The Regulation for the 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 meet 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 emission limits. At Parliament's request, the number of exhaust particles will be measured at the PN10 level (instead of PN23, including smaller particles).
For buses and trucks, the agreed text includes stricter limits for exhaust emissions measured in laboratories (e.g. NOx limit of 200 mg/kWh) and in real driving conditions (NOx limit of 260 mg/kWh), while maintaining current Euro VI test conditions.
Less particulate emissions from tires and brakes, longer battery life
The agreement sets limits on brake particulate matter (PM10) emissions for cars and vans (3 mg/km for pure electric vehicles; 7 mg/km for most vehicles with internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid electric and fuel cell and 11 mg/km for large ICE vans). . It also introduces minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric and hybrid cars (80% from the beginning of their useful life up to five years or 100,000 km and 72% up to eight years or 160,000 km) and vans (75% from the beginning of its useful life up to five years). years or 100,000 km and 67% up to eight years or 160,000 km).
Better information for consumers
The text provides for a Vehicle Environmental Passport, which will be available for each vehicle and will contain information on its environmental performance at the time of registration (such as limits of polluting emissions, CO2 emissions, fuel and electrical energy consumption, electric autonomy, durability of the battery). Vehicle users will also have access to up-to-date information on fuel consumption, battery status, polluting emissions and other relevant information generated by on-board systems and monitors. Additionally, automakers will have to design their vehicles to prevent tampering with emissions control systems by digitizing car tracking.
Appointment
Rapporteur Alexandr Vondra (ECR, Czech Republic) said: โThrough this agreement, we have managed to strike a balance between environmental objectives 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 and, at the same time, allow the automobile industry to prepare for the expected general transformation of the sector. The European Union will now also address brake and tire emissions and ensure greater battery durability.โ
Next steps
Parliament and the Council must formally approve the agreement before it can come 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 manufactured by small manufacturers, it will apply from July 1, 2030 for cars and vans, since starting July 1, 2030 to 2031 for buses and trucks).
Background
On November 10, 2022, the Commission proposed Stricter standards on emissions of air pollutants for vehicles with combustion engines, regardless of the fuel used. The current emissions limits apply to passenger cars and vans (6 euros) and buses, trucks and other heavy vehicles (EuroVI). As a novelty, the Euro 7 proposal addresses non-exhaust emissions (microplastics from tires and particles from brakes) and includes requirements for battery durability.
