Euro 7 — the next European vehicle emissions standard

Earlier Euro standards were, in practice, exhaust standards. Euro 7 keeps the exhaust requirements and widens the frame: it also covers particles from brakes, abrasion from tyres, and the durability of traction batteries. That last item is what makes it relevant to a register of electrified cars, because a type-approval rule now speaks about how a battery ages and not only how a car performs when new.

What it regulates

Four areas matter to a buyer. Exhaust emissions, which affect combustion and hybrid cars. Brake particle emissions, where the rules are tightened and electric vehicles have caps of their own. Tyre abrasion. And battery durability, with requirements expressed over both mileage and lifetime periods, together with a duty to give users up-to-date information on the health of the traction battery. The exact limits and test conditions are set in the regulation itself, and this entry deliberately does not restate them.

Timeline

There are two dates, and they are easy to confuse. Euro 7 applies to new types of cars and vans from 29 November 2026. It applies to all new cars and vans from 29 November 2027. A model that already holds a type approval is therefore not affected on the first date, but every car registered as new has to meet the rules after the second.

What it means for EVs and PHEVs

For a battery-electric car the exhaust part is moot; the relevant parts are brake particles, tyres and battery durability. For a plug-in hybrid all four apply, and the battery rules sit alongside the combustion ones, see PHEV.

The battery rules change what a buyer can ask for. A durability requirement set at type-approval level, and a mandated way of showing battery health, are the regulatory counterpart of what a battery warranty promises contractually and of what state of health measures in practice. They do not replace the warranty, which remains a separate commitment by a separate entity, but they give a baseline that does not depend on the brand’s goodwill.

What it means for Chinese brands in the EU

The regulation is part of the type-approval framework, so it applies to Chinese manufacturers exactly as to European ones; there is no separate route. A new Chinese model entering the Union after the first date has to be approved against Euro 7 as a new type, alongside the general safety rules in GSR. A model already on sale can continue as an existing type until the second date, after which every unit sold new must comply. For anyone tracking which models will remain available, these two dates are worth watching, because a manufacturer may choose to update a model or withdraw it rather than re-certify.

Related: WVTA · GSR · battery warranty · SOH · PHEV