New emission standards

Beijing will become the first Chinese city to enforce a new car emission standard, equivalent to Euro 5, as of May 31.

To meet the stricter emission requirements, the city will cut sulfur content in gasoline and diesel by 20 percent, said Beijing's environmental and energy authorities yesterday.??

The upgrade comes with a trade-off for the engine performance as refineries will have to lower the octane ratings - although the authorities claimed test runs have revealed "no observable effect" on driving.