Commenting on the decision of the EU Council of Ministers on Euro 7, Reinhard Zirpel, President of the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK), said: “We welcome the fact that the EU ministers have agreed on a more balanced position on European exhaust emission legislation. This is a clear improvement over the Commission’s proposal, which would make modern, clean vehicles considerably more expensive for consumers. Manufacturers are focusing their efforts on achieving CO2 targets and climate-neutral mobility. It would therefore be absurd to first set an expiration date for the internal combustion engine and then force manufacturers to make extensive new investments in this technology by tightening emissions standards.
The fact that the Council of Ministers wants to dispense with new exhaust gas limits makes sense. Nevertheless, Euro 7 significantly expands the existing legislation, for example by introducing completely new limits for brake and tire abrasion, which will then also apply to electric vehicles. In further deliberations, the EU institutions should take care not to place an undue burden on the automotive industry with the new rules in the middle of the transformation. The German government should also work to achieve this.”
