The 3rd Session of the 12th National People's Congress was held on March 5. Yan Ping, an NPC deputy and chairman of Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Group Co., Ltd., submitted four written proposals: Proposal on Formulating the VI Motor Vehicle and V Non-vehicle Emission Standard Systems Characteristic of China, Proposal on Granting Fiscal and Taxation Subsidies for Products up to National VI Road and T4 Off-road Emission Standards, Proposal on Further Promoting the Healthy Development of China's Construction Machinery Industry and Proposal on Accelerating the Construction of Beibu Gulf Border Free Trade Area and Promoting the Development of International Logistics. Two proposals covered vehicle emission, emission pollution of motor vehicles and off-road construction machinery.

In the Proposal on Formulating the VI Motor Vehicle and V Non-vehicle Emission Standard Systems Characteristic of China, Yan mentioned, though the severity and danger of emission pollution has made China's emission regulations increasingly severe, foreign standards directly quoted during the formulation of most emission standards disaccord with China's actualities, it is difficult to fulfill China's emission control target. It is of utmost urgency to work out the national VI motor vehicle emission standard system and the national V off-road vehicle emission standard system characteristic of China according to China's current pollution control situation and actual driving conditions.

Three major vehicle emission standard systems (European system, American system and Japanese system) have been established in the world. Yan discovered in in-depth investigations that China's current emission standards basically followed the European emission system, domestic automakers seem to have got used to that, but China is closer to the American emission system according to actual driving conditions. For example, Europe practices steady state cycle, but America practices transient cycle which is more aligned with transient driving cycle in Beijing or other key Chinese cities; in New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), urban areas account for 37 percent compared to 52 percent under America's Federal Test Program, and most of Beijing's vehicles are in urban areas; the proportion of acceleration and deceleration is 37 percent and the proportion of constant velocity is 40 percent in NEDC; the proportion of acceleration and deceleration is 54 percent and the proportion of constant velocity is 29 percent in FTP; Beijing's vehicles accelerate and decelerate more frequently due to serious traffic congestion; the highest speed in NEDC is 120km/h, the highest speed in FTP is about 91km/h, and most of Beijing's roads are kept under 100km/h.

Yan thought, though China's actual driving conditions are closer to the American emission system, as China's previously practiced the European standard system which is applicable to enterprises' development, test and detection equipment, and test and certification bodies' equipment, it is inappropriate to completely follow the American system or will greatly affect the auto industry. He suggested that a project group should be established as soon as possible according to China's current pollution treatment situation and actual driving conditions, to work out the national VI motor vehicle emission standard system and the national V off-road vehicle emission standard system characteristic of China.

In the Proposal on Granting Fiscal and Taxation Subsidies for Products up to National VI Road and T4 Off-road Emission Standards, Yan noted that how to work on energy conservation and emission reduction according to China's national conditions in the context of nationwide haze control will be a key topic for future development to domestic automakers.

It is imperative for China to implement stricter emission standards and regulations in the long run as the world's largest vehicle manufacturing and consuming country.

The costs of motor vehicles up to emission standards have been rising with the constant upgrading of motor vehicle emission standards. Take the upgrade from the national V emission standard to the national VI emission standard for example, commercial vehicle costs universally increased by 27 percent to 30 percent, and bus costs picked up by 30 percent to 33 percent. To ease the cost burden from upgrading, the government is advised to grant appropriate purchase subsidies for independent-branded products up to the national VI road and T4 off-road emission standard. Subsidy pull policies should remain effective for three to five years (until the implementation of the national VI standard or T4 standard), to encourage customers to purchase vehicles up to higher emission standards earlier. Government subsidies should be differentiated based on emission upgrading costs and application types.

(Source: china.com.cn)