Overview
China mandates fuel consumption standards for both two and three-wheeled vehicles. The Stage I standards were managed by the National Development and Reform Commission and applied in China. New standards were proposed in 2016 and came into effect on July 1, 2020. An ICCT briefing outlines these standards. Taiwan’s standards are managed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Standard type
Fuel consumption standard
Regulating Body
China Stage I: National Development and Reform Commission, NDRC
China Stage II: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA)
Taiwan: Ministry of Economic Affairs
Applicability
Two and three-wheeled motorcycles and mopeds not greater than 1250cc in China. Two-wheeled motorcycles and mopeds not greater than 1400cc in Taiwan, China.
History
Standards for motorcycles and mopeds were adopted in 2008 and implemented beginning in 2009. Both standards were implemented on July 1, 2009, for new type approval models, and January 1, 2010, for all vehicle sales and registrations.
China’s national standards GB 15744-2008 and GB 16486-2008 set fuel consumption limits for motorcycles and mopeds, respectively. Moped standards are only defined for engines ≤50cc, while the motorcycle standards apply to engines larger than 50cc. Both standards set different limit values for two- and three-wheelers.
Taiwan, China also has an independent motorcycle fuel economy program begun in 1987 with the adoption of “Fuel Economy Standards and Regulations on Vehicle Inspection and Administration.” The most recent update to the motorcycle fuel economy limits in the regulation was February 5, 2020.
Technical standards
The following tables detail China’s Phase I and Phase II fuel consumption standards, as well as Taiwan’s current standards. Note: two-wheeler standards in Taiwan, China, and Mainland China are not directly comparable as test procedures are not the same.
Phase II standards in China set laxer standards for 2-wheeled motorcycles with automatic transmissions and stricter standards for 3-wheeled motorcycles that run on diesel.
| Displacement (lower end) | 2-wheeler | 3-wheeler | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 (old test procedure) | 2018 (Manual) | 2018 (Automatic) | Manual to automatic | 2009 (old test procedure) | 2018 (gasoline) | 2018 (diesel) | Gasoline to diesel | |
| ≤50 (mopeds) | 2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0% | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 | -20% |
| > 50-100 | 2.3 | 2 | 2.1 | 5% | 3.3 | 3 | 2.5 | |
| ≥100-125 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 9% | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 | |
| ≥125-150 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 8% | 3.8 | 3.2 | ||
| ≥150-200 | 2.8 | 3 | 7% | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.6 | ||
| ≥200-250 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 8% | 5 | 4.2 | |||
| ≥250-300 | 3.4 | 5.1 | ||||||
| ≥300-400 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 7% | 6 | 5.0 | |||
| ≥400-500 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 6% | 7.8 | 6.5 | 5.4 | |
| ≥500-650 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 6% | 7 | 5.8 | |||
| ≥650-800 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5% | 9 | 7.5 | 6.3 | |
| ≥800-1000 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 5% | 8 | 6.7 | ||
| ≥1000-1250 | 7.2 | 6 | 6.3 | 5% | ||||
| ≥1250-1500 | 8 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 5% | ||||
| ≥1500 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 5% | |||||
| Engine Size (cc) | Two-wheelers (l/100km)a |
|---|---|
| <50 | 2.07 |
| >50-100 | 2.46 |
| >100-150 | 2.63 |
| >150-250 | 3.57 |
| >250-500 | 4.74 |
| >500-750 | 6.02 |
| >750-1000 | 6.33 |
| >1000-1250 | 6.80 |
| >1250 – 1500 | 7.63 |
| ≥1500 | 7.81 |
| aconverted from km/l in the original regulation | |
Starting in 2016, Taiwan began mandating Sales Weighted Average Fuel Consumption Limits for manufactured and imported motorcycles.
| Engine size (cc) | Sales weighted average fuel consumption limits (l/100 km) |
|---|---|
| <50 | 1.83 |
| >50–100 | 2.14 |
| >100–150 | 2.28 |
| >150–250 | 3.23 |
| >250–500 | 3.77 |
| >500–750 | 5.35 |
| >750–1000 | 5.52 |
| >1000–1250 | 6.33 |
| >1250–1500 | 6.80 |
| ≥1500 | 7.09 |
Starting in 2022, these Sales Weighted Average Fuel Consumption Limits will be revised to the following:
| Engine size (cc) | Sales weighted average fuel consumption limits (l/100 km) |
|---|---|
| <50 | 1.64 |
| >50–100 | 1.91 |
| >100–150 | 2.07 |
| >150–250 | 2.93 |
| >250–500 | 3.56 |
| >500–750 | 5.05 |
| >750–1000 | 5.21 |
| >1000–1250 | 5.99 |
| >1250–1500 | 6.41 |
| >1500–1750 | 6.71 |
| >1750–2000 | 6.99 |
| ≥2000 | 7.25 |
Testing
China’s standards include a Type I test for 2-wheeled motorcycles and a Type I and Type II test for 3-wheeled motorcycles and mopeds. The Type I test is a chassis dynamometer test with a transient speed test procedure. The Type II test is a steady-speed test that can be conducted on a chassis dynamometer or on the road.
Stage I standards used the ECE R40 test cycle for the Type I test, but Stage II standards switch to the Worldwide harmonized Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC) to better reflect real-world driving conditions. Stage II standards introduce cold start tests for Type I tests but keep warm start tests for Type II tests.
| 2008 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Two-wheeled motorcycle | Type I (ECE R40a, warm) Type II (Steady speed) | Type I (WMTC, cold) |
| Three-wheeled motorcycle | Type I (ECE R40, warm) Type II (Steady speed) | Type I (ECE R40, cold) Type II (Steady speed) |
| Moped | Type I (ECE R47) Type II (Steady speed) | Type I (ECE R47, cold) Type II (Steady speed) |
| aThe Type I test for 2-wheeled motorcycles with engine displacement of 150 mL or more also includes an additional extra urban drive cycle. The Type II test in ECE R40 and R47 is an idle test. | ||
The Taiwan test standards can be found on the Fuel Economy Standards and Regulations on Vehicle Inspection and Administration in the The Fuel Economy Test Method for Motorcycles.
Links
Regulatory Documents
- China’s motorcycle and moped fuel consumption standards: Stage II (GB 15744-2019)
- China’s motorcycle fuel consumption standards: Stage I (GB 15744-2008)
- China’s moped fuel consumption standards: Stage I (GB 16486-2008)
- Taiwan’s fuel economy standards: Fuel Economy Standards and Regulations on Vehicle Inspection and Administration (ARTICLE 4, ARTICLE 5, ARTICLE 6, ARTICLE 22,The Fuel Economy Test Method for Motorcycles)
Additional Resources
