New EU emissions requirements

New emissions regulations are on the way in the European Union. If Euro 6, with 95 g/100 km of CO2 in 2020, already seemed strict, for 2025 figures are forecast that until just a few years ago were only possible in our imagination.

This push by the EU to reduce emissions responds to a need to combat greenhouse gases in a clear and forceful way, starting with motorised transport.

The new EU rules for 2025 will be based on a new measurement method for the consumption and emissions of vehicles put on sale in the European Union, known as WLTP, short for Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure. This translates into a measurement system more in line with reality, since at present it is practically impossible for any vehicle to reach the homologated consumption figures in real-world driving.

These new measures translate into an average consumption that will inevitably have to come close to 2.7 litres per 100 km. Only manufacturers producing fewer than 1,000 cars a year will be exempt from complying with these regulations. Manufacturers have already stated that, while they are working very hard to achieve such results, it will be very difficult for them to reach such figures.

To help brands meet the targets set by these new regulations, the EU has introduced a kind of “bonus” scheme, which consists of counting each car emitting less than 50 g of CO2 as 3.5 units sold, so that the brand’s final balance is lower than if it counted as just one unit. This measurement system will change in 2020, when each vehicle sold emitting less than 50 g of CO2 will count as 1.3.

Source: Autocar