Illegally modifying the rated power of vehicles, substituting vehicles for inspection, using (on-board diagnostic system) cheating devices... For some time, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has disclosed multiple cases of fraud in the field of motor vehicle emission inspections.

A "Xinhua Viewpoint" reporter's investigation has revealed that some testing institutions are altering data and intentionally "going easy," creating a gray industrial chain for vehicle inspections. Environmental inspection fraud is allowing some vehicles with excessive emissions to "hit the road while sick."

Data is frequently "tampered with."

In a certain month and year, the Zhangzhou Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau in Fujian Province discovered during routine inspections that the pass rate for tail gas environmental inspections at Mingjin Vehicle Inspection Service Co., Ltd. was as high as %, significantly exceeding the industry average. Additionally, the rated power listed on the reports for the same model of vehicles inspected by this institution varied, raising suspicions among law enforcement officers.

Law enforcement officials stated that the rated power is a crucial parameter in the motor vehicle inspection process. For the same vehicle, the higher the vehicle's power during inspection, the higher the corresponding tailpipe emission values.

When we conducted an on-site inspection at the testing station, we found that the actual rated power of a vehicle did not match what was shown on the test report," said Zhan Guobing, Deputy Director of the Zhangzhou Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment. After retesting, indicators such as the concentration of nitrogen oxides in these vehicles were higher than the previous test results.

On an "In-Use Vehicle Inspection (Test) Report" provided by law enforcement officers, a reporter noticed that the actual rated power of a heavy-duty semi-trailer tractor from a logistics company was recorded in kilowatts, but had been altered to a different kilowatt figure on the report. Li Zhengxin, the head of the second brigade of the law enforcement team at the Zhangzhou Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, stated that after the power was reduced, the vehicle's nitrogen oxide concentration and other indicators met the standards, ultimately resulting in a qualified report.

Falsifying rated power is not uncommon. In a recent typical case of fraud by a motor vehicle inspection agency in Dalian, Liaoning, there was an instance where "the vehicle passed the environmental emission inspection by unauthorized reduction of the vehicle's rated power." Similar cases have also been reported in Jiangxi and Heilongjiang.

Some testing agencies fabricate data out of thin air. Law enforcement officials explained that when a vehicle enters the inspection line, the inspector inserts a card to read the vehicle's data. However, during the enforcement process, it was discovered that some vehicles skipped this step, and the data was not uploaded to the relevant platform. Yet, the corresponding data appeared in the inspection report, which was marked as passing the inspection.

Some testing agencies manipulate the software testing parameters. In a typical case disclosed by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in a certain year and month, an institution in Ma'anshan, Anhui, colluded with a testing software development company to illegally set correction parameters in the background. By adjusting the values of these correction parameters, they artificially reduced the concentration of various pollutant emissions, allowing vehicles that failed emission standards to pass the tests, and issued over 100 false inspection reports.

Counterfeiting has become a gray industrial chain, and cheating devices can be purchased online.

Investigations by journalists have revealed that, in addition to falsifying test data, some testing agencies are also manipulating vehicles in various ways, including substituting vehicles for inspection, installing cheating devices, and adding gas filtration systems.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment reported a typical case in a certain month and year. A testing line at a testing institution in Anhui frequently had vehicles undergoing repeated tests, and there were multiple instances of simultaneous testing with a nearby testing line. Through data comparison, video tracking, and on-site inspections, law enforcement officers discovered that the institution had long been using gasoline vehicles to substitute for the testing of some heavy-duty diesel vehicles. Since a certain month and year, the institution had issued a total of a certain number of false qualified test reports.

According to reports, there are various methods for substitute vehicle inspections in environmental checks: for example, using a gasoline-powered vehicle to replace a vehicle from a gasoline-diesel hybrid line for testing, which is equivalent to using a gasoline car instead of a diesel car for inspection; or arranging for a visually similar vehicle to undergo inspection by purchasing fake license plates online or altering the vehicle identification number.

A public security officer informed reporters that vehicle inspection substitution involves multiple links such as inspection stations, repair shops, intermediaries, and vehicle owners, forming a complete gray industry chain. In a previously investigated case of vehicle inspection substitution, intermediaries were responsible for posting substitution advertisements on internet platforms, collecting vehicle licenses sent by vehicles for substitution, and purchasing fake license plates. Repair shops were responsible for engraving the vehicle identification numbers of the substitution vehicles and replacing rear logos, while inspection agencies ensured that the inspections "passed." The fee for substituting one vehicle was collected and then divided among the involved parties.

In addition, in recent years, cheating devices have frequently appeared in cases of fraud in motor vehicle inspections.

Li Zhengxin said, "By monitoring key components such as the car engine and catalytic converter, the vehicle's condition is detected in real time. If the exhaust exceeds the standard, a warning will be issued." The cheating device, by connecting to the interface of the vehicle being tested, can arbitrarily adjust or replace the data that exceeds the standard, thereby making the data transmitted to the officially designated computer comply with the exhaust emission standards, achieving a 'pass' with just one click.

Journalists have discovered that such cheating devices can be easily purchased on internet platforms. On a second-hand trading platform, a merchant primarily dealing in used car parts has listed a "filter" resembling a circuit board, priced at a certain amount, and has already sold a number of units this year.

The merchant stated that this "filter" can arbitrarily "write data" and "can be installed on most vehicles." A person in charge of a motor vehicle maintenance station in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, told reporters: "It is the Controller Area Network, equivalent to the 'central nervous system' of a car, and almost every vehicle has one." Law enforcement officials said that the vast majority of cases involving "data customization" are related to the use of cheating devices for fraud.

Strengthen supervision and industry self-discipline, implement comprehensive measures for integrated rectification.

The management of vehicle emissions, particularly from heavy-duty trucks, is a crucial aspect of air pollution control. As the "gatekeepers," vehicle emission inspection agencies play a significant role in promoting the reduction of mobile source pollution and achieving continuous improvement in ambient air quality.

Since [specific month and year], the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, along with other departments, has launched a nationwide special campaign to rectify third-party institutions in the field of motor vehicle emission inspections. As of [specific month and year], [specific number] institutions have been subjected to punitive measures such as disconnection from the network, [specific number] have had their qualifications revoked, and [specific number] with severe violations have been held criminally liable.

Industry insiders reveal that the frequent occurrence of fraudulent practices in motor vehicle environmental inspections is partly due to the increase in the number of testing institutions and intensified competition in recent years. Some institutions, in order to "grab business," deliberately lower standards. Data shows that the number of motor vehicle inspection institutions in the country has increased to a certain number, growing by approximately a certain percentage compared to a previous year. The rapidly growing supply side has triggered vicious market competition, with institutions engaging in price wars.

According to the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China," forging emission test results for motor vehicles or non-road mobile machinery, or issuing false emission test reports, will result in the confiscation of illegal gains and a fine ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 yuan; in serious cases, the testing qualification will be revoked.

In previously reported cases, several testing institutions were fined or had their qualification certificates revoked for falsification. In a case of false testing adjudicated by the Baoshan District People's Court in Shanghai, defendants Liu and Xie were sentenced to two and a half years and two years in prison, respectively, for the crime of providing false certification documents.

Law enforcement officials have stated that it is difficult to secure evidence of falsification in environmental inspections, and that enforcement involves cross-regional and cross-departmental situations. They recommend strengthening real-time monitoring of inspection institutions using digital video systems, developing big data models for analysis and judgment, and further upgrading technical screening methods. It is also suggested to establish and improve a joint working mechanism, with multiple departments coordinating and linking up, to promptly and comprehensively crack down on violations and illegal activities.

“机动车检验领域竞争越来越激烈，需要优化资源配置，加强行业自律，发挥行业协会的引领作用，通过提高硬件水平、检测技术、服务质量等方式，提高市场竞争力，避免无序‘内卷’。”福建省泉州市一家汽车检测站负责人表示。（记者王成、吴剑锋） Statement: Xinhua Finance is the national financial information platform constructed by Xinhua News Agency. Under no circumstances does the information released by this platform constitute investment advice.

WeChat Editor: Cao Yu

Executive Producer: Peng Chunyan