The government has raised the bar for automotive exhaust emissions. The level-5 standard will come into force next year. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI— Manufactured, assembled and imported brand-new cars will be subject to level-5 exhaust emission standards from January 1, 2022.

This requirement is set forth in the Prime Minister’s Decision No 49/2011/QD-TTg on the roadmap for the application of exhaust emission standards. According to the decision, the level-4 standard took effect from January 1, 2017, and level-5 will be applied next year for manufactured, assembled and imported brand-new cars.

Level-4 and level-5 are standards on the testing and limits of pollutants in exhaust gases applicable to manufactured, assembled and imported brand-new motor vehicles. They are equivalent to Euro-4 and Euro-5 limits provided in United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s technical regulations on motor vehicle exhaust emission or in European Union directives.

The Việt Nam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) said that it had been upgrading equipment and developing new technologies to comply with the requirement since the very first days the decision was introduced. Now, it is ready to roll out cars that meet the level-5 standard.

VAMA is also working with the Việt Nam Petroleum Association (VINPA) to expand the fuel distribution network, help customers access level-5 fuels, and create a set of Frequently Asked Questions to keep customers well-informed about the new standard.

According to VINPA, level-5 diesel (DO-V) is currently available at more than 1,100 petrol stations nationwide. However, no station sells level-5 petrol so far. This new type of petrol is expected to be available on the market from January 1, 2022.

Petrol below level-5 standards may cause damages to many internal components of cars equipped with a level-5 engine. For that reason, VAMA recommends customers buy petrol with a standard equal to or higher than their cars’ emission standard level. Petrol stations that sell level-5 fuels can be found through the instructions of petrol firms or on Logigo, an application available on AppStore and Google Play.

With new emission standards in place, cars would become more environmentally friendly, effectively reducing exhaust fumes in the atmosphere. — VNS