Motor vehicle diesel fuel quality compliance and enforcement in China: A look at the status quo and international best practices

In response to a severe air pollution problem, China has implemented a series of comprehensive vehicle emission control policies. Among them are the China 6 light-duty vehicle (LDV) and China VI heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) emission standards, which take effect on July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, respectively. The China 6/VI standards combine best practices from both European and U.S. regulations and are considered among the most stringent emission standards in the world for the post-2020 timeframe.

The successful implementation of the China 6/VI emission standards will depend on several key factors, including the quality of motor vehicle fuels available. Better fuel quality reduces pollutants from fuel combustion directly and, more importantly, enables the use of effective exhaust aftertreatment technologies such as diesel particulate filters (DPF; Fung, 2011).
Following the path set by Europe, China’s fuel quality standards have been gradually strengthened since 2000. The China V diesel quality standard has been in effect since 2017 and limits sulfur content to 10 parts per million (ppm). However, compliance with this standard remains a challenge in some regions. Some private fuel stations are still supplying non-compliant diesel fuel, especially in rural-urban continuum areas.

This working paper provides an overview of the current status of motor vehicle diesel fuel quality compliance in China. Authors also summarize international best practices and explore policy approaches that can improve China’s diesel fuel quality compliance and enforcement programs. To inform this work, authors collected and summarized publicly available information regarding fuel quality from government agencies, research articles, and news reports.