RGW

Some A6's came with build code 0LM (California Emissions) and some came with 1QE (Northeast Trading Region Emission Requirements).

I wonder what the difference is between these two in terms equipment and perhaps performance. Also, were there any A6's that had neither emissions code? If so, where were they sold? Do they perform the best?

Thanks,

RGW

IanB

Great question, look forward to responses (If any??)

kkemp

Technically, cars sold in CA and cars sold to the Northeast Trading Region are identical. Many states in the northeast have adopted CA's vehicle emissions standards in their entirety, so a vehicle that meets the standards in any of those states will meet standards in others than have the same standard.

The rest is educated speculation:

However, the CA standard came first, so the EPA had to create a new classification for those cars and write a new set of rules for cars sold in CA and contiguous states. When NY and MA adopted the CA standards, the EPA rather than rename the CA standard to something else, left it as is and created the National Low Emissions Vehicle standard. This new standard is technically identical, but allows the EPA to create a new classification and collect a new set of fees.

Additionally, CAFE standards appear to weighted somehow, so perhaps having separate standards affects CAFE numbers.

Back to facts:
One of the reasons there would be two order codes is that the different regions have different under hood labeling requirements. The law specifically requires cars made for sale in CA to be labeled a certain way, while cars made for sale in the Northeast were labeled differently, and finally cars for sale in the rest of the country were labeled a 3rd way.