When was China III released?
2 Answers
China III was released on July 1, 2007. The China III standard is China's third-stage vehicle emission standard. The national third-stage emission standard is equivalent to the European III emission standard, meaning the content of tailpipe pollutants is equivalent to Euro III levels. The difference is that new vehicles must be equipped with an onboard diagnostic (OBD) system. The characteristic of the OBD system lies in the increase of detection points and detection systems, with oxygen sensors installed at both the inlet and outlet of the three-way catalytic converter. By fully monitoring vehicle emissions in real-time to ensure compliance, it can better guarantee the implementation of the Euro III emission standard.
I remember the China III emission standard was officially released in 2005. Back then, I was researching environmental policies because vehicle exhaust pollution in China was becoming increasingly severe, and the government introduced this standard to limit pollutant emissions. Specifically, it was implemented for certain vehicle models starting from April 1, 2005, and later expanded to nationwide mandatory enforcement. This policy led major cities like Beijing to take the lead in phasing out older China II vehicles, making people pay more attention to environmental labels when buying cars. I think it significantly helped reduce urban smog and also pushed automakers to upgrade their technologies, such as installing better catalytic converters. Looking back now, it laid the foundation for subsequent China IV and China V standards.
