ICCT publishes new findings Euro 7 benefits for heavy-duty vehicles
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) published a study featuring new findings on the benefits of the Euro 7 proposal for heavy-duty vehicles compared to the current Euro VI. The perks extend to the currently regulated pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), but also to emerging ones like particulate number (PM), ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Road transport is the largest source of pollution in Europe's cities. Close to 400,000 premature deaths in the European Union are attributed to air pollution, according to the European Environment Agency. Despite making up only 2.5% of the vehicle stock, heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), which include commercial buses and trucks with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes, have a disproportionately large impact on air pollution. They are responsible for 35% of all NOx emissions from all forms of road transportation, which makes it a priority to reduce these emissions and their impact. To tackle the impact of road transport in our cities and regions, the European Commission recently proposed new pollutant emission standards for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses (Euro 7). The suggested requirements are more stringent than the current Euro 6/VI regulation, including expanded driving conditions for emissions testing.
In a recent study born out of the cooperation between the ICCT and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, two diesel transit buses certified to the Euro VI-D standard were tested on the road over various drive cycles. According to the key findings, both buses' emissions performance was largely in line with what was needed for type approval under Euro VI-D. However, the NOx emissions over the highest emitting test windows exceeded the proposed Euro 7 cold and hot limits. Additionally, Euro 7 Particle Number requirements call for a higher filtration efficiency than what current technologies of particle filters can provide.
Based on the key findings, the authors recommend adopting the proposed Euro 7 limits for trucks and buses, which are technically feasible and cost-effective. Compared to Euro VI emission control technologies, the Commission’s Euro 7 proposal will drive substantial reductions in the emissions of NOx and particles. POLIS welcomes this position, as an ambitious Euro 7 will improve our citizens' air quality and public health.
You can find out more about the study here.
