Euro 7 limits: why the new emissions standard is causing controversy


FAQ

Status: 02/14/2023 3:16 p.m

Representatives of the car industry are up in arms against the EU Commission’s proposals for a new Euro 7 emissions standard. Environmentalists say it doesn’t go far enough. What is planned? What are the consequences for drivers? Answers to some questions.

Why is a new emission standard planned?

The Euro 7 emission standard, which is intended to ensure cleaner vehicles and better air quality, is currently being negotiated. According to the European Commission, road traffic is the biggest source of air pollution in cities. It is estimated that particulate matter and nitrogen oxide pollution from road traffic caused around 70,000 premature deaths in 2018 in the EU countries and Great Britain. Since the introduction of the Euro 1 emissions standard in 1992, the EU has gradually tightened the rules. The goal of the new Euro 7 emissions standard is to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars by 35 percent by 2035, and by over 50 percent from buses and trucks.

What does the Euro 7 standard say?

In concrete terms, the new emissions standard will allow diesel cars to emit 60 instead of 80 milligrams of nitrogen oxides per kilometer in the future. This limit does not change for petrol engines. The Euro 7 emission standard applies not only to pollutants from the exhaust, but also to other emissions such as fine dust. This occurs, for example, when braking or due to tire abrasion. Accordingly, the new rules would also apply to electric vehicles.

The Brussels Commission’s proposal also envisages a so-called onboard monitoring system (OBM) that is intended to detect when emissions are exceeded. In addition, the recorded driving conditions are to be expanded – for example to extreme temperatures and short daily journeys. In addition, the period in which the limit values ​​must be observed will be doubled to 200,000 kilometers or ten years.

When will the new emissions standard come?

The EU Commission made its proposals last November. Next, EU countries and Parliament must agree before the rules can come into force. It is currently envisaged that the rules will apply to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles from July 2025 and to heavy commercial vehicles from July 2027.

But there are doubts about the schedule. Mercedes works council chief Ergun Lümali told the dpa news agency that the introduction date was unrealistic. The largest German carmaker Volkswagen also spoke of “completely unrealistic time targets”. Manufacturers and authorities could hardly implement this so quickly.

Will Euro 7 make cars more expensive?

Vehicle prices are likely to rise with the new emissions standard. It is unclear how strong. In its proposal, the EU Commission had estimated the additional costs for cars between 90 and 150 euros. For heavy commercial vehicles, the costs should increase by 2700 euros. According to the plans, the cost per vehicle should not account for more than two to three percent of the average vehicle price in any vehicle segment.

The ADAC fears that the new rules could make smaller cars “disproportionately expensive”. The automobile club criticizes: “The tightening of the limit values ​​and the measuring method must not lead to the fact that small and inexpensive vehicle models can no longer be offered at all to consumers at an affordable price”. The European car industry association ACEA is assuming a cost increase for vehicles of between seven and ten percent.

According to ADAC, small cars in particular could become “disproportionately” more expensive due to the Euro 7 emissions standard.

Image: dpa

The Federal Ministry of Transport also assumes that the costs due to the new Euro 7 emissions standard will be significantly higher than stated by the EU Commission. Up to 400 euros can be estimated for a car in the middle or upper class. As a result, light commercial vehicles powered by diesel cost up to 900 euros more each, according to a ministry spokesman. For heavy commercial vehicles, additional costs of between 2,500 and 4,000 euros can be expected.

What is the industry saying?

Representatives of the auto industry speak of a “ban on combustion engines through the back door” and see many jobs under threat. The EU industry association ACEA warns that up to 300,000 jobs could be at stake. Volkswagen said: “We share the view that Euro 7 in its current form would have negative employment effects for the European automotive industry.” Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke is backing industry. The federal government is critical of the “extremely short introductory periods,” the Greens politician told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung”. The introduction of the new emission standard must be feasible for the industry so that jobs can be preserved.

What other points of criticism are there?

The car association VDA warns of production losses and supply bottlenecks. Not enough vehicles with the requirements could be developed and approved in the short time. The automotive industry also complains that the criteria for emissions tests according to the new specifications are too specific. “The air quality is not helped if we make the exhaust emissions of a new combustion engine with full throttle and horse trailer in first gear on a mountain pass in the Alps the measure of things,” said VW.

Another point of criticism relates to the fact that money and capacities are tied up for the conversion of the models, which could then be missing for the expansion to e-mobility. Jörg Hofmann, chairman of IG Metall, demanded: “We have to pool all resources in the transformation to an electric powertrain.” There should be no mismanagement of investments and skilled workers.

Where are the political opponents?

The auto states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony have called on the federal government not to accept the current Euro 7 plans. Significant disadvantages for the German auto industry are to be feared, according to a letter from the Prime Minister to Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The new emission standard and the test conditions must be technically and economically feasible, according to the letter from the country heads Markus Söder (CSU), Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) and Stephan Weil (SPD). “In addition, appropriate implementation deadlines are required that also take into account the development cycles of the automobile manufacturers.” Federal Transport Minister Wissing (FDP) also warns against overly strict regulation and job cuts: “Regulation must promote mobility, not prevent it.”

What do environmentalists say?

The German Environmental Aid criticized the intervention of the car countries. The assertion that the technology development is too expensive and not worthwhile in view of the planned phase-out of combustion engines in 2035 is “factually wrong and flimsy arguments”. The three heads of government “lobbyed for BMW, Mercedes and VW at the expense of the citizens who suffer from the harmful exhaust gases,” said DUH boss Jürgen Resch.

Greenpeace called on car manufacturers to help emission-free drives achieve a breakthrough in the coming years. “If Wissing wants to ensure long-term secure jobs in the industry, then he should do everything to put the German car industry at the forefront of the mobility revolution,” explained traffic expert Benjamin Stephan.

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