Viet Nam announces roadmap to apply emission standards for motorcycles and mopeds

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has issued Circular No. 92 regulating the National Technical Regulation on Emissions for Motorcycles and Mopeds Participating in Road Traffic.

The Circular shall be applied to agencies, organizations, and individuals using motorcycles and mopeds in road traffic, entities conducting emission inspections for these vehicles, and relevant state management authorities.

The Circular specifies maximum permissible emission limits based on two key parameters — CO (carbon monoxide) and HC (hydrocarbons) — and classifies them into four compliance levels.

CO limits for motorcycles and mopeds shall range from 4.5 percent to 2.0 percent by volume depending on emission levels, while HC limits are set at 1500–1000 ppm by volume for 4-stroke engines and 10,000–2,000 ppm by volume for 2-stroke engine. 

Specifically, Level 1 is equivalent to Euro 1 and lower than Euro 2 standards. Level 2 is close to the Euro 2 standard, reflecting a transition period when environmental requirements are tightening, while still aligning with the current reality of older vehicles in circulation. Level 3 is close to the Euro 3 standard. Level 4 is the highest compliance level, closely aligned with the Euro 4 standard for motorcycles, which is widely applied across Europe.

Circular 92 also clearly states that the implementation roadmap shall follow decisions issued by the Prime Minister on behalf of the Government.

According to official data, Viet Nam currently has around 70 million motorcycles and mopeds in circulation nationwide. It is estimated that approximately 5,000 qualified facilities will be required across the country to conduct emission inspections for this vehicle category./.