Japan: Cars and Light Trucks

Passenger Cars
Light Commercial Vehicles

Passenger Cars

Two types of standards can be established in Japan, denoted as “mean” and “max” (the “max” standards are shown in brackets in the following tables). The “mean” standards are to be met as a type approval limit and as a production average. The “max” standards are to be met generally as an individual limit in series production and as type approval limit if sales are less than 2000 per vehicle model per year.

Emission standards for new diesel powered cars are listed in Table 1. The implementation dates refer to new vehicle models. Some of the standards allow a delay of up to one year for current production models.

**Table 1**
Japanese emission standards for diesel passenger cars, g/km
Vehicle Weight	Date	Test	CO	HC	NOx	PM
Vehicle Weight	Date	Test	mean (max)	mean (max)	mean (max)	mean (max)
< 1250 kg*	1986	10-15 mode	2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.70 (0.98)
	1990		2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.50 (0.72)
	1994		2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.50 (0.72)	0.20 (0.34)
	1997		2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.40 (0.55)	0.08 (0.14)
	2002^a		0.63	0.12	0.28	0.052
	2005^b	JC08^c	0.63	0.024^d	0.14	0.013
	2009	JC08^c	0.63	0.024^d	0.08	0.005
	2018	WLTP	0.63	0.024^d	0.15	0.005
> 1250 kg*	1986	10-15 mode	2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.90 (1.26)
	1992		2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.60 (0.84)
	1994		2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.60 (0.84)	0.20 (0.34)
	1998		2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.40 (0.55)	0.08 (0.14)
	2002^a		0.63	0.12	0.30	0.056
	2005^b	JC08^c	0.63	0.024^d	0.15	0.014
	2009^e	JC08^c	0.63	0.024^d	0.08	0.005
	2018	WLTP	0.63	0.024^d	0.15	0.005
* - equivalent inertia weight (EIW); vehicle weight of 1265 kg a - 2002.10 for domestic cars, 2004.09 for imports b - full implementation by the end of 2005 c - full phase-in by 2011 d - non-methane hydrocarbons e - 2009.10 for new domestic models; 2010.09 for existing models & imports

Table 2 lists emission standards for 2009 and later gasoline and LPG passenger cars.

**Table 2**
Japanese emission standards for gasoline and LPG passenger cars, g/km
Date	Test	CO	NMHC	NOx	PM^a
Date	Test	mean	mean	mean	mean
2009	JC08	1.15	0.05	0.05	0.005
2018	WLTP	1.15	0.10	0.05	0.005
^a From 2009, PM values apply only to vehicles with lean-burn DI gasoline engines equipped with NOx adsorber catalysts; from 2020, PM values apply to all vehicles with DI gasoline engines, including stoichiometric DI vehicles.

The test procedures have been changed on a number of occasions. The old 10-mode cycle was replaced by the 10-15 mode test effective 1991.11 for domestic cars and 1993.04 for imports. The 2005 regulation introduced the JC08 mode cycle which became fully phased-in by 2011 (vehicles were tested using 50 ppm S fuel for the 2005 standards). From 2018, emissions are tested over the WLTP test cycle.

Light Commercial Vehicles

Emission standards for new diesel fueled commercial vehicles are summarized in Table 3, and for those fueled by gasoline and LPG in Table 4.

**Table 3**
Emission standards for diesel light commercial vehicles
GVW ≤ 3500 kg (≤ 2500 kg before 2005)
Vehicle Weight*	Date	Test	Unit	CO	HC	NOx	PM
Vehicle Weight*	Date	Test	Unit	mean (max)	mean (max)	mean (max)	mean (max)
≤ 1700 kg	1988	10-15 mode	g/km	2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.90 (1.26)
	1993			2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.60 (0.84)	0.20 (0.34)
	1997			2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.40 (0.55)	0.08 (0.14)
	2002			0.63	0.12	0.28	0.052
	2005^b	JC08^c		0.63	0.024^d	0.14	0.013
	2009	JC08^c		0.63	0.024^d	0.08	0.005
	2018	WLTP		0.63	0.024^d	0.15	0.005
> 1700 kg	1988	6 mode	ppm	790 (980)	510 (670)	DI: 380 (500) IDI: 260 (350)
	1993	10-15 mode	g/km	2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	1.30 (1.82)	0.25 (0.43)
	1997^a			2.1 (2.7)	0.40 (0.62)	0.70 (0.97)	0.09 (0.18)
	2003			0.63	0.12	0.49	0.06
	2005^b	JC08^c		0.63	0.024^d	0.25	0.015
	2009^e	JC08^c		0.63	0.024^d	0.15	0.007
	2019	WLTP		0.63	0.024^d	0.24	0.007
* - gross vehicle weight (GVW) a - 1997: manual transmission vehicles; 1998: automatic transmission vehicles b - full implementation by the end of 2005 c - full phase-in by 2011 d - non-methane hydrocarbons e - 2009.10 for new domestic models; 2010.09 for existing models & imports

**Table 4**
Emission standards for gasoline and LPG light commercial vehicles, g/km
GVW ≤ 3500 kg
Vehicle Weight	Date	Test	CO	NMHC	NOx	PM^a
Vehicle Weight	Date	Test	mean	mean	mean	mean
Mini	2009	JC08	4.02	0.05	0.05	0.005
Mini	2019	WLTP	4.02	0.10	0.05	0.005
≤ 1700 kg	2009	JC08	1.15	0.05	0.05	0.005
≤ 1700 kg	2019	WLTP	1.15	0.10	0.05	0.005
> 1700 kg	2009	JC08	2.55	0.05	0.07	0.007
> 1700 kg	2019	WLTP	2.55	0.15	0.07	0.007
^a From 2009, PM values apply only to vehicles with lean-burn DI gasoline engines equipped with NOx adsorber catalysts; from 2020, PM values apply to all vehicles with DI gasoline engines, including stoichiometric DI vehicles.