Overview
Chilean heavy-duty vehicles adhere either to European or U.S. Standards, with the Euro V/U.S. 2007 standards currently in place for PM emissions and the Euro IV/U.S. 2004 standards in place for NOx emissions. Nationwide Euro VI standards were proposed in 2022 with a tentative implementation date of 2024.
Conventional pollutant emission limits
Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones (MTT) in cooperation with the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (MMA)
Current Standard
DTO-20/2017; DTO-55/1994 (HDV); DTO-130/2002 (Transit Buses in Santiago)
Heavy-Duty Engines, GVW ≥ 3860 kg
History
While emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles in Chile are based on U.S. and EU emission regulations, they are not necessarily equivalent. Dual standards often exist, allowing new engines to meet either U.S. or EU standards. No durability or on-board diagnostic (OBD) requirements are indicated in Chile’s emission 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 on-road 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.
Due to more severe pollution problems, many vehicle emission standards for the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM) are more stringent and/or introduced earlier than 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 include the implementation of a Low Emission Zone for heavy vehicles and a voluntary truck scrappage program. A decree in 2017 (D.S. N° 20/17) changed the stringency to require all diesel-using cars and trucks throughout the country to adhere to the same standards on smoke opacity levels.
The Ambient pollution prevention and mitigation plan published in January 2016 (Resolución 1260) proposed the application of the Euro VI standard (or U.S. 2010) to the Transantiago fleet starting September 2017. The final plan was implemented in January 2019, as the first electric buses entered the market. Santiago has made continual advancements with its bus electrification plans. The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT) introduced a preliminary fleet of 100 e-buses in 2019; by early 2020 the fleet numbered 1,000. Regional expansion of cleaner, non-electric options is in discussions.
Technical Standards
Emission standards for heavy-duty truck and bus engines are listed below. Early standards applied to vehicles operating in the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM) and Region IV to X. Nationwide standards took effect in 2006. In cases where dual standards exist—EU-based and US-based—engines are tested on the respective EU or US test cycles, as indicated.
Starting with heavy-duty vehicles first registered in January 2012 and later and operating in the Metropolitan Region, PM emissions are limited to Euro V/US 2007 levels while NOx limits for these vehicles are limited to Euro IV/US 2004 levels. In addition to OEM vehicles produced to meet the 2012 PM requirements, the limit could also be met by engines originally certified to PM emissions higher than the levels shown if they have been fitted with a diesel particulate filter carrying approval by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) or California ARB Level 3 verification and if the engine’s certification PM emissions multiplied by (1 – filter efficiency/100) does not exceed the limits shown. It should be noted that this is not a retrofit requirement for vehicles first registered before 2012 but a compliance option for those first registered after January 2012. The table below shows emission limits for heavy-duty engines. The table below shows emission limits for heavy-duty engines.
| Date | CO | HC† | NOx | PM | Unit | Test | Reference |
| Diesel | |||||||
| Sept 1994 (RM & IV-X)1 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 8.0 | 0.36a | g/kWh | ECE R-49 | Euro I |
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 0.35 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1991 | |
| Sept 1998 (RM & IV-X) May 2006 (National) |
4.0 | 1.1 | 7.0 | 0.15 | g/kWh | ECE R-49 | Euro II |
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 0.10 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1994 | |
| Oct 2006 (RM & IV-X)2 | 2.1 | 0.66 | 5.0 | 0.10 (0.13*) | g/kWh | ESC | Euro III |
| 5.45 | 0.78 | 5.0 | 0.16 (0.21*) | ETC | |||
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 0.10 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1998 | |
| Jan 2012 (RM) | 2.1 | 0.66 | 5.0 | 0.02 | g/kWh | ESC | Euro III/Euro IV PM |
| 5.45 | 0.78 | 5.0 | 0.03 | ETC | |||
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 0.01 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1998/US2007 PM | |
| May 2012 (National)d Sept 2013 (buses) |
1.5 | 0.46 | 3.5 | 0.02 | g/kWh | ESC | Euro IV |
| 4.0 | 0.55 | 3.5 | 0.03 | ETC | |||
| 15.5 | 2.4/2.5 | -/0.5 | 0.01e,g | g/bhp-hr | – | – | |
| Oct 2014d,f Sept 2015 (buses) |
1.5 | 0.46 | 2.0 | 0.02 | g/kWh | ESC | Euro V |
| 4.0 | 0.55 | 2.0 | 0.03 | ETC | |||
| 15.5 | 2.5/2.4 | 0.5/- | 0.01 | g/bhp-hr | – | – | |
| Gasoline | |||||||
| Sept 1994 | 37.1 | 1.9 | 5.0 | – | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | |
| Gaseous Fuels | |||||||
| Jan 2004 | 5.45 | 0.78b | 5.0 | – | g/kWh | ETC | – |
| 15.5 | 1.3c | 4.0 | 0.10 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | – | |
| Notes: † HC+NOx beginning in May 2012 * for engines of less than 0.75 dm<span “>3 swept volume per cylinder and a rated power speed of more than 3000 min<span “>-1 1 – Regions where standard took effect on date indicated 2 – ETC testing and emission limits apply only to diesel engines with advanced aftertreatment, e.g., with particulate filters and/or NOx catalysts a – 0.612 g/kWh for engines < 85 kW b – NMHC for natural gas engines; natural gas engines must also meet a CH<span “>4 limit of 1.6 g/kWh c – 1.2 g/bhp-hr NMHC for natural gas engines d – Engine manufacturers may choose between option 1/option 2 e – GVW ≥ 15,000 kg f – 1 Oct 2014 for new models. 1 Oct 2015 for all models g – 0.05 for buses |
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Emission standards for urban buses operating in certain parts of the Santiago Metropolitan Region (Santiago Province and the municipalities of San Bernardo and Puente Alto) are governed by D.S. N° 130/01. These standards are typically more stringent and are implemented sooner than national standards. Urban buses first registered in September 2012 or later for use in this region must be equipped with a factory-installed OEM diesel particulate filter to ensure emissions do not exceed the limits equivalent to Euro IV or US 2004 NMHC+NOx/US 2007 PM (D.S. N° 66/10). Gasoline and gas-fueled trucks and buses also have an evaporative emission limit of 4 g/per test. Table 2 details emission standards for buses in the RM below. Proposed standards are not yet included in the table, as discussions have not yet been finalized.
| Date | CO | HC | NOx | PM | Unit | Test | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | |||||||
| Sept 1993 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 8.0 | 0.36a | g/kWh | ECE R-49 | Euro I |
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 0.25 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1991 | |
| Sept 1996 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 7.0 | 0.15 | g/kWh | ECE R-49 | Euro II |
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 0.10 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1994 | |
| Sept 2002† | 2.1 | 0.66 | 5.0 | 0.10 (0.13*) | g/kWh | ESC | Euro III |
| 5.45 | 0.78 | 5.0 | 0.16 (0.21*) | ETC | |||
| 15.5 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 0.05 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1998 | |
| Sept 2012 | 1.50 | 0.46 | 3.5 | 0.02 | g/kWh | ESC | Euro IV |
| 4.0 | 0.55 | 3.5 | 0.03 | ETC | |||
| 15.5 | 2.4d | 0.01 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 2004/US 2007 PM | ||
| Gasoline | |||||||
| Sept 1993 | 37.1 | 1.9 | 5.0 | – | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | |
| Gaseous Fuels | |||||||
| Sept 2002 | 5.45 | 0.78b | 5.0 | – | g/kWh | ETC | Euro III |
| 15.5 | 1.3c | 4.0 | 0.05 | g/bhp-hr | US FTP | US 1998 | |
| Notes:* for engines of less than 0.75 dm3 swept volume per cylinder and a rated power speed of more than 3000 min-1 † for Euro III diesel vehicles whose first application for registration is made before 2006.03, ETC testing and emission limits apply only to diesel engines with advanced aftertreatment, e.g., with particulate filters and/or NOx catalysts. ESC and ETC testing applies to all diesel vehicles whose first application for registration is made 2006.03 or later. a – 0.612 g/kWh for engines < 85 kW b – NMHC for natural gas engines; natural gas engines must also meet a CH4 limit of 1.6 g/kWh c – 1.2 g/bhp-hr NMHC for natural gas engines d – NMHC+NOx. An limit of 2.5 g/bhp-hr applies if NMHC do not exceed 0.5 g/bhp-hr |
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Links
Regulatory Documents
National
DTO-55/1994 Decree No. 55: Heavy-duty emissions regulation, 1994
DTO-55-4/1994 Amending Decree No. 55: 16 May 2012
Amendments
Resolution 497 (Euro VI proposal)
Metropolitan Region of Santiago
D.S. N° 130/01, 13 March 2002
D.S. N° 66/10, 16 April 2010
Regulatory agencies
Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones (MTT)
Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (MMA)
