Euro 7 regulations would effectively make internal combustion engines obsolete.
In conjunction with the Paris Climate Protection Agreement, the EU plans to implement Euro 7 regulations by 2025, making the end of ICE vehicles easier.
According to Bild am Sonntag, the EU Commission considers including it in the legal portfolio for 2021. Negotiations with Parliament on the proposal should begin next year.
CLOVE, a group of 8 European companies, joined together to negotiate future emission regulations. Working hand-in-hand with the Advisory Group on Vehicle Emission Standards (AGVES), the body quickly formulated a range of recommendations and the inclusion of newer pollutants under scrutiny.
Proposed Euro 7 Norms
- During the enforcement, all vehicles sold must emit just 30-mg/km of NOx for gasoline and 80-mg/km for diesel vehicles — a 50% reduction from the previous norm. Sources claim that it would be even stricter when new cars arrive on the market, at just 10 mg/km.
- Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions should range from 100 mg/km to 350 mg/km.
- The body also prepares restrictions on other pollutants, such as ammonia, aldehydes, and formaldehyde.
- The Real Drive Emissions (RDE) tests AGVES suggests demand for vehicles to adhere to the quoted value despite the shift in elements.
- Cars will need to have a service life of 15+ years or 240,000+ km despite having a roof box, trailer, or bike rack. It’s a massive step in the direction of higher efficiency and sustainability.
VDA Disagrees with the Terms
While this certainly looks impressive on paper, it is a monumental shift in the real world. Besides, the phase-out of ICE-driven cars will take much longer than expected.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) didn’t agree with these recommendations and proposed more attainable requirements.
“With the introduction of the planned EU-7 standard, the EU Commission will de facto ban cars with combustion engines from 2025,” said Hildegard Mūller, head of VDA.
“The Commission wants to stipulate that in the future, a vehicle must remain virtually emission-free in every driving situation – be it with a trailer on a mountain or in slow city traffic. That is technically impossible, and everyone knows that.”
Mūller concluded by saying, “The problem is not the combustion engine, but the fuel.”
The panel’s recommendations include investing in green technologies and a greater emphasis on e-fuels and fuel cells.
To be continued…
