Euro 7: Deal on new EU rules to reduce road transport emissions

On Monday 18 December 2023, the European Parliament and the Council reached a preliminary agreement on new rules to reduce road transport emissions for 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.

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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.