THE country’s first guideline for evaluation of the interior air quality of new energy vehicles (NEVs) was implemented in Shenzhen recently. Companies in the automotive industry have been encouraged to voluntarily comply with its provisions.

The guideline, jointly proposed by the Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau and the Shenzhen Institute of Standards and Technology, represents the country’s first group standard addressing NEVs interior air quality. It also covers standards for pollutant limits and testing methods, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

In recent years, China has emerged as the world’s largest producer and seller of NEVs. Shenzhen, which is among the first cities in the country to promote NEVs and pilot the holistic electrification of public transport vehicles, collaborated with vehicle manufacturers and testing institutions to conduct research and formulate this groundbreaking guideline, the Daily report said. The initiative aims to address consumers’ growing demand for a healthy car interior environment and guide NEV makers toward producing high-quality vehicles, contributing to the green and high-quality development of NEVs.

The guideline covers six aspects and introduces the total volatile organic compounds index, expanding on the national standard of eight pollutants. Additionally, it tightens the limit requirements for benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene in the pollutants.

Currently, the China Quality Certification Center South China Laboratory, CAS Testing, and Beijing ZHGC Environment Monitoring Center are qualified to conduct tests according to the standards outlined in the guideline. (Wang Jingli)