The UK Department for Transport has confirmed that Great Britain will adopt the Euro 7 vehicle emissions standard, aligning its approval requirements with existing European Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations. The approach is intended to allow vehicle manufacturers to sell the same approved models in Great Britain and the EU without additional UK-specific testing.
Euro 7 requirements for newly registered passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Great Britain will take effect in November 2027. The standard expands vehicle environmental requirements beyond exhaust emissions to include brake and tyre wear particles, as well as battery durability for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
New Requirements for Battery Durability
Euro 7 introduces minimum battery durability requirements for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars. Under the standard, batteries must retain at least 80% of their original capacity after five years or 100,000 kilometres, and at least 72% after eight years or 160,000 kilometres.
The requirements are intended to help maintain battery performance over a vehicle’s service life and provide greater assurance for used-car buyers concerned about declining electric driving range.
Manufacturers will also be required to provide standardised battery state-of-health (SOH) monitoring. This information is intended to make battery condition easier to assess and compare across vehicles and manufacturers.
Brake and Tyre Particle Limits
Euro 7 introduces limits on particulate emissions from vehicle brakes and, on a phased basis, tyre wear. These requirements apply to electric vehicles as well as vehicles with combustion engines.
Electric vehicles can produce less brake wear because regenerative braking uses the electric motor to recover energy and reduces reliance on friction brakes. However, vehicle mass, tyre design and driving conditions can influence tyre wear, making this a relevant consideration for heavier electric models.
The standard establishes a broader framework for addressing non-exhaust emissions, including particles generated during normal vehicle use.
Changes to Exhaust Emissions Requirements
For combustion-engine passenger cars, Euro 7 aligns the nitrogen oxide (NOx) limit for diesel vehicles with the existing petrol-car limit of 60 mg/km, according to the announced requirements.
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The standard also extends the period over which vehicles must meet emissions requirements to ten years or 200,000 kilometres under real-world driving conditions.
Although these provisions focus on conventional powertrains, the wider standard applies to a range of vehicle technologies and introduces requirements relevant to electric and hybrid models.
Implementation Timetable
Great Britain’s adoption follows a phased timetable for different vehicle categories.
- November 2027: Euro 7 applies to new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
- May 2028: Requirements begin for new types of trucks and buses.
- May 2029: Requirements extend to all new truck and bus registrations.
- July 1, 2030: Extended deadline for manufacturers producing fewer than 2,500 vehicles annually, as specified in the announced arrangements.
Existing vehicles will not be required to meet the new standards retrospectively. The adoption also does not change the existing rules governing environmental zones such as London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
By aligning its vehicle approval framework with EU and UNECE standards, Great Britain aims to introduce Euro 7 requirements while avoiding a separate national testing process for manufacturers.