of carbon monoxide per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 35 milligrams of non-methane hydrocarbons per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 35 milligrams of nitrogen oxides per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 3 milligrams of PM (particulate matter) per kilometer driven. Affected by the China 6 emission policy, although China 5 vehicles are not currently restricted in normal use (no driving bans or license plate restrictions), their resale value will be significantly impacted. For truck owners, if they purchase a truck on loan for cargo transport, the vehicle's depreciation after repaying the loan is equivalent to the net profit earned during that period. A higher residual value means more profit for the owner. Therefore, from this perspective, China 6 vehicles, which have a longer service life and more road rights, offer greater advantages.

[DiLane]

I just researched this a couple days ago when helping a friend inspect a car. The most straightforward way is to check the 10th letter of the VIN: models starting with P or N are mostly China 5, while R and S usually indicate China 6. China 6 vehicles often have a small blue label on the rear saying 'China VI'. Remember that light and heavy gasoline vehicles purchased after July 2019 were mostly upgraded to China 6, while diesel vehicles followed about half a year later. The key difference is in the emission testing equipment during annual inspections - China 6 testers can detect finer particle counts, which is why our older vehicles clearly spend less time in line at inspection stations than China 6 cars. By the way, when buying used cars, it's especially important to verify on the environmental protection website, as some coastal cities no longer allow China 5 vehicles to be transferred.