[saket77]

What were the Euro Norms and why the need?

I believe the opening picture explains quite a bit of 'why the need' part of the question.

The Euro emission norms were introduced in the Europe in Jul 1992. The aim of these emission norms was to set a standard of emissions a vehicle should adhere to, for a greener and cleaner environment. These series of regulations, which are designed to become more & more stringent over time, define acceptable limits for exhaust emissions. The climate change due to pollution and its ill-effects on general populace & the flora is a vast topic in itself which needs separate discussion. Hence, I am purposefully avoiding going that route so as to not deviate from the technicalities of the subject. But surely, we had to contain the automobile pollution coming off from the tailpipes of ever increasing car numbers for our own good.

Euro-I

The first such attempt in the Euro series to taper the exhaust gases was called Euro-I standard and was applicable to all land surface vehicles sold in European Union from 1992. Also, the water vessels in EU waters were needed to comply. One important point to note was that all new vehicles being sold in the EU had to comply with these Euro norms, but the existing ones already plying on the roads, which largely were non-compliant, were exempt and could be driven around freely.

The main pollutants identified to be tapered were the Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM). The diesel engines have a notorious reputation for spewing particulate matter. Now, since the petrol and diesel engines emissions are different, separate norms were setup for both.

Euro 1 emission limits

CO – 2.72 g/km (petrol and diesel)
HC+ NOx – 0.97 g/km (petrol and diesel)
PM – 0.14 g/km (diesel only)

To achieve these end results, a double-sided 'in-out' approach was needed. A switch to unleaded fuel was required from the side of oil refiners (in-side) and fitment of catalytic converters was required from the automaker’s side (out- side).

Tetraethyl lead, since 1920s was used as a cheap way to boost the octane rating of fuel. Contrary to popular belief, octane is not an indicator of the amount of energy in gasoline, but instead the temperature at which the fuel ignites. Engines running at higher compression ratios (& hence higher temperatures inside the cylinder) would have been prone to knocking if the octane number wasn’t ‘boosted’ by using lead in gasoline, since plain gasoline would ignite before the spark plug actually fired due to the already high temperature in the cylinder. Also, lead allowed for better valve lubrication and hence longer engine life. So, lead in fuel was used as an ‘anti-knock’ agent with lubrication properties and these could run in higher compression engines without detonating prematurely.

The downside- burning of leaded gasoline increases the concentration of lead in the air to a measurable level in the blood of humans. High levels of inhalation of such gases may cause neurological damage, anemia, brain damage, convulsions and even death to humans.

On the automaker’s side, fitment of catalytic converter was required as a ‘treatment’ for the exhaust fumes after combustion. These catcons had metal elements inside (including expensive ones like platinum, rhodium and titanium) which reacted with exhaust gases to break & filter them into different compounds to reduce obnoxious and poisonous components spewed by cars.

So, in a nutshell, lead had to go from fuel and catalytic converters had to be fitted to all cars. Euro-I emission standards were thus achieved.

Maruti Suzuki in India marked their E-1/ BS-I compliant cars as 'Greenwheels' in around 1999.

[saket77]

Euro-II

5 years down the line and Euro-II norms kicked off. The new norms were much stricter than Euro-I. This meant that carburetors had to go out and Multi-Point Fuel Injection technology made to mainstream cars. The MPFI technology made liberal use of sensors fitted in different areas and stages of combustion to monitor different parameters in real-time and adjust car’s intake of fuel-air mix to achieve the most efficient ratio. This vast change in the technology for regular cars saw not only meeting them to Euro-II standards but also big gains were made in the area of performance and fuel efficiency. The availability of MPFI tech to general consumers can be said to be a big turning point in automobile performance, efficiency, reliability and maintenance. This E-1 & E-II period also saw India witnessing coming of global players like Hyundai, Daewoo, etc with their products like the Santro, Matiz, etc which dotted the new-generation 2K cars of India. Maruti-Suzuki, the market leader also jumped into the war-scene fully armed with some superior engine technologies & specs w.r.t. some competitors.

However, the advent of E-II also saw demise of many engines and even manufacturers being wiped off from the Indian auto scene who could not keep up with the technology or financial viability of this upgrade.

Notice the same engines with carburetor and the modern E-II compliant MPFI tech:

Euro 2 emission limits (petrol)

CO – 2.2 g/km
HC+ NOx – 0.5 g/km
PM – no limit

Euro 2 emission limits (diesel)

CO – 1.0 g/km
HC+ NOx – 0.7 g/km
PM – 0.08 g/km

The PM limit for petrol cars were not set in Euro-II as petrol vehicles hardly emitted noticeable particulate matter (until the introduction of gasoline direct injection / GDI engines later). It was the diesel engines for which PM was an issue and hence a cap was set in E-II norms.

Euro 3, 4 & 5

Euro 3 modified the test procedure to eliminate the engine warm-up period to achieve full efficiency sooner and further reduced permitted carbon monoxide and diesel particulate limits. Euro 3 also added a separate NOx limit for diesel engines and introduced separate HC and NOx limits for petrol engines.

Euro 3 emission limits (petrol)

CO – 2.3 g/km
HC – 0.20 g/km
NOx - 0.15
PM – no limit

Euro 3 emission limits (diesel)

CO – 0.64 g/km
HC+ NOx – 0.56 g/km
NOx – 0.50 g/km
PM – 0.05 g/km

Euro 4 and the later Euro 5 concentrated on cleaning up emissions from diesel cars, especially reducing particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).

Some Euro 4 diesel cars were fitted with particulate filters.





Euro 4 emission limits (petrol)

CO – 1.0 g/km
HC – 0.10 g/km
NOx – 0.08
PM – no limit

Euro 4 emission limits (diesel)

CO – 0.50 g/km
HC+ NOx – 0.30 g/km
NOx – 0.25 g/km
PM – 0.025 g/km

Euro 5 further tightened the limits on particulate emissions from diesel engines and all diesel cars needed particulate filters to meet the new requirements.

There was some tightening of NOx limits too (28% reduction compared to Euro 4) as well as, for the first time, a particulates limit was set up for petrol engines – applicable to direct injection engines only. This became a necessity because many automakers started selling direct injection gasoline engines like for eg. TSI engine of VW.

Addressing the effects of very fine particle emissions, Euro 5 introduced a limit on particle numbers for diesel engines in addition to the particle weight limit. India skipped the E-5 norms to catch up with Europe and adopted E-6 straightaway.

Euro 5 emission limits (petrol)

CO – 1.0 g/km
HC - 0.10 g/km
NOx – 0.06 g/km
PM – 0.005 g/km (direct injection only)

Euro 5 emission limits (diesel)

CO – 0.50 g/km
HC+ NOx – 0.23 g/km
NOx – 0.18 g/km
PM – 0.005 g/km
PM – 6.0x10 ^11/km

[saket77]

Euro-6 & the Real-Driving Emissions (RDE); The Current Standard.

The Euro 6 standard imposed a further, significant reduction in NOx emissions from diesel engines (a 67% reduction compared to Euro 5) and established similar standards for petrol and diesel. Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) – replaced some of the intake air (containing 80% nitrogen) with recycled exhaust gas – reducing the amount of nitrogen available to be oxidized to NOx during combustion. Though further exhaust treatment was required in addition to the Diesel Particulate Filters.

Some E-6 diesel cars had to be equipped with a NOx absorber (Lean NOx Trap) which stores NOx and reduces it to Nitrogen over a catalyst. Another addition was a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) which uses an additive (Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) or AdBlue) containing urea injected into the exhaust to convert NOx into Nitrogen and water.

Euro 6 emission limits (petrol)

CO – 1.0 g/km
HC – 0.10 g/km
NOx – 0.06 g/km
PM – 0.005 g/km (direct injection only)
PM – 6.0x10 ^11/km (direct injection only)

Euro 6 emission limits (diesel)

CO – 0.50 g/km
HC+ NOx – 0.17 g/km
NOx – 0.08 g/km
PM – 0.005 g/km
PM – 6.0x10 ^11/km

Another significant change made in the Euro-6 norms was the addition of RDE norms or Real Driving Emissions test which was introduced alongside the laboratory tests to make sure that cars met emissions limits in a much wider range of real world driving conditions. The so-called ‘diesel gate’ scandal highlighted that because carmakers could still ‘cheat’ to meet the stringent standards, the RDE was a glaring necessity.







The EU, thus in 2017, introduced a ‘Real Driving Emissions’ (RDE) test aimed to better reflect actual emissions on the road, reducing the discrepancy between real-world emissions and those measured in a laboratory; later adopted in India under the BS-6 RDE norms.

Since Euro-6 and BS-6 standards are almost similar, all cars sold in India since 2020 adhere to BS-6 norms. After 2023, even compliance to RDE test was mandated for all cars to be sold in India. So, we can say that India is almost in sync and as strict as the European Union in terms of producing and selling clean cars. Also, India skipped the E-5 standards to catch up with the latest.




 

[saket77]

Euro 7, Inclusion of EVs & the Backlash by Carmakers:

Given the objectives and successes Euro norms have achieved, a new set, the Euro-7 was inevitable. The original proposal for setting in of Euro 7 for all light-duty (passenger and commercial) vehicles was July 1, 2025, and for heavy-duty vehicles was July 1, 2027.

But apart from all the environmental benefits we have received from such standards, the other side of the story is that there has also been a substantial increase in the cost of production of these cars because of more research and equipments going into it. The average selling price has gone north by a huge margin to accommodate all the technical changes which were necessary to achieve these stringent emission standards which has taken a toll on the consumers in way of high selling prices and thinner margins for the manufacturers.

Result- Unlike minor reluctance from the automakers towards the earlier norms, this time, the E-7 met a huge backlash from the industry. And they had reasons in terms of cost and feasibility- both technical and financial. Also, it was for the first time that an environmental standard was set for electric vehicles.

The Original Stringent E-7 & the Subsequent Watering Down of Standards:

Source:

1. The Press Release of European Commission :https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres.../en/ip_22_6495
2. Horiba: Japanese manufacturer of precision instruments for measurement and analysis for automotive systems. https://www.horiba.com/int/automotiv...lity/euro-7-1/


(List is not exhaustive)

> The original Euro-7 standards brought emission limits for all motor vehicles, i.e., cars, vans, buses and lorries under a single set of rules. The new rules were mostly fuel and technology neutral, placing the same limits regardless of whether the vehicle uses petrol, diesel, electric drivetrains or alternative fuels.

> The method used for testing was primarily based on RDE along with lab tests performed over a wider range of boundary conditions than Euro 6 in terms of driving behavior, ambient temperature, and altitude eg. high hilly roads, snowy conditions etc. which the manufacturers opposed arguing that some of these conditions are not practical or out of scope of a regular car driving conditions.

> These E-7 norms also mandated that any emissions component that could not be measured realistically on board was to be measured in the laboratory using some form of random, simulated, or replicated RDE test cycle.

> Vehicle emissions should have been below the specified limits for a longer time and distance than all previous Euro norms. An additional factor will be applicability for the standards over an extended vehicle life. An eye-opener is that all Euro-norms were made such that all new cars had to comply for the first 5 years/100,000 kms of their service life. The Euro-7 norms aim to make this compliance for an extended timeline by doubling the time to 10 years/200,000 kms.

> All vehicles were to be fitted with an on-board monitoring system, combining vehicle On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) with additional exhaust sensors to indicate to the driver when the vehicle is emitting in excess of the specified limits. This data was to be stored in the vehicle and be available for digital transmission to the authorities and OEMs.

> Apart from tail pipe emissions, E-7 will be the first standard in the world where emissions limits will be applied to vehicle brake dust as well which release particulate matters in the environment. Micro plastic emissions from tires will also be regulated for the first time - both applicable to EVs as well.

> Since Euro-7 is technology and fuel neutral and includes specifications to comply for pure electric vehicles in terms of battery durability and range, the new rules will regulate the durability of batteries installed in cars and vans in order to increase consumer confidence in electric vehicles. This will also reduce the need for replacing batteries early in the life of a vehicle, thus reducing the need for new critical raw materials required to produce batteries. So, we can expect some disruptive changes in EV industry as well in terms of battery upgradation when E-7 norms set in.

> In addition to the above standards, Euro 7 requires comprehensive, effective deterrents to vehicle tampering in the vehicle data (e.g. odometer), engine, and emissions control devices. Euro 7 rules will ensure that vehicles are not tampered with and emissions can’t be ‘cheated’ by the OEMs. The abundance of sensors do plot a way, but at a cost, to measure emissions throughout the lifetime of a vehicle.

> For the chemical reactions to take place in the catalytic converters, the catcons need to be warmed up. Under the new E-7 norms, the cars need to adhere to the limit right from cold start, which means that the catcons must be pre-heated to work effectively. This heating duty, which was achieved by the engine and hot exhaust gases until now, need to be shifted to some other system which can ‘pre-heat’ the catcon. Electronic heaters may be used but this comes at a cost and such a system is yet to be developed. This will especially help curb pollution emitted from such vehicles which are most used for short commutes.

> Limits are tightened for lorries and buses while the lowest existing limits for cars and vans will now apply regardless of the fuel used by the vehicle. The new rules also set emission limits for previously unregulated pollutants, such as nitrous oxide emissions from heavy-duty vehicles.

[saket77]

Lowering the standards & the Delayed Implementation :

These extremely stringent provisions of E-7 norms saw huge protests from car makers and some European countries themselves, like Spain and Italy which saw these to effectively kill small & affordable city vehicles. The automakers also argued that engineering new cars to meet E-7 norms would mean a big distraction- both in technical and financial terms in the development of electric vehicles to meet the Europe's 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales. Another argument; the cost of inclusion of equipment & research to meet these extremely stringent norms would drive the car prices too high, which would be especially devastating for some European countries economically who are in the business of car making extensively, even leading to unemployment.

As reported in Mar-2024, the European Parliament has agreed to some major tweaks in the new Euro-7 emissions regulations which are far less stringent than the original standards proposed in 2022 – and come into effect for cars five years later, in 2030 rather than 2025. While there will be stricter pollution caps for buses and trucks, the tailpipe emissions limits for passenger vehicles and vans will be unchanged from the current Euro 6 standards under the revised standards of E-7.

The test procedures for both categories of vehicles will remain unchanged. However new standards will be applied to limit particle emissions from the brakes and tyres of passenger and light-commercial vehicles, as well as minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric and hybrid cars will be a parameter in the revised set of norms.

There is no doubt that by introduction of these Euro norms (& Bharat Stage norms in India), we made a big difference in the vehicular pollution across the world. The world would have been a lot worse place to live without these initiatives taken by the lawmakers, Governments, oil refiners and automakers. A discussion on driving pleasure and car performance with the latest norms in place is a parallel discourse which comes up in all automotive circles but we simply cannot overlook the benefits these have brought to the planet’s entire ecosystem. Tests suggest that it takes 30 BS/Euro 6 cars to pollute the same as one non-Euro compliant car, so the difference is well established.

Also, with the advent of EVs and alternate fuels coupled with Europe’s Zero-Tailpipe emissions objective, we may be looking towards a new and more inclusive & creative set of Euro norms in future to cater to the alternate fuel/ energy sources for future transportation with the common aim of creating this world a better place to live in...

At least in terms of air and noise pollution.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Jeroen]

Thanks for this excellent and comprehensive write up. Just to add a small detail.

In most EU countries a car has to comply with the standards that applied during this year it was first put on the road.

So even today, my 42 year old Mercedes W123 during its bi-annual MOT is measured against emission norms from1982.

The problem though, is that individual towns and region across Europe are introducing low emission zones. So whereas I have a perfectly road legal 1982 car, there are certain parts in Europe I can’t drive into anymore.

There are exception for oldtimers, but they differ quite a bit from country to country.

Just one final thought, whereas lead was banned in car petrol from the mid 90s and was not available anywhere in the world less than 10 years later, leaded fuel is still use for aircraft engines! Although that to is finally beginning to come to and end.

Jeroen

[ZenMaster]

Can any knowledgeable member explain how the CAFE norms work?

How are the targets for a manufacturer decided? How is the OEMs that make big burly SUVs able to meet them while manufacturers like Suzuki who make small very fuel-efficient cars not meet them (due to which they stopped selling Jimny in Europe as a passenger vehicle)

Is it different for each OEM? Is it based on size or weight or power?

Would be awesome if someone could break down how this works. (or point me to a thread if it already exists)

If it's based on weight, does the norm make it difficult for small car manufacturers to meet the CAFE target? [despite them being much more efficient compared to let's say, Toyotas or BMW, Merc etc.)

Also with CAFE norms set to come into effect in India within a couple of years, what is the status of Indian OEMs? Are they meeting it or will they have trouble meeting the target??

I can't imagine Maruti making their already featherweight cars any lighter to improve the Fleet average

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by ZenMaster

Can any knowledgeable member explain i ndetail how the CAFE-norms work?

How are the targets for a manufacturer decided? How is the OEMs that make big burly SUVs able to meet them while manufacturers like Suzuki who make small very fuel efficient cars not meet them (due to which they stopped selling Jimny in Europe as a passenger vehicle)

The CAFE norms are applicable per model year and are based for the total fleet a manufacturer produces, not individual models.

From the Internet:

The CAFE achieved by a given fleet of vehicles in a given model year is the production-weighted harmonic mean fuel economy, expressed in miles per US gallon (mpg), of a manufacturer's fleet of current model year passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 pounds (3,856 kg) or less (but also including medium-duty passenger vehicles, such as large sport-utility vehicles and passenger vans, with GVWR up to 10,000 pounds), produced for sale in the United States. The CAFE standards in a given model year define the CAFE levels that manufacturers' fleets are required to meet in that model year, specific levels depending on the characteristics and mix of vehicles produced by each manufacturer. If the average fuel economy of a manufacturer's annual fleet of vehicle production falls below the applicable requirement, the manufacturer must either apply sufficient CAFE credits (see below) to cover the shortfall or pay a penalty, currently $14 per 0.1 mpg under the standard, multiplied by the manufacturer's total production for the U.S. domestic market. Congress established both of these provisions explicitly in EPCA, as amended in 2007 by EISA. In addition, a Gas Guzzler Tax is levied on individual passenger car models (but not trucks, vans, minivans, or SUVs) that get less than 22.5 miles per US gallon (10.5 L/100 km).[8

It’s why some manufacturers of big heavy cars also started producing smaller light weight cars.

Starting in 2011, the CAFE standards are newly expressed as mathematical functions depending on vehicle footprint, a measure of vehicle size determined by multiplying the vehicle's wheelbase by its average track width. A complicated 2011 mathematical formula was replaced starting in 2012 with a simpler inverse-linear formula with cutoff values.[9] CAFE footprint requirements are set up such that a vehicle with a larger footprint has a lower fuel economy requirement than a vehicle with a smaller footprint. For example, the fuel economy target for the 2012 Honda Fit with a footprint of 40 sq ft (3.7 m2) is 36 miles per US gallon (6.5 L/100 km), equivalent to a published fuel economy of 27 miles per US gallon (8.7 L/100 km) (see #Calculations of MPG overestimated for information regarding the difference), and a Ford F-150 with its footprint of 65–75 sq ft (6.0–7.0 m2) has a fuel economy target of 22 miles per US gallon (11 L/100 km), i.e., 17 miles per US gallon (14 L/100 km) published. Individual vehicles do not have to meet their fuel economy targets; CAFE compliance is enforced at the fleet level. CAFE 2016 target fuel economy of 34.0 MPG (44 sq. ft. footprint) compares to 2012 advanced vehicle performance of Prius hybrid on the compliance test cycles: 70.7 MPG, Plug-in Prius hybrid: 69.8 MPGe and LEAF electric vehicle: 141.7 MPGe. The compliance fuel economy of plug-in electric vehicles such as the Plug-in Prius or LEAF is complicated by accounting for the energy used in generating electricity

Jeroen

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by ZenMaster

Can any knowledgeable member explain how the CAFE norms work?

Please see this thread

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...nts-india.html (Understanding BMW's bizarre choice of engines & variants for India)

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

It’s why some manufacturers of big heavy cars also started producing smaller light weight cars.

Jeroen

Exactly!

And contrary to popular belief, It's also the primary reason why Toyota re-badges and sells the smaller and fuel efficient Suzuki cars in India and other emerging markets. Many of the major global auto manufacturers are also also entering into partnerships with small car manufacturers.

Same goes for manufacturers venturing into EV segment - infact, the whole EV revolution is driven by the CAFE norms!!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Please see this thread

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...nts-india.html (Understanding BMW's bizarre choice of engines & variants for India)

Excellent! I should have known TeamBHP would have a detailed explanation!

Jeroen