New cars should emit fewer pollutants - electric cars are also affected

According to a proposal by the EU Commission, new cars and other vehicles should in future emit fewer pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. In addition, certain limit values ​​would also have to be observed under stricter conditions than before, as the EU Commission announced on Thursday when the new Euro 7 emissions standard was presented. In the future, the values ​​should not be exceeded even at temperatures of up to 45 degrees - and thus 7 degrees more than before.

Since not only exhaust gases but also tire abrasion or brake wear are taken into account, electric cars and hydrogen vehicles are also affected by the regulation. According to the proposal, the new rules for cars and vans will come into force in mid-2025 and for trucks and buses two years later. EU states and the European Parliament still have to negotiate the project and agree on a common line.

According to the EU Commission, road traffic is the largest 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. Euro 7 is expected to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from cars by an estimated 35 percent by 2035, and by more than 50 percent from buses and trucks.