China's National VI B Emission Standard to Be Fully Implemented in 2026, Marking Auto Industry's Strictest Emission Era - ZOL (Zhongguancun Online)

Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with five other ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly issued the *Emission Limits and Measurement Methods for Pollutants from Light-Duty Vehicles (China Stage VI)*, namely the "National VI B Emission Standard". This marks the entry of China's fuel-powered vehicle emission supervision into the strictest stage in history. The standard will be formally and fully implemented starting from January 1, 2026, by which time all light-duty vehicles produced, imported, sold, and registered domestically must meet this new requirement.

Compared with the previous National VI A Standard, the National VI B Standard further tightens the emission limits for a variety of pollutants. The limits for major pollutants such as carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides have been reduced by 30% to 50%. At the same time, the new standard introduces the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) test, requiring vehicles to comply with emission regulations even under real-road driving conditions, effectively preventing a disconnect between test results and actual performance. Additionally, the standard puts forward a lifetime warranty system for the vehicle's emission system for the first time, clearly stipulating that manufacturers must provide a quality guarantee of no less than 8 years or 160,000 kilometers for key components affecting emissions.

The implementation of this standard is regarded as a crucial step for China's motor vehicle emission management system to be fully aligned with the world's advanced levels. Chen Xiaoming, Director of the Expert Committee of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, pointed out that the implementation of the new standard will force the optimization of the auto industry structure, accelerate the phase-out of outdated production capacities, and encourage enterprises to increase R&D investment in core technologies such as powertrains and exhaust treatment. Meanwhile, it will further promote the market penetration and technological upgrading of new energy vehicles.

To cope with the upcoming stricter standard, major automakers have begun to adjust their product layouts. Enterprises including SAIC Volkswagen, FAW Toyota, and Great Wall Motors have revealed that their core models have completed technological upgrades and fully shifted to the production system compliant with the National VI B Standard. In the meantime, some dealers are accelerating the clearance of inventory models that meet the National VI A Standard by offering substantial discounts, with discounts for some models being close to 30%.

Industry observations show that with the implementation of the National VI B Standard, the traditional fuel-powered vehicle market will accelerate its evolution towards high-endization, energy efficiency, and electrification. Hybrid vehicles, which combine low emissions and convenience in use, are expected to play a key role during the transition period. On the other hand, used cars meeting National V and lower emission standards will face greater depreciation pressure, and their cross-regional circulation will also be subject to stricter restrictions.

Against the backdrop of increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements, consumers are faced with a new car-purchasing choice: should they take advantage of the current promotion to buy National VI A models with more attractive prices, or wait for National VI B models that are more technologically advanced and have better environmental performance? This question has sparked widespread discussion.