Briefing

Evaluation of real-world fuel consumption of light-duty vehicles in China: A 2021 update

The gap between real-world fuel consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide from light-duty vehicles (LDV), and their laboratory values, is increasingly apparent around the world, including in China. ICCT has been tracking the gap between real-world and type-approval fuel consumption of LDVs since 2017. This update reveals that the gap between real-world and official fuel consumption in China has widened from 14% for MY 2007 to 37% for MY 2021. The accelerated expansion of the gap clearly indicates the need for regulatory changes to reverse the trend and close the gap.

The paper makes the following policy recommendations: 1) create stringent test procedures to reflect real-world driving patterns; 2) add real-world fuel consumption/GHG test requirement; 3) monitor real-world fuel consumption; 4) coordinate co-management of fuel consumption, greenhouse gases (GHGs) and atmospheric pollutants; 5) provide consumer information that is close to real-world experience.