18 December 2023, 19:12
Today the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a regulation for the type-approval of motor vehicles and engines, and of the systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, with respect to their emissions and battery durability, better known as Euro 7. The new regulation sets more adequate rules for vehicle emissions and aims to further lower air pollutant emissions from road transport, and for the first time it covers cars, vans, and heavy-duty vehicles in one single legal act.
The provisional agreement reached today will retain the Euro 6 emissions limits for cars and vans but reduce the limits for buses and lorries. It also introduces limits for particles emitted by brakes (in electric vehicles in particular) and lifetime requirements.
With Euro 7 we aim to reduce road vehicle emissions, not only from exhaust, but also from brakes or tyres. At the same time, we aim to help our industry make the big leap to near-zero emissions vehicles by 2035.
Jordi Hereu i Boher, Spanish minister for industry and tourism
A regulation for all kind of vehicles
The Euro 7 regulation establishes rules for the exhaust gas emissions of road vehicles, but also for other types of emissions such as tyre abrasion and brake particle emissions. It also sets limits for battery durability. The new legislation replaces the previously separate emissions rules for cars and vans (Euro 6) and lorries and buses (Euro VI). The Euro 7 standard rules bring emissions limits for both light and heavy-duty vehicles, i.e., cars, vans, buses, and lorries under a single set of rules.
Exhaust emission limits
The provisional agreement reached today maintains the existing Euro 6 exhaust emission limits for cars and vans. However, the agreement limits the emission of solid particles with a diameter starting from 10 nm (PN10), instead of 23 nm as in Euro 6. This improvement reflects the latest developments in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Exhaust emission for buses and trucks
In the case of heavy-duty buses and trucks, the deal reached today establishes more stringent limits for various pollutants, including for pollutants that were not regulated in Euro VI, such as nitrous oxide (N2O).
Limits for braking emissions
The compromise text agreed by the co-legislators includes, for cars and vans, a specific limit of 3 mg/km in the standard driving cycle for pure electric vehicles and 7 mg/km for all the rest of powertrains. Specific limits for heavy vans are included in the agreement, namely 5 mg/km for pure electric vehicles and 11 mg/km for other powertrains.
Lifetime requirements
The co-legislators introduced stricter lifetime requirements for all vehicles in terms of both mileage and lifetimes; that now goes up to 200 000 km or 10 years for cars and vans.
Application dates
The deal foresees different dates of application after the regulation enters into force:
- 30 months for new types of cars and vans, and 42 months for new vehicles
- 48 months for new types of buses, trucks and trailers, and 60 months for new vehicles
- 30 months for new systems, components, or separate technical units to be fitted in cars and vans, and 48 months for those to be fitted in buses, trucks, and trailers.
- Infographic – Fit for 55: towards more sustainable transport:
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Background
The Euro 7 regulation, which is part of the Commission’s 2020 Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the 2021 Zero-Pollution Action Plan, was presented by the Commission on 10 November 2022.The Council adopted its position or ‘general approach’ on 25 September 2023.
On 19 April 2023 the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/851 to strengthen the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles that sets a 100% reduction target for both cars and vans from 2035 onwards. While industry is preparing for this change, which means that new combustion cars and vans will be banned in the internal market, they will still be available until 2035. Other internal combustion vehicles (trucks, buses, and other heavy-duty vehicles) will continue to be produced after that date. The Euro7 rules will cover the emissions of cars and vans until that date, while other rules contained in the regulation (concerning brakes, tyres, and battery life, for instance) will continue to apply to new cleaner cars and vans after 2035.
Next steps
The provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions.
- European Commission Proposal on Euro 7
- Council’s general approach/negotiating mandate
- Clean and sustainable mobility (background information)
Euro 7: Deal on new EU rules to reduce road transport emissions
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Lower exhaust emissions limits for buses and trucks
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New measures to limit particle emissions from tyres and brakes and to increase battery durability
On Monday, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on new rules to reduce road transport emissions for passenger cars, vans, buses, trucks and trailers.
The regulation for the type-approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles (Euro 7) aims to support the transition towards clean mobility and keep the prices of private and commercial vehicles affordable for citizens and businesses. Vehicles will need to comply with the new standards for longer, ensuring they remain cleaner throughout their lifetime.
Updated limits for exhaust emissions
For passenger cars and vans, negotiators agreed to maintain the current Euro 6 test conditions and exhaust emissions limits. At Parliament’s request, the number of exhaust particles will be measured at the level of PN10 (instead of PN23, thereby including smaller particles).
For buses and trucks, the agreed text includes stricter limits for exhaust emissions measured in laboratories (e.g. NOx limit of 200mg/kWh) and in real driving conditions (NOx limit of 260 mg/kWh), while maintaining the current Euro VI testing conditions.
Fewer particle emissions from tyres and brakes, increased battery durability
The deal sets brake particles emissions limits (PM10) for cars and vans (3mg/km for pure electric vehicles; 7mg/km for most internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles and 11mg/km for large ICE vans). It also introduces minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric and hybrid cars (80% from start of life to five years or 100 000 km and 72% up to eight years or 160 000km) and vans (75% from start of life to five years or 100 000 km and 67% up to eight years or 160 000km).
Better information to consumers
The text foresees an Environmental Vehicle Passport, to be made available for each vehicle and containing information on its environmental performance at the moment of registration (such as pollutant emission limits, CO2 emissions, fuel and electric energy consumption, electric range, battery durability). Vehicle users will also have access to up-to-date information about fuel consumption, battery health, pollutant emissions and other relevant information generated by on-board systems and monitors. Moreover, car manufacturers will have to design their vehicles so as to prevent tampering with emissions control systems through the digitalisation of automobile monitoring.
Quote
Rapporteur Alexandr Vondra (ECR, CZ) said: “Through this deal, we have successfully struck a balance between environmental goals and the vital interests of manufacturers. The aim of the negotiations was to ensure the affordability of new smaller cars with internal combustion engines for domestic customers and at the same time enable the automotive industry to prepare for the expected overall transformation of the sector. The European Union will now also be addressing emissions from brakes and tyres and ensure higher battery durability.”
Next steps
Parliament and Council need to formally approve the agreement before it can enter into force. The regulation will apply 30 months after its entry into force for cars and vans, and 48 months for buses, trucks and trailers (for vehicles constructed by small volume manufacturers, it will apply from 1 July 2030 for cars and vans, and from 1 July 2031 for buses and trucks).
Background
On 10 November 2022, the Commission proposed more stringent air pollutant emissions standards for combustion-engine vehicles, regardless of the fuel used. The current emission limits apply to cars and vans (Euro 6) and to buses, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles (Euro VI). As a novelty, the Euro 7 proposal tackles non-exhaust emissions (microplastics from tyres and particles from brakes) and includes requirements concerning battery durability.