Did you know that the Euro 7 emissions standard has received further approval? What about trucks?
The Euro 7 emissions standard has been approved, this time following an agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Both institutions, both the Council and the Parliament, supported a less stringent version of Euro 7, which is both cheaper and easier to implement than the original proposal prepared by the European Commission. It is therefore highly likely that it is the reduced option that will ultimately be adopted. Among other things, it introduces more stringent emissions tests for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, carried out on the road rather than in a laboratory. The new standard also includes dust limits for brakes and tyres, which is a new requirement. In addition, Euro 7 regulates the minimum wear resistance of electric vehicle batteries.
Final approval of the new rules can be expected in the first weeks of 2024. This is when the countdown to the implementation of the new rules will begin. According to the latest findings, this period will be two and a half years for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and four years for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. So while the new regulations will be approved in the early spring of 2024, the first trucks will be obliged to meet the Euro 7 standard in the early spring of 2028.
This change is particularly important because with the introduction of Euro 7, the current Euro 6 standard is likely to be challenged. Euro 6 trucks may be subject to higher road tolls, restrictions on entry into environmental zones and may be viewed unfavourably by potential customers. These are scenarios we are already familiar with from the past.