What are the differences between China V and China VI vehicles?

[FranciscoAnn]

The differences between China V and China VI emission standards are as follows: Different emission standards: The China VI emission standard is more than 30% stricter than China V. 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 V standard was implemented nationwide on January 1, 2017, as the fifth stage of national motor vehicle emission standards. China VI has been implemented since July 1, 2019. Different principles: In the China V stage, diesel and gasoline vehicles had different emission standards, but China VI adopts a fuel-neutral principle, meaning the emission limits are the same regardless of the fuel type. Different issuing departments: The China V standard was issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection; the China VI standard was issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine. Different letter representations: China V is represented by 'V'; China VI is represented by 'VI'. Different monitoring requirements for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: Compared to China V, China VI 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. Different prices: China VI vehicles are equipped with additional components compared to China V vehicles. Additionally, automobile manufacturers incur extra costs from vehicle declaration tests and production, resulting in significantly higher prices for China VI vehicles than China V vehicles. Different scrapping timelines: Although the state has abolished the scrapping time limit, older vehicles may be banned from roads, effectively equivalent to scrapping. For example, a China V vehicle purchased in January 2019 and a China VI vehicle purchased at the same time may both have a 15-year registration period, but their actual usability will differ. For instance, China III vehicles from 2010 and China IV vehicles from 2010 can still operate in Beijing, but as more cities impose restrictions, many older vehicles become practically scrapped. Thus, even for vehicles of the same year, their usable lifespans will differ. China V standards are as follows: Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 1,000 mg of carbon monoxide per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 68 mg of non-methane hydrocarbons per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 60 mg of nitrogen oxides per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 4.5 mg of PM (particulate matter) per kilometer driven. China VI has two standards: China VIa and China VIb, as follows: China VIa standards: Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 700 mg of carbon monoxide per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 68 mg of non-methane hydrocarbons per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 60 mg of nitrogen oxides per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 4.5 mg of PM (particulate matter) per kilometer driven. China VIb standards: Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 500 mg of carbon monoxide per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 35 mg of non-methane hydrocarbons per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 35 mg of nitrogen oxides per kilometer driven. Gasoline vehicles must not emit more than 3 mg of PM (particulate matter) per kilometer driven. Affected by the China VI emission policy, although China V vehicles can still be used normally without restrictions or plate limitations, their resale value will be significantly impacted. For car owners, if they purchase a truck for freight transport on loan, the vehicle's depreciation after repaying the loan equates to the owner's net profit during that period. A higher residual value means more profit for the owner. From this perspective, China VI vehicles, with longer usability and more road rights, offer greater advantages.

[MacAdalynn]

Recently, while helping my neighbor with car research, I looked into this. China 6 standards are much stricter than China 5, with PM particulate requirements over three times higher. The main difference is the addition of a particulate filter in the exhaust pipe, which China 5 vehicles don't have. During testing, China 6 vehicles undergo real driving emission tests and can be spot-checked on the road. When buying a used car, you need to be careful—many major cities now restrict the transfer of China 5 vehicles, like Beijing, where even local transfers of China 5 used cars are blocked starting this year. After switching to China 6b gasoline, the difference is more noticeable—the exhaust smell is much lighter. I heard that replacing a broken sensor in a China 6 car can cost over 3,000 yuan, so maintenance costs are indeed higher.