This weekend begins the 100-day countdown to the introduction of the strictest ever European vehicle emissions regulation, Euro-6. Starting September, all new cars sold in the Europe must meet this low emissions standard, making them the cleanest vehicles in history.
With three months still to go before the new standard becomes mandatory, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that UK vehicle manufacturers are ahead of the game, with around half of new car buyers opting for Euro-6 compliant vehicles last month.
The new Euro 6 regulations set different standards for petrol and diesel cars. For diesel cars, they dramatically drop the permitted level of NOx emitted down to a maximum of 80mg/km compared to the 180mg/km level that was required for cars to meet the previous Euro 5 emissions standards. The limit for NOx from petrol cars remains at 60mg/km, the same as for the Euro 5 standard.
Vehicles fitted with Euro-6 tech emit virtually zero particulate matter, while nitrogen oxides emissions are more than half those of previous generation motors built in the past five years.
