Why is a Euro 4 Vehicle Classified as China III?
2 Answers
Reasons why a Euro 4 vehicle is classified as China III: Mistakes by inspection station staff, because not all vehicle models are included in the inspection station's environmental testing system. If the owner's vehicle model cannot be found, the staff may manually input the model for convenience, and the system automatically generates China III. Additional Information: Euro 4 emissions are equivalent to China IV emissions: The Euro IV standard refers to the Euro IV emission standard, which was implemented at the end of 2005 and is an important standard for vehicle exhaust emissions, currently enforced in most countries. This standard requires that diesel cars emit no more than 250 milligrams of nitrogen oxides per kilometer; for vans and SUVs, the limit is no more than 390 milligrams per kilometer. China III: This is the abbreviation for China's Phase III emission standard, equivalent to the Euro III emission standard. In other words, the pollutant content in the exhaust is equivalent to Euro III levels, with the only difference being that new vehicles must be equipped with an OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) system.
When I was doing automotive research, I found that Euro 4 vehicles were classified as China 3 mainly due to differences in testing methods between the two emission standards. Although Euro 4 was introduced in Europe in 2005 and was somewhat stricter than China 3, China 3 was designed with reference to Euro 3 when implemented in 2007, with its test cycle focusing more on certain pollutant indicators. When imported vehicles entered China, the domestic certification system still used China 3 standards for testing, resulting in the vehicles being categorized into a lower tier based on the comparison of values. This is actually quite common, but don't worry—it doesn't affect actual driving. The main impact might be more restrictions during registration. It's recommended to check the emission certificate when buying a used car to avoid issues with licensing. Emission control is a significant matter related to environmental performance. Although the gap has narrowed with unified policies now, older vehicles still face this issue. From a technical perspective, such situations arise from unsynchronized standards, with the key issue being equivalent values but differing implementation methods.
