| China's
top quality certification body will soon issue its first batch of green auto certificates
to manufacturers of energy-saving and environment-friendly auto vehicles. The
move by the China Quality Certification Centre, the first time a government-related
body has issued such certificates, will also see the organization unveil a "green
auto" logo. An
insider at the centre, which has been authorized to issue the certificates by
China's Certification and Accreditation Administration (CAA), said the names of
the "green autos" would be announced on Saturday, the media day at Auto
China 2006 in Beijing. The
official said that virtually all of China's auto manufacturers, both joint ventures
and domestic firms, had applied for the certification. However,
he refused to disclose the number of the issued certificates, or the models and
manufacturers which have applied for the certification. According
to the centre, the logo will allow consumers to immediately tell which vehicles
offer superior performance in terms of saving energy and less harmful exhaust
emissions. The
certification is part of a major government drive to build an energy-saving society,
and it is hoped that this will encourage motorists to purchase more environment-friendly
cars. The
centre tested the vehicles' fuel consumption, exhaust emissions, internal and
external noise, and internal air pollution. Certified
manufacturers will also undergo further monitoring to ensure that they maintain
their high standards. A
regulation on the certification of energy-saving and environmentally friendly
vehicles was issued this July and implemented on September 1 by the CAA. However,
some industry analysts think that the centre's tests are much stricter than the
requirements set out in the regulation.
| 
