The development of automobile emission standards has gone through several stages. In the early 1970s, the United States took the lead in formulating the world’s first automobile emission standards, limiting the emission of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides from automobiles. Since then, Europe, Japan, and other countries and regions have successively formulated their own emission standards, and the standards have been continuously upgraded. At present, the main global automobile emission standards include the European Emission Standards (Euro), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Standards, and the Japanese Emission Standards. Among them, the European Emission Standards are the most influential, and many countries and regions in the world have adopted or referenced the European Emission Standards. For example, Euro 6, which was implemented in Europe in 2014, imposes strict limits on the emission of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, and the emission limit of nitrogen oxides is only 10% of that of Euro 5. In 2025, Europe will implement Euro 7, which will further reduce the emission limits of pollutants and expand the scope of emission control. Automobile emission standards have a profound impact on the global automobile industry, mainly reflected in three aspects. First, promoting the technological upgrading of automakers. In order to meet the increasingly strict emission standards, automakers must increase investment in R&D, develop new emission control technologies, and improve the emission performance of vehicles. For example, automakers have developed technologies such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and gasoline direct injection (GDI) to reduce pollutant emissions. At the same time, the upgrading of emission standards has also promoted the development of new energy vehicles. Since traditional fuel vehicles are difficult to meet the most stringent emission standards, automakers have accelerated the R&D and production of new energy vehicles, which has promoted the transformation of the automobile industry towards electrification. Second, changing the market pattern of the automobile industry. Automakers that can quickly adapt to the upgrading of emission standards and master advanced emission control technologies will gain a competitive advantage in the market. On the contrary, automakers that cannot meet the emission standards will be eliminated by the market. For example, in Europe, after the implementation of Euro 6, many small automakers that could not afford the R&D costs of emission control technologies withdrew from the market, while large automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, which have strong technological strength, further consolidated their market position. In addition, the upgrading of emission standards has also led to changes in the market share of different types of vehicles. New energy vehicles, which have zero or low emissions, have gained more market share, while traditional fuel vehicles, especially those with high emissions, have gradually lost their market competitiveness. Third, affecting the choice of consumers. Emission standards will affect the price, fuel consumption, and maintenance cost of vehicles, thereby affecting consumers’ purchasing decisions. For example, vehicles that meet higher emission standards often have higher prices and lower fuel consumption, which are more favored by consumers who pay attention to environmental protection and long-term use costs. In addition, some countries and regions have introduced policies such as differential vehicle purchase tax and license plate restrictions based on emission standards, which further guide consumers to choose vehicles with low emissions. However, the upgrading of automobile emission standards also brings some challenges to the automobile industry. First, the R&D costs of automakers have increased significantly. The development of new emission control technologies requires a lot of investment, which has increased the production cost of vehicles and may lead to an increase in vehicle prices, affecting market sales. Second, the technical requirements for parts suppliers have increased. The emission control system of vehicles involves a variety of parts, such as catalytic converters, sensors, and electronic control units. Parts suppliers must also upgrade their technologies to meet the needs of automakers, which has increased their R&D and production costs. Third, the impact on the used car market. The upgrading of emission standards may lead to the early elimination of old vehicles with high emissions, which will increase the number of used cars entering the market and affect the price and circulation of used cars. Looking to the future, global automobile emission standards will continue to be upgraded, and the requirements for pollutant emissions will become more stringent. At the same time, emission standards will gradually focus on carbon emissions, in line with the global goal of carbon neutrality. For example, Europe has proposed that new cars sold in 2035 will be zero-emission vehicles, which means that traditional fuel vehicles will be completely banned. In addition, emission standards will become more unified globally, reducing the differences between different regions and promoting the global circulation of automobiles. In conclusion, automobile emission standards are an important driving force for the transformation and upgrading of the global automobile industry. While promoting environmental protection, they also bring challenges to automakers. Automakers must actively adapt to the upgrading of emission standards, increase investment in R&D, and accelerate the development of new energy vehicles and advanced emission control technologies. Only in this way can they gain a competitive advantage in the market and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the automobile industry.
