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        As June begins, the forthcoming National VI B emission standard has emerged as the hottest topic of discussion, while a series of technical regulations pertaining to road transport vehicles have also been revised and are set to enter into force. At the provincial and municipal levels, many regions have launched a new wave of comprehensive traffic governance initiatives, including crackdowns on overloading and over-dimension violations, accelerated phasing out of aging diesel trucks, and strengthened oversight of road passenger transport, among other measures.

So, which new regulations affecting the commercial vehicle industry will take effect in June?

National Policies

Two Departments: Increase Support for Promoting New Energy Vehicles in Rural Areas

On May 14, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued the “Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Charging Infrastructure to Better Support the Promotion of New-Energy Vehicles in Rural Areas and Rural Revitalization,” proposing innovative models for the planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of charging infrastructure in rural areas, and encouraging local authorities with the necessary conditions to increase support for the adoption of new-energy vehicles in sectors such as public transportation, road passenger transport, taxi services, and logistics and delivery.

Ministry of Transport: Strengthening the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure in Road and Waterway Sectors

On May 6, the Ministry of Transport issued the Measures for the Security Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure in Road and Waterway Transportation (Order No. 4 of 2023 of the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China), which shall come into force on June 1, 2023. The Measures primarily cover the establishment of a management system for critical information infrastructure, the creation of a designation mechanism for such infrastructure, the reinforcement of operators’ principal responsibility, the enhancement of emergency response to risks and hazards affecting critical information infrastructure, and the strengthening of ex ante, in-process, and ex post supervision, with the aim of effectively safeguarding the security of critical information infrastructure in road and waterway transportation and upholding cybersecurity.

Ministry of Transport: Revision of the Regulations on Technical Management of Road Transport Vehicles

On May 6, the General Office of the Ministry of Transport promulgated the newly revised Regulations on the Technical Management of Road Transport Vehicles, which will take effect on June 1, 2023. The main revisions include: fully implementing the requirements of the “three inspections in one” reform, specifically standardizing the inspection and testing cycle and frequency for freight vehicles—annual inspections for the first 10 years and semi-annual inspections thereafter; strengthening oversight of the safety performance of road transport vehicles by rigorously controlling vehicle entry into the road transport system and clearly defining the conditions under which such vehicles must be withdrawn from service; allowing general cargo vehicles to undergo inspection and testing at locations other than their registration jurisdiction, thereby enabling these vehicles to independently select motor vehicle inspection and testing agencies nationwide; optimizing the technical grade assessment system by mandating that inspection and testing agencies directly indicate the vehicle’s technical grade in the inspection and testing report; and stipulating that road transport vehicles holding an online annual inspection certificate are exempt from having their technical grade marked on the road transport permit.

MIIT: Vehicle models that have not been rectified by July 1 will be prohibited from production or sales.

On May 17, the Equipment Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the “Notice on Effectively Implementing and Rectifying Compliance with the Standards Specified in the Announcement,” requiring that, in accordance with the provisions of GB 15084-2022 “Motor Vehicles—Devices for Indirect Vision—Performance and Installation Requirements,” GB 17691-2018 “Emission Limits and Measurement Methods for Pollutants from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles (China Stage VI),” GB 18352.6-2016 “Emission Limits and Measurement Methods for Pollutants from Light-Duty Vehicles (China Stage VI),” GB 16897-2022 “Structural, Performance Requirements, and Test Methods for Brake Hoses,” and GB 19239-2022 “Installation Specifications for Gas Systems in Gas-Fueled Vehicles,” vehicle models that have already obtained type approval as of July 1, 2023, must comply with the relevant standards. Relevant enterprises are required to promptly verify the status of their products and carry out rectification through type-change extensions. Effective July 1, 2023, any vehicle models that have not been brought into compliance shall cease production or sales in accordance with the standard requirements; furthermore, such non-compliant models will be included in the “Announcement”’s database of vehicles subject to rectification for subsequent handling.

Ministry of Transport: Strengthen Management of Road Passenger Transfer Services

On May 6, the Ministry of Transport issued the Measures for the Administration of Road Passenger Shuttle Transportation, revising the existing pilot measures by delegating the review authority for shuttle organization plans, strengthening safety supervision of shuttle transportation, and optimizing service and support measures for passenger transport enterprises, thereby further standardizing and enhancing the management of road passenger shuttle transportation.

Five Departments: National Implementation of China VI B Emission Standards for Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles Starting July 1

On May 8, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued an announcement on matters related to the implementation of China VI emission standards for automobiles. The announcement explicitly states that, effective July 1, 2023, the China VI Stage 6b emission standard will be fully implemented nationwide, and the production, import, and sale of automobiles that do not comply with this standard will be prohibited. The date of manufacture shall be determined by the vehicle manufacturing date indicated on the motor vehicle certificate of conformity, and the electronic information pertaining to such certificates must be uploaded no later than 00:00 on July 1, 2023.

MIIT: “Performance and Installation Requirements for Indirect Vision Devices on Motor Vehicles” to Be Implemented in July

In mid-January 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued GB 15084-2022, “Motor Vehicles—Indirect Vision Devices—Performance and Installation Requirements,” which will come into effect on July 1, 2023. With rapid advancements in conventional frameless interior mirrors, free-form surface rearview mirrors, and camera-monitor systems (CMS), GB 15084 has been promptly revised to reflect these developments, specifying the categories, general requirements, functional requirements, and installation requirements for indirect vision devices.

Three Departments: Extend the Exemption of Vehicle Acquisition Tax for New Energy Vehicles Through the End of 2023

On September 26, 2022, the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the “Announcement on Extending the Policy of Exempting New Energy Vehicles from Vehicle Acquisition Tax,” which stipulates that new energy vehicles purchased between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, including new energy commercial vehicles, shall be exempt from vehicle acquisition tax.

(The above industry news is reproduced from First Commercial Vehicle Network.)