Euro 7: Agreement on new EU rules to reduce emissions from road transport
On Monday 18 December 2023, the European Parliament and the Council concluded a preliminary agreement on new rules to reduce emissions from road transport for cars, vans, buses, trucks and trailers.
The aim of the regulation on the type approval of motor vehicles and their market supervision (Euro 7) is to support the transition to ecological mobility and to keep the prices of passenger and commercial vehicles affordable for citizens and businesses. Vehicles will have to meet the new standards for longer, ensuring they remain cleaner throughout their lifetime.
Updated limits for exhaust gas emissions
In the case of cars and vans, the negotiators agreed to maintain the current test conditions and limits of exhaust gas emissions according to the Euro 6 standard. At the request of the Parliament, the number of particles in the exhaust gases will be measured at the level of PN10 (instead of PN23).
For buses and trucks, the agreed proposal includes stricter limits for exhaust gas emissions measured in laboratories (e.g. NOx limit 200 mg/kWh) and in real driving conditions (NOx limit 260 mg/kWh), while maintaining the current Euro 6 testing conditions.
Less particulate emissions from tires and brakes, increased battery life
The agreement sets emission limits for particulate matter (PM10) for cars and vans (3 mg/km for pure electric vehicles; 7 mg/km for most internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles and 11 mg/km km for large vans with ICE). It also introduces minimum performance requirements for the life of batteries in electric and hybrid cars (80% from the start of life to five years or 100,000 km and 72% to eight years or 160,000 km) and vans (75% from the start of life to five years or 100,000 km and 67% within eight years or 160,000 km).
Czech Member of the European Parliament Alexandr Vondra (ECR, CZ) said: "With this agreement, we have successfully achieved a balance between environmental goals and the vital interests of manufacturers. The goal of the negotiations was to ensure the affordability of new smaller cars with internal combustion engines for domestic customers, while at the same time enabling the automotive industry to prepare to the expected overall transformation of the industry. The European Union will now also address emissions from brakes and tires and ensure longer battery life."