Since 1992, new vehicles in Europe have had to meet certain standards for emissions. These standards have been updated over time, with the latest one (Euro 6 for cars and Euro VI for lorries and buses) coming into effect in 2015.
If you're driving into a clean air zone or ultra-low emission zone in the UK, your vehicle needs to meet these emission standards.
Now, the European Commission is moving forward with plans for a new standard called Euro 7, which will apply to all vehicles. The European Parliament recently voted in favour of a deal with EU Member States on these new rules, bringing Euro 7 closer to becoming a reality.
Under Euro 7, cars and vans will follow the same testing conditions and emissions limits as Euro 6. However, buses and trucks will have stricter exhaust emissions limits both in the lab and on the road while still using the Euro VI testing conditions.
For the first time, the EU standards will also include limits on brake particle emissions (PM10) for cars and vans and minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric and hybrid cars.
Each vehicle will come with an Environmental Vehicle Passport, showing its environmental performance at the time of registration, including emission limits, CO2 emissions, fuel and electric energy consumption, electric range, battery durability, and more.
Drivers will also have access to real-time information about fuel consumption, battery health, pollutant emissions, and other relevant data from onboard systems and monitors.
Now, EU Member States need to formally agree to these measures before the legislation is adopted. Euro 7 is expected to take effect on July 1, 2025, for most vehicles, with larger vehicles like lorries and buses given until July 1, 2027, to comply.
As for the UK Government, they haven't said yet whether they'll adopt Euro 7 or not.
