Hong Huo, Zhiliang Yao, Kebin He and Xin Yu, Fuel consumption rates of passenger cars in China: Labels versus real-world, Energy Policy Volume 39, Issue 11, November 2011, Pages 7130–7135 Asian Energy Security, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.08.031
Abstract: The article examined the differences between the test and real-world fuel consumption of Chinese passenger cars by using the data reported by real-world drivers on the internet voluntarily.
2. Where do the authors work, and what are their areas of expertise? Note any other publications by the authors with relevance to the 6Cities project.
Hong Huo: Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy, Tsinghua University, Beijing
Zhiliang Yao: School of Food Science, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing
Kebin He: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing
Xin Yu: Beijing Green resource Co. Ltd., Beijing.
Publication:
Hong Huo and Zhiliang Yao et al., On-board measurements of emissions from diesel trucks in five cities in China, Atmospheric Environment Volume 54, July 2012, Pages 159–167, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.01.068
Xianbao Shen and Zhiliang Yao et al., Development of database of real-world diesel vehicle emission factors for China, Journal of Environmental Sciences Volume 31, 1 May 2015, Pages 209–220, doi:10.1016/j.jes.2014.10.021
Hong Huo et al., Modeling vehicle emissions in different types of Chinese cities: Importance of vehicle fleet and local features, Environmental Pollution Volume 159, Issue 10, October 2011, Pages 2954–2960 Nitrogen Deposition, Critical Loads and Biodiversity, doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2011.04.025
Hong Huo et al., Projection of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by motor vehicles in China: Policy options and impacts, Energy Policy Volume 43, April 2012, Pages 37–48, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.09.065
Xianbao Shena and Zhiliang Yao et al., PM2.5 emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles in Beijing, China, Science of The Total Environment Volume 487, 15 July 2014, Pages 521–527, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.059
3. What are the main findings or arguments presented in the article or report? Further government effort on fuel consumption estimates adjustment, local driving cycle development, and real-world data accumulation through communication with the public is needed to improve the accuracy of the labeling policy.
4. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
Based on the city, highway, and composite fuel consumption rates reported by car users, the study calculated the sales-weighted average fuel consumption rates for real-world city, highway, and composite conditions to be 10.24, 8.56, and 9.02 L/100 km, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3. The average real-world fuel consumption rate was 15.5% higher than that calculated from the label values, which is close to the difference of 15% between the real-world and laboratory fuel economy estimated by the US EPA for US light-duty vehicles during the mid-1980s.
Fig. 4 compares the label and real-world fuel consumption rates of 153 car models. As shown, for most car models, the real world fuel consumption rates are generally higher than the label values.
As shown in Fig. 5, of the 23 driving cycles, the standard driving cycle has the highest average speed, which somehow could explain the reason that the laboratory fuel consumption rates are generally lower than real- world levels. Note that other driving parameters such as accel- eration could also affect emission factors.
5. What three (or more) quotes capture the message of the article or report?
“Recently, China has implemented many policy measures to control the oil demand of on-road vehicles. In 2010, China started to report the fuel consumption rates of light-duty vehicles tested in laboratory and to require new vehicles to show the rates on window labels. In this study, we examined the differences between the test and real-world fuel consumption of Chinese passenger cars by using the data reported by real-world drivers on the internet voluntarily. The sales-weighted average fuel consumption of new cars in China in 2009 was 7.80 L/100 km in laboratory and 9.02 L/100 km in real world, representing a difference of 15.5%. For the 153 individual car models examined, the real-world fuel consumption rates were [1]8 to 60% different from the test values.”
“The simulation results of the International Vehicle Emission model show that the real-world driving cycles in 22 selected Chinese cities could result in 8% to 34% of changes in fuel consumption compared to the laboratory driving cycle. Further government effort on fuel consumption estimates adjustment, local driving cycle development, and real-world data accumulation through communication with the public is needed to improve the accuracy of the labeling policy.”
“This study aims to examine the differences between test and real-world fuel consumption of light-duty passenger vehicles in China and provides appropriate suggestions to policy makers to improve the fuel consumption estimates and labeling policy. We collected the fuel consumption rates reported by the government and Chinese car owners.”
6. What were the methods, tools and/or data used to produce the claims or arguments made in the article or report? The study collected the fuel consumption rates reported by the government (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, 2010) and Chinese car owners. The former represent the laboratory fuel consumption rates, and the latter can be used as a surrogate to approximate the real values due to unavailability of rigorous statistics. The International Vehicle Emission (IVE) model is employed to simulate the fuel consumption rate changes under the standard test procedure and real-world driving conditions. The authors also call for additional government efforts to improve the current labeling policy.
7. How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report? The article mentioned that there are numerous evidences have shown that differences exist between laboratory and real-world fuel consumption rates. For example, Schipper and Tax (1994) examined the data of the US, Canada, and four European countries and found that automobile fuel economy tests tended to underestimate fuel use by 15–25%.
Reference: Schipper, L., Tax, W., 1994. New car test and actual fuel economy: yet another gap Transport Policy 1, 257–265.
8. Where has this article or report been referenced or discussed? (In some journals, you can see this in a sidebar.)
Naser Sinaa, Sayyad Nasirib and Vahid Karkhanehb, Effects of resistive loads and tire inflation pressure on tire power losses and CO2 emissions in real-world conditions, Applied Energy Volume 157, 1 November 2015, Pages 974–983, doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.04.010
Shaojun Zhang et al., Real-world fuel consumption and CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions by driving conditions for light-duty passenger vehicles in China, Energy Volume 69, 1 May 2014, Pages 247–257, doi:10.1016/j.energy.2014.02.103
Yang Liu, Yu Wang and Hong Huo, Temporal and spatial variations in on-road energy use and CO2 emissions in China, 1978–2008, Energy Policy Volume 61, October 2013, Pages 544–550, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.121
Chuanguo Zhang and Jiang Nian, Panel estimation for transport sector CO2 emissions and its affecting factors: A regional analysis in China, Energy Policy Volume 63, December 2013, Pages 918–926, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.142
9. Can you learn anything from the article or report’s bibliography that tells us something about how the article or report was produced? The author first figure out there are problems between laboratory and real-world fuel consumption rates, then they examine the differences between test and real-world fuel consumption of light-duty passenger vehicles in China and provides appropriate suggestions to policy makers to improve the fuel consumption estimates and labeling policy.
10. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance your understanding of how air pollution science has been produced and used in governance and education in different settings?
The government effort on vehicle energy policy and associated data collection are not yet sufficient in China, especially compared to other countries, such as the US.
More government effort is needed to further improve the accuracy and openness of vehicle fuel economy, including adjusting the labeled fuel consumption rates to reflect real-world driving conditions, helping the public gain a better knowledge on vehicle fuel use levels.
Chinese government should also nitiate programs to let the public learn how to manage and save the energy use, such as the Eco-meter program ongoing currently in several European countries.
2. Where do the authors work, and what are their areas of expertise? Note any other publications by the authors with relevance to the 6Cities project.
Publication:
3. What are the main findings or arguments presented in the article or report?
Further government effort on fuel consumption estimates adjustment, local driving cycle development, and real-world data accumulation through communication with the public is needed to improve the accuracy of the labeling policy.
4. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
5. What three (or more) quotes capture the message of the article or report?
6. What were the methods, tools and/or data used to produce the claims or arguments made in the article or report?
The study collected the fuel consumption rates reported by the government (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, 2010) and Chinese car owners. The former represent the laboratory fuel consumption rates, and the latter can be used as a surrogate to approximate the real values due to unavailability of rigorous statistics. The International Vehicle Emission (IVE) model is employed to simulate the fuel consumption rate changes under the standard test procedure and real-world driving conditions. The authors also call for additional government efforts to improve the current labeling policy.
7. How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
The article mentioned that there are numerous evidences have shown that differences exist between laboratory and real-world fuel consumption rates. For example, Schipper and Tax (1994) examined the data of the US, Canada, and four European countries and found that automobile fuel economy tests tended to underestimate fuel use by 15–25%.
Reference: Schipper, L., Tax, W., 1994. New car test and actual fuel economy: yet another gap Transport Policy 1, 257–265.
8. Where has this article or report been referenced or discussed? (In some journals, you can see this in a sidebar.)
9. Can you learn anything from the article or report’s bibliography that tells us something about how the article or report was produced?
The author first figure out there are problems between laboratory and real-world fuel consumption rates, then they examine the differences between test and real-world fuel consumption of light-duty passenger vehicles in China and provides appropriate suggestions to policy makers to improve the fuel consumption estimates and labeling policy.
10. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance your understanding of how air pollution science has been produced and used in governance and education in different settings?