Mexico: On-Road Vehicles

• Background
• Passenger Cars & Light Trucks
• Heavy-Duty Trucks and Buses

Background

Mexican emission requirements for new vehicles and engines are adopted by the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT). Emission compliance is generally required with either the US or European emission standards.

First emission standards for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles were established on 6 June 1988 and became effective in model year 1993 [NOM-044-ECOL-1993]. The light-duty standards were later strengthened to be equivalent to the US Tier 1, effective 2001 [NOM-042-ECOL-1999]. A mix of US Tier 1/2 and Euro 3/4 standards is required since 2004 [NOM-042-SEMARNAT-2003].

New emission requirements for heavy-duty truck and bus engines were adopted on 12 October 2006, which require compliance with US 2004 or Euro IV equivalent standards effective July 2008 [NOM-044-SEMARNAT-2006].

Passenger Cars & Light Trucks

Light-Duty Vehicle Classification

Light duty vehicles are defined as vehicles of GVW ≤ 3857 kg. Passenger cars (PC) are defined as vehicles with up to 10 seats, including the driver. Light trucks are classified in four groups—corresponding to the US Light Duty Truck 1 to 4—based on the GVW and the test weight (weight of the vehicle with full fuel tank) as follows:

• CL1: GVW ≤ 2722 kg, test weight ≤ 1701 kg
• CL2: GVW ≤ 2722 kg, test weight 1701 - 2608 kg
• CL3: GVW 2722 - 3857 kg, test weight ≤ 2608 kg
• CL4: GVW 2722 - 3857 kg, test weight 2608 - 3857 kg

Weight ratings based on the European grouping for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles using a vehicle’s reference mass (weight of vehicle with full tank of fuel + 100 kg) are also used:

• CL Class 1: reference mass ≤ 1305 kg
• CL Class 2: reference mass > 1305 kg but ≤ 1760 kg
• CL Class 3: reference mass > 1760 kg

Model Year 1993-2003

Emission standards for light-duty vehicles are summarized in Table 1. The standards were based on the US regulations and test methods (FTP-75). The 1993 requirements were based on the US 1981 emission standards. The 2001 requirements represent the US Tier 1 standards without OBD II provisions.

The standards apply both to gasoline and diesel vehicles, with the exception of NO_x standards, as specified, and the PM standard that applies only to diesels. Natural gas and LPG vehicles have the same standards as gasoline vehicles.

Table 1
Emission Standards for Cars and Light-Duty Trucks, g/km

Year	CO	NMHC*	NOx		PM†
			Gasoline	Diesel
Passenger Cars
1993	2.11	0.25	0.62	0.62	0.07
2001	2.11	0.156	0.25	0.62	0.07
Light Trucks CL1
1994	8.75	0.63	1.44	1.44	0.07
2001	2.11	0.156	0.25	0.62	0.07
Light Trucks CL2
1994	8.75	0.63	1.44	1.44	0.07
2001	2.74	0.20	0.44	0.62	0.07
Light Trucks CL3
1994	8.75	0.63	1.44	1.44	0.07
2001	2.74	0.20	0.44	0.62	0.07
Light Trucks CL4
1994	8.75	0.63	1.44	1.44	0.10
2001	3.11	0.24	0.68	0.62	0.10
* total hydrocarbons (THC) prior to model-year 2001 † diesel vehicles only

Gasoline, natural gas, and LPG vehicles of all classes and all model years must also meet an evaporative (SHED) limit of 2 g/test.

Model Year 2004 And Later

The model year 2004 and later standards are based on US Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards and Euro 3 and Euro 4 limits. New vehicles must meet the standards set out in either Table 2 (based on US Tier 1/2 limits) or Table 3 (based on Euro 3/4 limits). Vehicles meeting these standards are also required to be equipped with OBD.

Table 2
Light-Duty Vehicle Emission Limit Option Based on US EPA Standards, g/km

Standard	Class	CO		NMHC		NOx		PM
		Gasoline	Diesel	Gasoline	Diesel	Gasoline	Diesel	Gasoline	Diesel
A	PC	2.11		0.156		0.25	0.62	n/a	0.050
	CL1
	CL2	2.74		0.200		0.44	0.62		0.062
	CL3
	CL4	3.11		0.240		0.68	0.95		0.075
B	PC	2.11		0.099		0.249		n/a	0.050
	CL1
	CL2								0.062
	CL3	2.74		0.121
	CL4								0.075
C	PC	2.11		0.047		0.068		n/a	0.050
	CL1
	CL2								0.062
	CL3			0.087		0.124
	CL4								0.075

Table 3
Light-Duty Vehicle Emission Limit Option Based on European Standards, g/km

Standard	Class	CO		NMHC		NOx		PM
		Gasoline	Diesel	Gasoline	Diesel	Gasoline	Diesel	Gasoline	Diesel
B	PC	1.25	0.64	0.125	0.56	0.100	0.50	n/a	0.050
	CL Class 1
	CL Class 2	2.26	0.80	0.162	0.72	0.125	0.65		0.070
	CL Class 3	2.83	0.95	0.200	0.86	0.137	0.78		0.100
C	PC	1.00	0.50	0.10	0.30	0.08	0.25	n/a	0.050
	CL Class 1
	CL Class 2	1.81	0.63	0.13	0.39	0.10	0.33		0.040
	CL Class 3	2.27	0.74	0.16	0.46	0.11	0.39		0.060

Notes to Table 2 and Table 3:

1. Emission durability requirements:
   • 80,000 km / 50,000 mi for US EPA option (Table 2), or
   • 100,000 km for European option (Table 3)
2. Gasoline vehicle standards also apply to natural gas and LPG vehicles.
3. Gasoline, natural gas, and LPG vehicles of all classes and all model years must also meet an evaporative (SHED) limit of 2 g/test.

An important factor in the phase-in of these vehicles is the introduction of gasoline with 30 ppm average and 80 ppm maximum sulfur, and diesel fuel with 15 ppm sulfur. The calendar year that these fuels become available nationally is referred to as “Year 1” (Año 1). It is expected to be 2009, according to Mexican fuel quality regulations [NOM-086-SEMARNAT-SENER-SCFI-2005]. Vehicles meeting the “A” standard in Table 2 are those produced between 2004 to 2009. Vehicles meeting “B” standard in Table 2 and Table 3 are those produced from 2007 to “Year 3”—2 calendar years after “Year 1”. Vehicles meeting “C” standard in in Table 2 and Table 3 are those produced starting in “Year 1”. The phase-in schedules for vehicles meeting B and C standards are laid out in Table 4 and Table 5, respectively.

Table 4
Phase-In Schedule of Light-Duty Vehicles Meeting B Standards

Standard	2007	2008	2009	2010
A	75%	50%	30%	0%
B	25%	50%	70%	100%

Table 5
Phase-In Schedule of Light-Duty Vehicles Meeting C Standards

Standard	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
A+B	75%	50%	30%	0%
C	25%	50%	70%	100%

While the standards in Table 2 and Table 3 are based on US EPA limits and European limits, they are not necessarily structured the same way. For example, the NO_x and PM limits defined by the “A” standard in Table 2 are a combination of 50,000 mile and full useful life US EPA Tier 1 limits. For the “B” and “C” standards, the PM limits do not change, (i.e., they stay at the Tier 1 limits) while the NO_x standards decrease to limits based on 50,000 mile US EPA Tier 2 values. The NO_x limit for the “B” standard is US Tier 2 Bin 10 and for the “C” standard is Bin 7 (for lighter vehicles) and Bin 9 (for heavier vehicles). With the exception of “B” standard for gasoline, LPG and natural gas, the standards in Table 3 are equivalent to Euro 3 and 4 limits. Note the different durability requirements for the standards in Table 2 (80,000 km) and Table 3 (100,000 km).

Heavy-Duty Trucks and Buses

Emission standards for new heavy-duty diesel engines—applicable to vehicles of GVW > 3,857 kg—became first effective in model year 1993. These standards were based on US 1991 and later requirements, including the US EPA test methods (FTP transient test).

Since February 2003, engines in Mexico can also meet European standards, as an alternative to the US EPA requirements. The US EPA or European reference standard requirements are summarized in Table 6.

Table 6
Emission Requirements for Diesel Truck and Bus Engines

Date	Requirements
	US EPA	European
1993	US 1991
1994	US 1994
1998	US 1998
2003.02	US 1998	Euro III
2008.07†	US 2004	Euro IV
† Through 2011.06; later requirements are not specified.

No emission standards were adopted for gasoline fueled trucks and buses.