In the world it has been widely implementing the economical and efficient use of energy for motor vehicles through Energy Labeling Programs with regulations for minimum energy consumption, fuel tax, eco-vehicle driving, vehicle maintenance program, etc. This activity is also of great interest in Vietnam with the appropriate characteristics, roadmap and steps as outlined in this article.
1. General information
Using fuel economically and efficiently is one of the important measures to reduce pollutant emissions, which is currently a priority target in many countries in transportation activities. Around the world, the Energy Labeling Program has been actively implemented in many countries in Europe, America, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, India... The prominent implementation in Southeast Asia is in Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, etc.
In Vietnam, based on the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy, on September 12, 2011, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 51/2011/QD-TTg stipulating the list of vehicles and equipment that must be energy labeled, regulating minimum energy efficiency level and implementation roadmap. According to this Decision, from January 1, 2015 passenger cars with 07 seats or less which were newly manufactured, assembled and imported should be labeled. Then, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 04/2017/QD-TTg dated March 9, 2017 to add the subjects of labeling, according to which newly manufactured, assembled and imported vehicles should be labeled: (i) from January 1, 2018 for passenger cars with over 07 seats to 9 seats, (ii) from January 1, 2020 for motorcycles and motorbikes. As soon as the above Decision was issued, most automobile manufacturing, assembling and importing enterprises responded. Some advantageous enterprises have applied energy labeling for cars before January 1, 2015 (i.e. the recommended time to apply).
Through the energy labeling of vehicles when put them on the market, businesses will have to transparently inform about fuel consumption, consumers have technical information to choose vehicles with appropriate fuel consumption. Vehicle manufacturers and traders also take the vehicle's fuel consumption as one of its competitive advantages in the market. As a result, consumers have more reference information in their selection of vehicles with low fuel consumption, which bringing them economic efficiency during use; vehicle manufacturers can promote their corporate image through energy labels. Energy labeling also motivates car manufacturers and assemblers to improve technology and product quality to improve fuel consumption factor and must consider it a competitive advantage of their products. From social aspect, the energy labeling will contribute to reducing the total fuel consumption from the operation of transport means, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution.
According to the received information, the enterprises have fully complied with the regulations on energy labeling for the subjected vehicles. Up to now it have not recorded complaints, disputes, handled violations related to the publicizing vehicle fuel consumption and energy labeling.
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Figure 1. Energy labels used to stick on cars
2. Method and cycle of measuring fuel consumption for passenger cars and motorcycles, mopeds in Vietnam
Currently, according to Vietnam's current regulations, the methods of measuring fuel consumption and determining fuel consumption of motor vehicles are basis for printing on energy labels for vehicle types as follows:
2-1. For passenger cars: specified in Article 7 of the Joint Circular No. 43/2014/TTLT-BGTVT-BCT;
a. Requirements on methods of measuring fuel consumption: shall be implemented according to one of the methods stated in the following regulations and standards:
(1) QCVN 05:2009/BGTVT;
(2) TCVN 7792:2007;
(3) TCVN 9854: 2013;
(4) Other measurement methods equivalent to those specified in (1), (2) and (3).
b. How to get the fuel consumption result: follow one of the methods below:
(1) The method of calculating carbon balance from the emission measurement results is specified in Section 5.3 TCVN 9854:2013 or Section B.1.4.2 Appendix B TCVN 7792:2007;
(2) The direct fuel-consumption measurement method is specified in Section 5.1. TCVN 9854:2013.
2-2. For motorcycles and mopeds: specified in Article 4 of Circular No. 59/2018/TT-BGTVT
c. Requirements on fuel-consumption test :
(1) The test for two-wheeled motorcycles complies with the cycle of the type 1 emission test specified in QCVN 77:2014/BGTVT;
(2) The test for motorcycles (except 2-wheeled motorcycles), mopeds shall comply with the cycle of type 1 emission test specified in QCVN 04:2009/BGTVT;
(3) In case the vehicle type of new structure and technology with no regulations on testing according to QCVN 77:2014/BGTVT and QCVN 04:2009/BGTVT, it is allowed to test the fuel consumption according to the standards, regulations UNECE, EC, EEC respectively.
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Figure 2. Energy labels used to stick on motorcycles and mopeds
d. Vehicle fuel consumption testing: performed independently or in combination with emissions testing. In case of combination with the emission test, the value of fuel consumption is calculated according to the carbon balance calculation method by the formula mentioned in Section B.4.1.2 above.
Commonly used methods of measuring fuel consumption are emission test cycles combined with calculation of fuel consumption. According to current regulations, businesses can choose a direct or indirect (carbon balance) measurement method to determine fuel consumption. However, in practice the enterprises manufacturing, assembling and importing motor vehicles in Vietnam often choose the carbon balance calculation method from emissions results to calculate fuel consumption (in order to save costs).
3. Implementation of energy labeling for cars
From January 1, 2015, the Vietnam Register has posted information about the fuel consumption of vehicles subjected to labeling on the its website (section for searching information on fuel consumption of motor vehicles)[1]. In fact, during the three years of program implementation (from 2015 to 2017), the fuel consumption of passenger cars with 07 seats or less has improved as illustrated in the figure below.
Figure 3. Change in average fuel consumption of gasoline vehicles from 2015 to 2017 according to different test cycles
4. Implementation of energy labeling for motorcycles and mopeds
Following the achieved results, the Ministry of Transport has expanded the implementation of energy labeling for newly manufactured, assembled and imported motorcycles and motorbikes/mopeds according to the tasks assigned by the Prime Minister. Before implementing energy labeling, motorcycle manufacturers/importers must publicize information on fuel consumption of vehicle types (ie. send a public announcement of fuel consumption to the Vietnam Register to publicly post on its website). At the same time, the fuel consumption must also be posted on those enterprises’ website (if any). The public information must be maintained throughout the time the manufacturer, importer and trader supplies that type of motorcycle to the market.
According to updates by the end of 2020 on the official website of the Vietnam Register and information from a number of large enterprises such as Honda, Yamaha, Piagio, SYM, etc. there have been 439 models of produced, assembled or imported motorcycles and mopeds have publicized information on fuel consumption of those vehicle types. Accordingly, at present the most fuel-efficient scooter model is the Yamaha Grande with only 1.69 liters per 100km. The most fuel-efficient manual gear motorcycle model (excluding 50cc vehicles) is the Honda MSX125 with 1.48 liters per 100km.
Meanwhile for Yamaha, the announced level of Latte model is 1.8 liters / 100km, of Janus standard version is 1.87 liters / 100km, standard NVX is 2.23 liters / 100km, of FreeGo is 1.97 liters / 100km .
5. Proposing to improve regulations on energy labeling and energy consumption in the coming time
In the implementation of the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy and related guiding documents, there are still some unreasonable regulations that need to be supplemented and revised, specifically:
- It is necessary to amend and supplement Article 15 of Decree No. 21/2011/ND-CP dated March 29, 2011 of the Government detailing and implementing the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy in order to clearly regulate energy labels to match the vehicles such as: the label provides information related to the type of the used fuel and the fuel consumption of the vehicle that has been tested, certified or self-declared in registration. That help consumers identify and choose fuel-efficient vehicles. The reason to amend as mentioned above because two types of energy labels specified in Article 15 are not suitable for road vehicles.
- It is necessary to amend Article 18, Article 22 of Decree No. 21/2012/ND-CP in the direction assigned to the Ministry of Transport: Regulating energy labeling for newly manufactured, assembled and imported motor vehicles (including specifications of energy label); Checking and reporting on the implementation of motor vehicle energy labeling for consistency with current implementation practice. Note that at present, according to the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents, the form of Joint Circular between the two Ministries is no longer available, so the amendment and supplement of Joint Circular No. 43/2014/TTLT-BGTVT-BCT to match the actual situation is very difficult.
In fact, when developing regulations on energy labeling for passenger cars from over 07 seats to 9 seats, the Ministry of Transport had to issue Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BGTVT in which it had to refer to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 43/2014/TTLT-BGTVT-BCT. For labeling motorcycles and mopeds, the Ministry of Transport had issued Circular No. 59/2018/TT-BGTVT, while the model of the energy label for this vehicle was issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade at Decision No. 1500/QD-BCT dated May 30, 2019.
- Soon issue regulations on energy labeling for passenger cars, motorcycles and mopeds installed electric motors to respond to the development of those vehicles.
MSc. Mai Van Hien, MOT
References:
1) Decision No. 51/2011/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated September 12, 2011 stipulating the list of vehicles and equipment subjected to energy labeling, the application of the minimum energy efficiency level and the roadmap for implementation (and Decision No. 04/2017/QD-TTg dated March 9, 2017 supplementing the subjects of labeling);
2) Joint Circular No. 43/2014/TTLT-BGTVT-BCT of the Ministry of Industry and Trade - Ministry of Transport;
3) Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport stipulating energy labeling for passenger cars;
4) Circular No. 59/2018/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport regulating energy labeling for motorcycles and mopeds.
