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To restrain the phenomenal increase in oil consumption in China, the Chinese government called for measures to reduce oil consumption of the road transportation sector through adopting vehicle fuel consumption standards. This paper describes the development of China's first set of fuel consumption standards for light-duty passenger vehicles. The adopted standards cover M1 class vehicles, which, according to European definition (and adopted by China), include passenger cars, minivans, and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). In particular, we present the goal, technical background, structure, and values of the adopted standards. We also present their potential effect on oil use reduction. The standards are set in liters of fuel consumption per 100 km for individual vehicle weight categories. The standards are maximum fuel consumption values for given vehicle weight categories.

While diesel vehicles have many benefits, continued growth in the diesel population raises concerns regarding the health and environmental effects of the high NOx and particulate emissions which could result. The concern over diesel particulate has increased in recent years. Firstly, the evidence indicating adverse effects from all particulate in urban air has grown stronger. Secondly, regarding diesel's cancer risk, evidence has grown that there is no threshold, i.e., there is no level below which one could consider diesel particulate to be safe. As a result, countries around the world are increasingly tightening diesel regulations with the result that technology for reducing emissions continues to advance. Engine and combustion improvements have substantially reduced NOx and particulate from modern engines. Oxidation catalysts have also become widespread especially on passenger cars in Europe and trucks in the US.