Exhaust gas limit values
The European Commission’s approach is to continuously reduce pollutant emissions from passenger cars and commercial vehicles by means of exhaust gas regulations applicable throughout Europe and to harmonise the limit values for petrol and diesel as far as possible.
From Euro1 to Euro6
Currently, all newly registered vehicles have to comply with the Euro6 emissions standard, which is in force since 2015. In the course of the development from Euro1 to Euro6, the legislator has lowered the limit values for nitrogen oxides in passenger cars by 97 percent and for particulates by 98 percent. The regulation has since been supplemented by requirements in the new WLTP test cycle and in real traffic (RDE), which have been mandatory since September 2017. Vehicles that meet the RDE standards are assigned to the Euro6d or Euro6d-Temp emission classes.
In addition, stricter requirements for evaporative emissions (EVAP) and technical requirements for monitoring fuel and electricity consumption were introduced. In addition, there are requirements for In-Service Conformity (ISC). This means that even during operation it is ensured that no more exhaust gases are emitted than permitted.
Real Driving Emissions (RDE)
The switch from NEDC to WLTP and the introduction of the measurement of Real Driving Emissions (RDE), which can be carried out under virtually any conditions, will significantly reduce the differences between bench tests and road values. The international automotive industry therefore supported the introduction of WLTP and RDE. At the same time, the effort and costs for certification and type approval of new vehicle models have increased considerably.
Commercial vehicles
Since the end of 2013, the EuroVI emissions standard has applied to heavy commercial vehicles. Since 1990, the limit value for nitrogen oxide emissions has been reduced by 95 percent and that for particulates by 98 percent. In the case of commercial vehicles, emissions have already been reduced in real road traffic by RDE measurements since the EuroVI stage.