- 1 - Revision to Notification s of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and  
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)  for the Act on 
the Rational Use of Energy   
 
January  2018 
Energy Efficiency  Division  
Agency of Natural Res ources and Energy  
Ministry of Economy,  Trade and Industry  
 
Environmental Policy Division  
Road Transport Bureau  
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism  
 
1. Back ground  
 
Under the Act on the Rational Use of Energy (Law No. 49 of 1979 ; hereina fter referred to 
as the "Energy Efficiency Law" ), the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry  (METI) 
and the Minister of Land , Infrastructure , Transport  and Tourism  (MLIT) shall decide  the 
standards of judgement for manufacturer and importer (hereinafter r eferred to as 
“manufacturer, etc. ”) in regard to improve ment  of the energy efficiency performance  with 
respect to vehicle s included in the energy consumption equipment which is specified in the 
Act (hereinafter referred to as "energy efficiency standards") . Moreover,  the METI and the 
MLIT shall decide  requirements for indication of the information of energy consumption 
on catalog .  
Additionally, the e nergy efficiency standards shall be established taking consideration  of 
the energy efficiency of the specifi ed energy consumption  equipment  which ha s the highest 
energy efficiency and other related factors. (It is called the "Top Runner Program".)  
 The METI and the MLIT propos e a new energy efficiency standard for heav y duty 
vehicles in order to promote rational ization of energy use pertaining to heavy  duty  vehicles 
in Japan and disseminate  energy efficient heavy duty vehicles in order to cope with the 
recent increase of energy c onsumption in transport sector , global war ming problem and so 
forth.   
 
2. Outline of the amendment  
New energy  efficiency standards for FY2025 are established for  heavy duty vehicles  
i) Target s cope  
Diesel f reight vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tons over and for diesel 
passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tons over , which have  a riding 
capacity of 1 0 persons or more . 
 
ii) Target fiscal year  
Target fiscal year is set to be FY2025.  
 
iii) Measur ement  method  of energy consumption efficiency  
New  measurement method which considers  the value of air resistance and rolli ng 
resistance  for each fleet  and updates the other factor s based on previous method is 
adapted . 
  
 
- 2 - iv) Target standard  value  
Target standard values are different between vehicle categor ies. Average target 
standard value is i ncrease d by  13.5% compared to the average fuel efficiency  in 
FY2015 in overall heavy vehicles  categories . 
 
Freight vehicles  
Truck  
Categories  Gross vehicle weight  
(ton)  Payload  
(ton)  Target standard values  
(km/L ) 
1 
3.5≦GVW＜7.5 PL≦1.5 13.45  
2 1.5＜PL≦2 11.93  
3 2＜PL≦3 10.59  
4 PL＜3 9.91 
5 7.5＜GVW≦8 
 8.39 
6 8＜GVW≦10 7.46 
7 10＜GVW≦12 7.44 
8 12＜GVW≦14 6.42 
9 14＜GVW≦16 5.89 
10 16＜GVW≦20 4.88 
11 20＜GVW≦25 4.42 
 
Tractor  
Categories  Gross vehicle weight  
(ton)  Target standard values  
(km/L)  
1 GVW≦20 3.11 
2 20＜GVW  2.32 
   
Passenge r vehicles  
Rout e Bus  
Categories  Gross vehicle weight  
(ton)  Target standard values  
(km/L)  
1 6＜GVW≦8 7.15 
2 8＜GVW≦10 6.30 
3 10＜GVW≦12 5.80 
4 12＜GVW≦14 5.27 
5 14＜GVW  4.52 
 
General Bus  
Categories  Gross vehicle weight  
(ton)  Target standard values  
(km/L)  
1 3.5＜GVW≦6 9.54 
2 6＜GVW≦8 7.73 
3 8＜GVW≦10 6.37 
4 10＜GVW≦12 6.06 
5 12＜GVW≦14 5.29  
 
- 3 - 6 14＜GVW≦16 5.28 
7 16＜GVW  5.14 
 
 
v) Target achievement evaluation  method  
The previous  method  is adapted . 
 
  vi) Indication  requirement  
Manufacturer, etc.  shall indic ate energy consumption  efficiency  (fuel efficiency)  
and other items on catalog s or materials presented to heavy  duty vehicle users and on 
exhibits .  
 
3. Proposed date of entry into force  
Around  spring  of 2018.