New Euro 7 standards to include tyre and brake particle emissions

The European Commission has published details of the new Euro 7 standards for road vehicles, which for the first time includes rules relating to particles emissions from tyres and brakes.

Announced on 10th November, the European Commission said the proposed Euro 7 emission standards “will ensure that cars, vans, lorries and buses are much cleaner, in real driving conditions that better reflect the situation in cities where air pollution problems are largest, and for a much longer period than under current rules”.

It added that the it will now “set additional limits for particulate emissions from brakes and rules on microplastic emissions from tyres. These rules will apply to all vehicles, including electric ones”.

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturing Association (ETRMA) has said that it “fully supports” these newly proposed Euro 7 emission standards, which aim to achieve “technically robust and workable tyre abrasion standards”.

ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp said: “It is essential that a UN-validated test method is developed before tyre abrasion limits can be defined.

“Ensuring coordination between UN and EU regulations is therefore crucial. We will continue to provide feedback to these international Institutions.”

ETRMA also highlighted the importance of adopting a “holistic approach” to deliver on the EC’s ambitious objectives.

“In addition to tyre design, many other factors are important to tackling tyre abrasion, including road surface and layout, weather, driver behaviour, and vehicle characteristics, particularly the impact of electric vehicles,” Cinaralp added.