China requires fuel consumption indication on light vehicles

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is soliciting public opinions on its administrative rules for the indication of how much fuel light vehicles consume, which is expected to take effect as of January 1, 2010. Under the administration’s new rules, Chinese automakers and import auto dealers are required to indicate the fuel consumption of gasoline and diesel engines with designed weights less than 3.5 tons, if they are to sell them within China. MIIT will designate special institutions to test the vehicles’ fuel consumption and provide related data. The new rule will help people know how much fuel an automobile’s engine consumes, and the indication will also become a key reference for the government procurement of energy-efficient cars. According to Dong Yang, executive vice president of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, energy efficiency and low emissions will be the major considerations the government makes when making auto purchases. It’s predicted that China will launch a series of energy saving policies after carrying out the administrative rules. (June 26, 2009)