Seoul to ban Grade 4 diesel vehicles

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced that the city will ban Only diesel vehicles that meet the country's five-tier emissions standard Grade 4 would be allowed on the roads in the Jongno and Jung areas starting in 2025. from its central areas starting in 2025 to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Based on the plan, only diesel vehicles that meet the country's five-tier emissions standard Grade 4 would be allowed on the roads in the Jongno and Jung areas starting in 2025.

Vehicles in grade 4 are those that, among other pollutants, emit 0.5 grams or more of carbon monoxide per kilometer. There are presently 81,139 vehicles in that category in Seoul, and they generate six times as much fine dust as vehicles in Grade 3.

According to the mayor, all Grade 4 vehicles will be outlawed in Seoul as of 2030, and all internal combustion engine-powered vehicles would be outlawed in central Seoul as of 2035 and throughout the city as of 2050.

Currently, Grade 5 diesel vehicles are banned across Seoul from December-March and in the central Seoul areas throughout the year.

According to Oh, the measure is part of an air quality improvement project to reduce ultra-fine particle density in downtown Seoul from 2021′s 20 micrograms per cubic meter to 13 by 2030.

Seoul will invest 3.8 trillion won through 2030 for the project.

The air pollution reduction project also includes turning all delivery motorcycles and trucks into electric by 2025 and 2026, respectively, Oh said.