Economic Evaluation of Motor Vehicle Emission Control Program in Beijing

Abstract

The Motor Vehicle Emission Control Program was adopted in Beijing in 1998. Three major measures were included focusing on the emission control of the passenger vehicles: EURO I emission standard for new cars, vehicle retrofitting for used passenger cars and converting to dual-fuel taxies for used taxies. A cost effectiveness analysis is conducted to ex post evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of the program from 1999 to 2002. Three major pollutants, NO_x, CO and HC, are considered and integrated in NO_x equivalent emission by transferring relative damage factors of pollutants. It is found that the EURO I emission standard is more cost effective than in-use vehicleretrofitting. The dual-fuel taxi failed to work effectively. Therefore, control on polluted in-use vehicles is a hard task. Scrapping old vehicles should be accelerated.