Regulations

China Stage 4 Fuel Consumption Standard for Light Commercial Vehicles

Based on the ICCT Policy Update, October 2024

Timing

  • Jan 1, 2026, for new type-approvals
  • Feb 1, 2028, for all new vehicles
  • CAFC phases in from 2026 to 2030
 

Changes from Stage 3 to Stage 4

  • Test cycle changes from NEDC à WLTC
  • Now includes NEVs and vehicles powered by gas/alcohol
  • Compliance flexibilities
  • Off-cycle credits
  • NEV multipliers (phased out after 2030): 1.4 for BEV, PHEV, FCEV, and 1.2 for “energy-saving vehicle”
  • Vehicle classes updated :
  • Weight-based linear regression for determining fuel consumption limits instead of the prior weight-class basis – This will potentially prevent the loophole of lenient requirements by slightly increasing vehicle weight
  • Reference weight switched from curb mass to test mass (Test mass = Ref. mass + Optional equipment + representative vehicle load)
 

Fuel Consumption Standards

  1. Each LCV must meet per-vehicle standards, shown in figure. On average, per-vehicle limits are tightened by ~ 10% compared to Stage 3.

  2. Each vehicle manufacturer must meet fleet-average fuel consumption (CAFC) requirements.

 

Comments

According to this report by the ICCT, on average 1.4 million vehicles were sold in China each year in the past 3 years. Statista expects the sales to reach ~ 2 million in 2024. So this is an important segment. Moreover, it is also a segment that is seeing a high transformation to new energy vehicles, which should help meeting the above standards.

 

Interact Analysis reports that LCV is the fastest growing segment for the adoption of new energy vehicles (defined as BEVs, FCEVs and PHEVs). In 2023, 242,000 new energy LCVs were registered, an increase of 46% compared to 2022. Geely is the market leader in this segment, and doubled its sales of new energy LCVs in 2023. These vehicles are moving towards smaller batteries – 94 kWh recorded on average in 2023 vs 138 kWh in 2021. Perhaps this is linked to the increasing use of these vehicles for e-commerce and last-mile delivery.

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