Sino-U.S. automobile emission reduction plans to strengthen cooperation

Xie Zhenhua, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said recently that China and the United States will strengthen climate cooperation in five areas, including reducing emissions from trucks and other automobiles. Analysts pointed out that the United States has advanced experience in automobile emissions reduction regulations, research and development of high-efficiency vehicle technologies, and development of clean low-carbon fuels. In the future, both parties may have opportunities for cooperation in many areas.

The United States legislation in the forefront of data shows that cars emit carbon dioxide emissions account for about 20% of total US carbon dioxide emissions, in some states this ratio is even higher. Because of the public’s concerns about vehicle emissions, the United States is at the forefront of legislation on emissions from motor vehicles.

As early as 1955, the United States introduced the first air pollution control legislation "Air Pollution Control Law." The "Air Pollution Control Law for Motor Vehicles" promulgated in 1965 pointed out that automobile exhaust is an important source of air pollution. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Welfare can set certain standards for newly-produced automobiles and reduce emissions of air pollutants. In 1970, the United States enacted the "Clean Air Act", requiring that 90% of motor vehicle emissions be reduced by 1975. Subsequently, the United States successively formulated diesel vehicle emission standards, formulated diesel fuel sulfur limits, and carbon hydride and nitrogen oxide emission standards.

In May 2009, Obama announced an energy-saving and emission reduction plan for automobiles. The goal is that by 2016, passenger cars and light trucks produced in the United States will consume no more than 6.62 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, and their carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by an average of one third compared to existing vehicles. . Although this plan increases the cost of car purchases, the reduced fuel consumption will offset the increase in costs.

According to the analysis, the fuel economy standard system will undoubtedly bring pressure to US car companies, force companies to research and develop and produce energy-saving models, and lead the development and popularization of new-generation advanced technology vehicles.

Advanced technology is the foundation Under these emission standards, the United States has made sufficient efforts to control the research and development of motor vehicle pollutant discharge technologies. In recent years, research and development of the US automobile industry in energy conservation and emission reduction has continued unabated.

According to experts, the United States has a number of advanced technologies in the emission reduction of gasoline vehicles and diesel vehicles. Gasoline vehicles include tightly coupled catalytic converter technology, three-way catalytic converter technology, gasoline direct injection technology, new engine continuously variable valve timing and lift control technology, multiple injection and multiple discharge ignition technologies, and engine operation optimization technology. , engine electronic control system management optimization technology, high-quality fuel and lubricant technology, etc.; diesel engine, turbocharger and after-cooling technology, dual solenoid valve based on electronic monomer pump and electronically controlled common-rail injector Fuel system, fuel electrospray technology, tail gas cooling recycling technology, diesel particle trapping and oxidation catalytic technology, tail gas selective catalytic reduction technology, etc.

Taking General Motors as an example, in terms of energy saving, the company's turbocharged engine and low roller resistance tires are worth mentioning. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turbocharging technology can increase the fuel combustion efficiency by 7.5%, and it can even increase by 12% when used with direct fuel injection technology. To improve energy efficiency, GM selected low roller resistance tires for some products. According to research, lowering the roller resistance by 5-7% can increase energy efficiency by 1%.

■ The reporter observed that the upgrade of emission standards must be supervised since China’s implementation of the fourth national emission standard for passenger vehicles. It has been more than three years since the implementation of the standards was not strictly implemented and the implementation results were not satisfactory. At present, Beijing and other places have already implemented the "Beijing Five" emission standard, and the implementation of the "National IV" emission standard for heavy-duty diesel vehicles will soon be implemented. Only strict supervision of all aspects can guarantee the effective implementation of emission standards and the energy conservation and emission reduction of the automobile industry. Really achieved.

Since the beginning of this year, many cities in our country, including Beijing, have continuously encountered hazy weather, and the air quality has continued to exceed the standards. Some studies suggest that automobile exhaust contributes about 30% of PM2.5, and the industry is increasingly pressing for energy conservation and emission reduction.

In fact, the upgrading of China's motor vehicle emission standards has been rapid in recent years. For light-duty vehicle emission standards, the implementation of State One has been implemented since 2001, the implementation of State Two in 2004, the implementation of State Three in 2007, and the implementation of State Four in 2010. In 10 years, China has completed the 50-year emission promotion process in Europe and gradually met the emission standards of developed countries. Regarding the emission standards of heavy-duty diesel vehicles, new products that do not meet the National IV emission standards will not be announced on July 1 this year.

Among them, the rate of upgrading of motor vehicle emission standards in big cities such as Beijing was earlier than the national standard. Since the implementation of the "Jingyi" emission standard in 1999, Beijing has already begun implementing the "Beijing Five" vehicle emission standards this year. It is reported that after the "Beijing Five" emission standard is implemented, the emission of nitrogen oxides from light-duty gasoline vehicles and heavy-duty diesel vehicles will drop by about 40% compared with the "Beijing IV."

Despite the fact that the emission standards have not been upgraded at a high speed, the exhaust pollution from urban motor vehicles is still serious. The industry believes that the reasons for this phenomenon are not only optimistic about the increasing number of vehicles, but also the implementation of emission standards.

According to industry sources, “In general, the exhaust gas after-treatment system should be replaced with 78,000-kilometer-a-kilometers to ensure that the emission standards are met.” However, owners who have been driving cars for more than 20 years have said that they have not basically done maintenance. After exhaust gas treatment system. “The newly purchased cars generally meet the emission standards. Old cars basically pass the annual inspection when they spend a small amount of money during the annual inspection. No one wants to pay more to maintain the updated exhaust after-treatment system.” Manufacturer of tail gas aftertreatment systems It also stated that the company's business is mainly for the automotive manufacturers, and there is basically no demand for the automotive maintenance market.

The lack of a small maintenance system for vehicle exhaust systems reflects the fact that the implementation of emission standards is not satisfactory. If this situation continues, the upgrading of emission standards will be in name only, and the energy-saving and emission-reduction effects of the auto industry will be greatly reduced.

In addition, during the implementation of heavy-duty diesel vehicles, in addition to the above problems, there is still a problem that the quality of oil products has not yet reached the standard. “Guosan Diesel should meet sulfur content of not more than 250PPM, but some local refineries have poor oil quality, and some even have a sulfur content of 1,000PPM. The country’s three oil products have not yet reached the national standard. It is more difficult to implement the scope,” said the industry insider.

The upgrade of emission standards requires the cooperation of automobile manufacturers, component manufacturers, and oil companies, and it is necessary for local governments to continue to supervise whether or not all products meet the standards. As the state increases its assessment of environmental indicators such as PM2.5, it will encourage local governments to implement stricter emission standards. The protection of energy-saving and emission-reduction effects requires continuous efforts in the use of subsequent vehicles.