On October 26, 2023, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) published a draft of partial amendments to the Public Notice that Prescribes Details of Safety Regulations for Road Transport Vehicles, etc. for public comments until December 26, 2023.
This partial amendment concerns small and large special vehicles with a maximum engine power of between 19 and 560 kW, fueled by gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and includes the following:
✓Introduction of more stringent emission limits
✓Introduction of the Large Spark Ignition Non-Road Transient Cycle (LSI-NRTC) and the 7-mode Ramped Modal Cycle (7M-RMC) as emission test cycles
✓Enforcement of a blow-by gas recirculation device installation
The government is expected to adopt this partial amendment in January 2024, and implement it from October 2024 for new type approvals.
Japan’s government has been implementing exhaust emission standards for special motor vehicles with a maximum engine power of between 19 and 560 kW fueled with gasoline or LPG, using the steady test mode, C2 mode (7 mode) since 2007.
Conversely, the steady test mode, C1 mode (8 mode) and the NRTC have been implemented since 2011 for special motor vehicles fueled with diesel. In addition, the RMC has been the alternative method of the C1 mode since 2014.
Thus, in August 2020, the Central Environment Council published a report recommending the reduction of exhaust emissions from small and large special vehicles fueled by gasoline or LPG. The table below shows the proposed exhaust emissions.
Current and proposed exhaust emissions limits for small and large special vehicles
|
Carbon monoxide (CO) (g/kWh) |
Hydrocarbons (HC) (g/kWh) |
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) (g/kWh) |
Test cycle |
Current |
20.0 (26.6)(1) |
0.60 (0.80) |
0.60 (0.80) |
C2 mode |
Proposed |
15.0 (20.0) |
0.60 (0.80) |
0.30 (0.40) |
LSI-NRTC |
|
15.0 (20.0) |
0.60 (0.80) |
0.30 (0.40) |
7M-RMC or C2 mode(2) |
Note:
(1) Values outside of the bracket represent the average value which applies to the type approval vehicles; the maximum value (inside the bracket) applies to non-type approval vehicles
(2) Either the 7M-RMC or the C2 mode test cycle can be used
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, 2023
More information about Japan's vehicle emission standards is available in the .