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What is Euro 7 emissions standard?
Stricter emission standards may affect the next car you buy. Find out what the proposed Euro 7 emissions standard are and when do they come into effect.
Words by: Nimisha Jain
Published on 30 June 2023 | 0 min read
Emission standards, introduced as Euro 1 in 1992 to tackle increasing air pollution, defined the acceptable limits of exhaust emissions for new cars in EU member states.
Any car that didn't meet this emissions standard was not allowed to be sold in the EU. Following Euro 1's success, emissions standards evolved over the years - they now include more vehicle types and the level of permissible NOx, carbon monoxide and particulate matter has decreased over the years to push manufacturers towards producing greener and cleaner vehicles. Today, all cars in the EU and the UK follow Euro 6 emissions standard.
Any car that didn't meet this emissions standard was not allowed to be sold in the EU. Following Euro 1's success, emissions standards evolved over the years - they now include more vehicle types and the level of permissible NOx, carbon monoxide and particulate matter has decreased over the years to push manufacturers towards producing greener and cleaner vehicles. Today, all cars in the EU and the UK follow Euro 6 emissions standard.
What is Euro 7?
Euro 7 is a new emissions standard which aims to build upon the existing Euro 6 standard making it more effective.
Euro 7 is going to be even stricter than the previous Euro 6 and will be the first to include non-exhaust emissions. The focus will be on reducing emissions from tailpipes, brakes and tyres, and contributing to the 2050 zero pollution goal. These new standards will apply to all petrol and diesel cars, vans, lorries and buses. While the proposal is yet to be confirmed by the European Parliament, it’s due to start from July 2025 onwards. The expected results from this new emissions standard are a 35% reduction in NOx emissions from cars and vans, and 56% fewer emissions from lorries and buses, along with a 13% reduction in tailpipe emissions from cars and vans, and 27% lower emissions from lorries and buses.
Euro 7 is going to be even stricter than the previous Euro 6 and will be the first to include non-exhaust emissions. The focus will be on reducing emissions from tailpipes, brakes and tyres, and contributing to the 2050 zero pollution goal. These new standards will apply to all petrol and diesel cars, vans, lorries and buses. While the proposal is yet to be confirmed by the European Parliament, it’s due to start from July 2025 onwards. The expected results from this new emissions standard are a 35% reduction in NOx emissions from cars and vans, and 56% fewer emissions from lorries and buses, along with a 13% reduction in tailpipe emissions from cars and vans, and 27% lower emissions from lorries and buses.
Euro 6 vs Euro 7
There are some key changes proposed for the new Euro 7 emissions standard to help combat air pollution even further.
• While Euro 6 focuses on tailpipe emissions, the new Euro 7 will also include limits on tyre and brakes emissions to help reduce microplastic waste. • Under the Euro 7 standards, a broader range of driving conditions will be covered such as hotter temperatures and short driving distances to make it match real-life driving situations. • The new permissible pollution levels will be subject to all cars and vans, regardless of the fuel type. • While there are currently different emission standards for cars and vans (Euro 6), and lorries and buses (Euro VI), Euro 7 aims to regulate all vehicles under one emissions standard to make things easier moving forward. This will apply the same limits on all vehicles, regardless of which type they are. • Under Euro 6, cars and vans must comply with the rules at least for the first five years and until they’ve completed 100,000 km. Euro 7 will double the compliance requirement to 10 years and 200,000 kilometres for cars and vans, and a similar increase for lorries and buses. • Euro 7 also looks at improving electric vehicles – especially their batteries. There will be requirements for batteries to work effectively for a set period of time to increase consumer confidence in the durability of EVs. • Euro 7 will also consider new vehicle technologies to make vehicles tamper-proof and to help with measuring emissions easily.
• While Euro 6 focuses on tailpipe emissions, the new Euro 7 will also include limits on tyre and brakes emissions to help reduce microplastic waste. • Under the Euro 7 standards, a broader range of driving conditions will be covered such as hotter temperatures and short driving distances to make it match real-life driving situations. • The new permissible pollution levels will be subject to all cars and vans, regardless of the fuel type. • While there are currently different emission standards for cars and vans (Euro 6), and lorries and buses (Euro VI), Euro 7 aims to regulate all vehicles under one emissions standard to make things easier moving forward. This will apply the same limits on all vehicles, regardless of which type they are. • Under Euro 6, cars and vans must comply with the rules at least for the first five years and until they’ve completed 100,000 km. Euro 7 will double the compliance requirement to 10 years and 200,000 kilometres for cars and vans, and a similar increase for lorries and buses. • Euro 7 also looks at improving electric vehicles – especially their batteries. There will be requirements for batteries to work effectively for a set period of time to increase consumer confidence in the durability of EVs. • Euro 7 will also consider new vehicle technologies to make vehicles tamper-proof and to help with measuring emissions easily.
Euro 7 checker
You can check the CO2 emissions of many new cars and used cars (registered on or after 1st March 2001) to find out if the car complies with the Euro emissions standards.
You can fill in the car’s basic details such as the car’s make, model and fuel type on the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) website and you can find out the CO2 emissions of the car if the specific car's CO2 emissions data is available in VCA's database, You can also find your car’s Euro emissions level in the V5C document. Currently, Euro 6 emission standards are being followed, so you can check if your car is Euro 6 compliant and whether it meets the following criteria or not. You can find out more about the current Euro 6 emissions standard and how cars are lab tested using WLTP and RDE to find out their emission levels. On Auto Trader, we have various search filters such as for CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and tax groups, that can help make your search for a compliant car easier. So browse today and find your dream car on Auto Trader.
You can fill in the car’s basic details such as the car’s make, model and fuel type on the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) website and you can find out the CO2 emissions of the car if the specific car's CO2 emissions data is available in VCA's database, You can also find your car’s Euro emissions level in the V5C document. Currently, Euro 6 emission standards are being followed, so you can check if your car is Euro 6 compliant and whether it meets the following criteria or not. You can find out more about the current Euro 6 emissions standard and how cars are lab tested using WLTP and RDE to find out their emission levels. On Auto Trader, we have various search filters such as for CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and tax groups, that can help make your search for a compliant car easier. So browse today and find your dream car on Auto Trader.