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Industry cautious on Euro 7 emission plans

[ November 15, 2022   //   ]

Industry groups have given a guarded welcome to the publication of the European Commission’s proposed Euro 7 standards for vehicle emissions.

Logistics UK head of engineering policy, Phil Lloyd, commented: “Logistics UK welcomes all progressive technological improvements that benefit health and the environment, but these changes must be sustainable and economically viable. Reducing emissions at use would be counter-productive if this resulted in greater quantities of manufacturing needed.”

He added that it was also aware of concerns over the cost of developing Euro VII when OEMs are focused on the development of zero emission technologies, resulting in a potentially short life span of Euro 7 internal combustion-powered vehicles.

Likewise, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) said it cautiously welcomed the European Commission’s proposal.

With CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles also on their way, road transport operators are keen to see that their path to carbon neutrality includes several decarbonisation options, it said. Along with hydrogen and electric battery heavy-duty vehicles, the combustion engine needs to remain an option, it added.

IRU said it backed Commission efforts to continue proposing solutions to reduce pollutant emissions for vehicles based on all technologies, including the internal combustion engine.

However, it is concerned that the stringency of the Euro 7 proposal may in some cases require vehicles to be completely reengineered, with serious cost implications that are completely disproportionate to the actual benefits.

IRU director of EU advocacy Raluca Marian warned that this could actually discourage manufacturers from developing new technologies and operators from buying them. This will not help put more cleaner vehicles on the road.”

IRU is also cautious about the inclusion of tyres and brakes in the scope of the Euro 7 rules. Despite the importance of considering all vehicle parts that emit pollutants, the proposal lacks clarity on the interplay between main components, such as the engine, and marginal parts, such as tyres and breaks, in classing a vehicle as Euro 7.

“Could a transport operator buy a Euro 7 vehicle and one year later the vehicle is no longer considered a Euro 7 vehicle because worn tyres have been replaced with tyres of a different quality? Would this mean that a vehicle can no longer enter an urban low emission zone because of wear and tear on some parts?” questioned Raluca Marian.

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