European Emission Standard History – The black and thick trail of exhaust smoke from the car that we used to see in the past have long gone.

Thanks to a series of regulations that’s been around called the Euro Emission Standard, so that we don’t have to see anymore of that stuff.

Just imagine, walking around in the pavements of the street while eating your favorite cone of ice cream and suddenly someone passing by with his brand new car that showered you with thick smokes.

History of European Emission Standard

The European Emission Standard has been around since its first incarnation of Euro 1 in 1992. And over the course of the year, its regulation has been updated and changed into stricter over time.

The main goal of this regulation is to limit the amount of NOx, the collective term for the nitrogen oxides NO and NO2, which are significant components of harmful air pollution.

1. Euro 1 (1992)

Imagine the world where this regulation never existed, smokes from the cars and motorcycles circling around the air that we breathe.

Yup, those were the reality before Euro 1 came along in 1992. This regulation blatantly said “Hey dude, we need some cleaner air coming out from the bottom of your car, those are so dirty with a foul smell that my girl didn’t even talk to me after a long way on the road to her home”.

Well, I guess I hyperbole it a bit. But the point is Euro 1 regulates the pesky NOx culprits that contribute to smoke and acid rain that cause our lovely home, Earth, to cough a bit.

This regulation was primarily focused on petrol (gasoline, if you’re not from around) and light diesel vehicles.

While the values were considerably higher than today, the euro one has laid the foundation for future stricter standard.

2. Euro 2 and Euro 3 (1996 & 2000)

The 1996s Euro 2 and 2000s Euro 3 served as stricter older brother of Euro 1 that further tightened the limits on pollutants like NOx and hydrocarbons especially for diesel cars.

Not only cars and trucks had to comply with the standards, but all vehicles with combustion engines (i talked to you, two-wheelers)

That standard first distinguished different types of motors. Diesel motors can emit more nitrogen oxides, but the standards for carbon monoxide are stricter.

Also Read: “6 Types of Mufflers“

3. Euro 4 and Euro 5 (2005 & 2009)

The bar for clean air kept rising with Euro 4 and 5 implemented in 2005 and 2009.

This time Euro Standard started introducing even stricter limits on pollutants, not just for the said NOx and hydrocarbon, but also for particular matter which are those tiny soot particles that can irritate your lungs.

This regulation marked more and more carmakers started to feature the pump direct injection in their vehicles.

4. Euro 6 (2014)

Introduced in 2014, the Euro 6 regulation was a game-changer. With significantly tightened emission limits across the board and with particular focus on NOx from diesel engine vehicles that had been a major concern.

This regulation also introduced something called “Real Driving Emissions” (RDE) testing, which meant testing cars under real-world driving conditions, not just in controlled lab settings.

Yes, Euro 6 basically thinking that it’s not just for the sake of testing it in a lab but ensuring that cars are actually clean when it hits the road.

5. Euro 7 (Implementation Expected Between 2025-2030)

The European Commission is currently finalizing Euro 7, which is expected to be implemented sometime between 2025 and 2030.

With the promise of even more stricter regulation than before with even lower limits for pollutants like NOx and particulate matter.

It’s also expected to include stricter RDE testing procedures and might even address emissions beyond the exhaust pipe, like particles from tires and brakes.

This is a big deal because even though exhaust emissions have come a long way, these non-exhaust sources can still contribute to air pollution.

Here is the brief history of the European Emission Standard that has been around for about 3 decades.

The Euro standard have undoubtedly played a crucial role in cleaning up the air in Europe, as these regulations become stricter, hopefully we expect much more eco-friendly vehicles from our favorite carmakers on the road.