Abstract:

Air pollution from road transportation emissions is a major health concern in Mexico City, where PM2.5 and O3 concentrations regularly exceed domestic and international guidelines. This TRUE Initiative study, for which ICCT serves as technical partner, evaluates real-world emissions from passenger vehicles, taxis, and light-duty trucks in the Mexico City and the surrounding region, assessing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and UV smoke. This study finds that older vehicles contribute a disproportionate share of road emissions in Mexico City: for instance, roughly half of gasoline passenger vehicle emissions were from cars over 14-17 years old, which made up less than one-fifth of the fleet. Taxis exhibited particularly high average emissions, partly owing to the prominence of the high-emitting Nissan Tsuru among pre-2016 taxis.

These findings point to the potential for large reductions in emissions from policies designed to target the oldest, highest-emitting vehicles for maintenance or replacement. Other policy recommendations include the adoption of a low-emission zone in downtown Mexico City, the harmonization of inspection and maintenance programs across states, and regulatory measures and government incentives to spur the transition to lower-emitting and zero-emission vehicles.