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The European emissions standard — Euronorm for short — is the basic method for classifying emissions from transport vehicles, including light commercial vehicles and heavy trucks. Without the appropriate emission standard, drivers are currently not allowed to drive into the more than 200 European cities with environmental zones and environmental bans.
Gabriel Böhm is Director Strategy & Operations at truckoo, the digital platform that is redefining commercial vehicle trade in Europe. With a passion for innovation and efficiency, he shapes the strategic direction and drives operational excellence to connect sellers and buyers smarter, faster and more transparently.
Why euro emission classes were introduced
The main objective of Euronorm rules is to make new cars and commercial vehicles more environmentally friendly by limiting their exhaust emissions. The first emissions regulations date back to the 1970s — but it wasn't until 1992 that the first EU-wide standard, known as Euro 1, was introduced. Since then, a series of euro emission standards have followed, including the current Euro 6, which was introduced in September 2014.
EURO 7
Although there is a lot of lobbying from cities and environmental movements calling for cleaner air, there has been no formal proposal for the next euro emissions standard so far. A step towards Euro 7 was seen in April 2019, when the European Parliament and the Council adopted new rules for CO₂ emission performance standards for new cars and vans, which will apply from 1 January 2020. However, it remains unclear whether and when the EU will introduce a Euro 7 emissions standard with requirements comparable to previous standards.
Future Euroclass changes
Even when new regulations are enforced and new vehicles meet the required criteria, the problem of environmental pollution persists. Used vehicles from industrialized countries are often exported to developing countries, particularly to Africa, but also to a lesser extent to Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Most of these countries have only weak or very weak regulations for importing used vehicles. The vehicles are therefore often 16-20 years old on average and meet Euro 3 standards at best.
It is still possible to import EURO 3 vehicles to the following countries: Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo. Some countries in this region, such as Albania, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, have banned EURO-3 and only allow EURO-5 standards or higher. However, it makes sense to check the regulations of the country you are exporting to or going to.
Another example is Saudi Arabia, where a resolution on changes to import regulations for certain vehicles was introduced on 05.05.2022. This means that trucks must not be older than five years to transport goods. The regulation applies to all heavy-duty trucks over 3.5 tons, including tractors, trailers and semi-trailers. The age is calculated from January of the year of manufacture. The main objectives of this regulation are to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of the transport fleet and to reduce CO₂ emissions and environmental pollution.
E-truck
In order to promote environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions, new vehicle types must also be taken into account in addition to euro standards. An electric truck is a truck whose drive technology is either (a) purely battery-powered, (b) hydrogen-based fuel cell or (c) hybrid (battery plus internal combustion engine).
The main advantages of electric trucks are that they do not produce diesel or gasoline exhaust gases and are very quiet, meaning that there is no noise pollution. This makes them ideal for transportation in busy urban areas. Since electricity and maintenance costs are often lower or comparable to those of vehicles with internal combustion engines, they are an attractive “green” option. In addition, electricity can be generated in a variety of ways so that operators are not dependent on one energy source.
Despite these advantages, electric trucks currently do not fully meet the requirements of international long-distance transport and rely on charging infrastructure. They are becoming particularly important in the Asia-Pacific region, and business opportunities are expected for Africa in the future. However, Europe currently holds the largest market share. Leading markets include France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, supported by government incentives.
Manufacturers such as Daimler and Volvo are pushing ahead with electrification. Daimler Truck plans to be fully electric by 2040, with the first step, the eActros, which is initially available in selected European markets. With a total weight of up to 40 t and with two or three axles, the eActros is equipped with three or four battery packs (105 kWh each), a total of 315-420 kWh, with a range of up to 400 km. Volvo plans that by 2030, half of all trucks manufactured will be electric, powered by either batteries or fuel cells.
LNG
Another environmentally friendly option is liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is a short-term solution for trucks. LNG has a higher energy density than diesel, which makes it attractive for road transport. Compared to CNG (compressed natural gas), which is common in cars and buses, LNG meets long-haul requirements better because more energy per volume can be stored.
LNG is produced by cooling natural gas or biogas and must be stored in special tanks, making this option expensive. However, with the support of the EU and national governments, the LNG filling station network has expanded significantly and now comprises over 400 stations, with 750 planned by 2025 and over 2000 by 2030. Germany is leading in Western Europe, with numerous incentives, such as exemption from truck tolls. The expansion of LNG trucks is also being promoted in India and China.
Checking the emission class of a truck based on approval
If you are unsure which emission class your vehicle has, you can find it in the registration certificate. The key is specified in the “Key number to 1” field. A table shows which key number corresponds to which emission class.
