What is the displacement standard for China VI vehicles?
3 Answers
China VI does not set a displacement standard. China VI refers to the National Sixth Stage Emission Standard for motor vehicles, which strictly controls the emission limits of pollutants. The regulations of China VI specify that, excluding the influence of operating conditions and testing, the carbon monoxide emissions of gasoline vehicles should be reduced by 50%, the total hydrocarbon and non-methane hydrocarbon emission limits should be reduced by 50%, and the nitrogen oxide emission limits should be tightened by 42%. The purpose of establishing the China VI emission standard is to prevent pollution caused by exhaust emissions from compression-ignition and gas-fueled spark-ignition engine vehicles, protect the ecological environment, and safeguard human health.
Let's talk about China 6 vehicles. Strictly speaking, China 6 doesn't refer to the engine displacement, but rather the emission standards! It regulates how much pollutants like nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide can be emitted from the exhaust. Whether you drive a 1.5L compact car or a 3.0T powerhouse, as long as it was manufactured during the China 6A period (2019-2020) or meets China 6B standards (produced after July 2020), it must comply with the regulations—China 6B has much stricter requirements. Honestly, most new cars on the market today meet these standards since new vehicle registrations are all aligned with China 6B. However, buying a used China 5 vehicle might be problematic in some license-restricted cities where migration isn't allowed, making registration a bit more troublesome.
A friend asked about displacement standards, but actually, China's National VI emission standards regulate exhaust cleanliness! Simply put, it's about how clean the exhaust gas from the car must be. For example, National VI B requires: carbon monoxide emissions to be nearly half of National V, only 500mg/km; nitrogen oxides are strictly capped at 35mg/km. There's also a stringent indicator called the PN limit, which restricts the number of particulate matter in the exhaust, allowing only 6x10^11 particles per kilometer. The testing methods have also been upgraded, including Real Driving Emissions (RDE) tests to prevent laboratory data falsification. These standards apply equally whether the car's displacement is 1.0 or 5.0, so manufacturers of high-displacement vehicles are now busy developing cylinder deactivation technology and enhancing exhaust treatment systems.
