Euro 7 standard: What the European Commission proposes and consequences
- While Euro standards regulating pollutant emissions from vehicles have typically been updated every 4 to 5 years, the current regulation, Euro 6, is almost 9 years old. According to the European Commission, the Euro 7 standard will now regulate pollutant emission limits for all types of vehicles, regardless of the type of drive (gasoline, diesel, hybrid, all-electric, etc.). So far, these are only proposals from the European Commission, which are currently being negotiated and are scheduled to come be applied on July 1, 2025. With these proposals, the European Commission aims to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 35%, brake particles by 27% and exhaust particles by 13% compared to the Euro 6 standard, while the cost increase for the consumer should only be between €90 and €150, according to the European Commission.
- What are the main evolutions of Euro 7 for passenger cars: For vehicles with internal combustion engines, the changes occur more in the measurement conditions than in the pollutant values. The emission values must remain the same after 10 years and 200,000 kilometers of use. Brake and tire emission standards have been introduced for all vehicle types (internal combustion and electric): Particulates from brakes and microplastics from tires. For BEVs, specific battery capacity durability standards were also introduced: 80% of original capacity after 5 years (or 100,000 km) and 70% of original capacity after 8 years (or 160,000 km).
- What do the Euro 7 standards mean for carmakers? The question for them is what objective new standards will serve, given their commitment to launch only electric vehicles in Europe from 2030 (for most of them) and the fact that the CO2 regulation for 2035 will confirm the end of internal combustion vehicles in Europe anyway. However, some brands will continue to produce internal combustion engines on a large scale for countries that have not legislated strict laws to switch to electric vehicles. From the European Commission's perspective, however, there is a long period between now and 2035 during which the automotive industry will need to improve emissions reductions from its vehicles, including BEVs. It is also not certain whether carmakers will be able to achieve their goal of selling only BEVs after 2030, or whether the European Commission will actually be able to really apply the CO2 regulation from 2035.
- What consequences for the European market in terms of motorization? The Euro 7 standards themselves are not dramatically more restrictive compared to Euro 6, but the test conditions are. So the question is, will today's mass-produced, purely combustion-powered vehicles be able to meet these future standards, or will only electrified powertrains be able to do so? Will it be necessary to equip all internal combustion engine vehicles with 48V mild hybrid technology? Will this standard favor PHEVs and HEVs more, even temporarily before the introduction of the CO2 regulation in 2035?
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