Log in | Subscribe

Emission Standards

Chile

Regulatory Background

Chilean emission standards for vehicles and engines are adopted by the Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones (MTT) in cooperation with the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (MMA).

National emission standards for highway vehicles, light- and heavy-duty, have been in place since the early 1990s. National emission standards for engines in nonroad mobile machinery and generator sets were finalized in 2021 for implementation starting 2023. While the standards are based on US and EU emission regulations, they are not necessarily equivalent. Dual standards often exist, allowing new engines to meet either US or EU standards.

The emission limits are based on the date that application is first made to register the vehicle in the national vehicle registry and the geographic region in which it operates. Application date for registration (as opposed to vehicle model year) is used presumably to control emissions from imported used vehicles. To legally operate an onroad vehicle in Chile, a colored sticker must be attached to the vehicle. The color of the sticker determines what region of the country a vehicle may operate in. Rules for issuing stickers depend on the vehicle class. For nonroad mobile machinery and generator sets, applicability is determined by the date that the equipment was imported.

Santiago Metropolitan Region. Due to more severe pollution problems, many vehicle emission standards for the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM) are more stringent and/or introduced earlier that those for the rest of the country. A decree issued in 2010 [D.S. N° 66/10] required a number of programs to be established in the Santiago Metropolitan Region by 2011 to accelerate the uptake of cleaner vehicles. These programs included the implementation of a Low Emission Zone for heavy vehicles and a voluntary truck scrappage program.

Regulated Engines and Vehicles

Emission-regulated categories of engines and vehicles include: