European emission standards
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European emission standards are sets of requirements defining the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of new vehicles sold in EU member states. The standards are defined in a series of European Union directives staging the progressive introduction of increasingly stringent standards. Currently, emissions of NOX, HC, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter are regulated for most vehicle types, including cars, lorries, trains, tractors and similar machinery, barges, but excluding seagoing ships and airplanes. For each vehicle type, different standards apply. Compliance is determined by running the engine at a standardised test cycle. Noncompliant vehicles cannot be sold in the EU, but new standards do not apply to vehicles already on the roads. No use of specific technologies is mandated to meet the standards, though available technology is considered when setting the standards.
The stages are typically referred to as Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4 and Euro 5, or alternatively using Roman numerals instead of numbers. However, the directives in which the standards are defined do not refer to them in either way.
The legal framework consists in a series of directives, each amendments to the 1970 directive 70/220/EEC [link]. Here is a summary list of the standards, when they come into force, what they apply to, and which EU directives provide the definition of the standard.
- Euro 1 (1993) for passenger cars - 91/441/EEC [link] (also for passenger cars and light trucks - 93/59/EEC)
- Euro 2 (1996) for passenger cars - 94/12/EC (& 96/69/EC)
- Euro 3 (2000) for any vehicle - 98/69/EC
- Euro 4 (2005) for any vehicle - 98/69/EC (& 2002/80/EC)
- Euro 5 (2008/9) for any vehicle - (COM(2005) 683 [link] - proposed)
The classifications for vehicle types are defined by 2001/116/EC (amending Directive 70/156/EEC).
Emission standards for passenger cars
Emission standards for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are summarized in the following tables. Since the Euro 2 stage, EU regulations introduce different emission limits for diesel and gasoline vehicles. Diesels have more stringent CO standards but are allowed higher NOx. Gasoline vehicles are exempted from PM standards through the Euro 4 stage (Euro 5 proposal introduces PM standards for lean-burning gasoline cars).
All dates listed in the tables refer to new type approvals. The EC Directives also specify a second date—one year later—which applies to first registration (entry into service) of existing, previously type-approved vehicle models.
EU Emission Standards for Passenger Cars (Category M1*), g/km {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="#ececec"
| Tier | Date | CO | HC | HC+NOx | NOx | PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | ||||||
| Euro 1† | July 1992 | 2.72 (3.16) | - | 0.97 (1.13) | - | 0.14 (0.18) |
| Euro 2, IDI | Jan. 1996 | 1.0 | - | 0.7 | - | 0.08 |
| Euro 2, DI | Jan. 1996a | 1.0 | - | 0.9 | - | 0.10 |
| Euro 3 | Jan. 2000 | 0.64 | - | 0.56 | 0.50 | 0.05 |
| Euro 4 | Jan. 2005 | 0.50 | - | 0.30 | 0.25 | 0.025 |
| Euro 5 (proposed) | mid-2008 ? | 0.50 | - | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.005 |
| Petrol (Gasoline) | ||||||
| Euro 1† | July 1992 | 2.72 (3.16) | - | 0.97 (1.13) | - | - |
| Euro 2 | Jan. 1996 | 2.2 | - | 0.5 | - | - |
| Euro 3 | Jan. 2000 | 2.30 | 0.20 | - | 0.15 | - |
| Euro 4 | Jan. 2005 | 1.0 | 0.10 | - | 0.08 | - |
| Euro 5 (proposed) | mid-2008 ? | 1.0 | 0.075 | - | 0.06 | 0.005b |
| * Before Euro 5, passenger vehicles > 2,500 kg were type approved as Category N1 vehicles † Values in brackets are conformity of production (COP) limits a - until 30 Sept. 1999 (after that date DI engines must meet the IDI limits) b - applicable only to vehicles using lean burn DI engines | ||||||
Emission standards for lorries
Whereas for passenger cars, the standards are defined in g/km, for lorries (trucks) they are defined by engine power, g/kWh, and are therefore in no way comparable. The following table contains a summary of the emission standards and their implementation dates. Dates in the tables refer to new type approvals; the dates for all type approvals are in most cases one year later (EU type approvals are valid longer than one year).
The official category name is heavy-duty diesel engines, which generally includes lorries and buses.
EU Emission Standards for HD Diesel Engines, g/kWh (smoke in m-1) {| class="wikitable" |- bgcolor="#ececec"
| Tier | Date | Test cycle | CO | HC | NOx | PM | Smoke |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro I | 1992, < 85 kW | ECE R-49 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 8.0 | 0.612 | |
| 1992, > 85 kW | 4.5 | 1.1 | 8.0 | 0.36 | |||
| Euro II | Oct. 1996 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 7.0 | 0.25 | ||
| Oct. 1998 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 7.0 | 0.15 | |||
| Euro III | Oct. 1999 EEVs only | ESC & ELR | 1.5 | 0.25 | 2.0 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Oct. 2000 | ESC & ELR | 2.1 | 0.66 | 5.0 | 0.10 0.13* | 0.8 | |
| Euro IV | Oct. 2005 | 1.5 | 0.46 | 3.5 | 0.02 | 0.5 | |
| Euro V | Oct. 2008 | 1.5 | 0.46 | 2.0 | 0.02 | 0.5 | |
| * for engines of less than 0.75 dm3 swept volume per cylinder and a rated power speed of more than 3000 per minute. EEV is enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle. | |||||||
Cycle beating
For the emission standards to deliver real emission reductions it is crucial that the test cycles under which the emissions have to comply as much as possible reflect normal driving situations. It was recently discovered that engine manufacturers would engage in what was called 'cycle beating' to optimize emission performance to the test cycle, while emissions from typical driving conditions would be much higher than expected, undermining the standards and public health. In one particular instance, recent research from two German technology institutes found that for diesel cars no 'real' NOx reductions have been achieved after 13 years of stricter standards[link].See also
Sources
- European Environment Agency (http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/EEAGlossary/E)
- Dieselnet: [EU emission standards]
- [Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency] The Impact of Euro 5 - Facts and figures.
- [Commission proposal for Euro 5]
- [T&E: No diesel NOX reduction in 13 years due to cycle beating]
- [Poor European test standards understate air pollution from cars] European Environment Agency news release. Copenhagen/Amsterdam, 19 October 2004.
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