The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that Great Britain will move to Euro 7 for new cars, vans, trucks, buses and coaches, in its response to a consultation on updating the minimum emission standard for new road vehicles.
This will minimise regulatory disparity between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the EU on vehicle approval standards, the government has said.
The standards are used to set limits on pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), as well as setting test procedures for pollutants, carbon dioxide (CO2), fuel economy, energy consumption and electric range.
Euro 7 covers not only exhaust emissions, but also brakes, tyres and replacement pollution-control devices.
While the government has confirmed its implementation of Euro 7 for new road vehicles, it has amended its proposed implementation approach for light-duty vehicles, as manufacturers warned that the date (November 29, 2026) would not give sufficient lead time to update model lines and would not align with product planning cycles.
As such, the government has decided not to introduce a mandatory Euro 7 implementation date for new light-duty vehicle types in GB legislation. Instead, the key date will be November 29, 2027, when Euro 7 will apply to all new unlimited-volume light-duty vehicle registrations in Great Britain.
Small volume manufacturers will have until July 1, 2030, for all new light-duty vehicle registrations. Small volume manufacturers will be defined as those registering fewer than 2,500 cars or vans in Great Britain per year, while ultra-small volume manufacturers will be those registering fewer than 1,000.
New trucks, buses and coaches will also need to comply with Euro 7, but implementation dates for heavy-duty vehicles will be subject to a further consultation.
Euro 7 will introduce battery durability requirements for electric vehicles and PHEVs, including minimum battery capacity retention thresholds over certain mileage and time periods.
Euro 7 also requires vehicles to be fitted with more accurate and comparable battery health monitoring systems, which is expected to help the used EV market.
Toby Poston, BVRLA Chief Executive said: “We welcome the acceptance of Euro 7 battery health standards. They’re an important step in building trust in electric vehicles, aligning the rules with the global GTR 22 framework is the right approach. It means one consistent benchmark for battery durability across manufacturers, and across different makes and models, so buyers, dealers and leasing companies can finally compare like with like.
“Just as importantly, battery health data should become much easier to access, whether that’s on the dashboard or through the OBD port. That transparency is exactly what the used market needs. The used market has long been a focus for the BVRLA, because that’s where most drivers will make the switch to electric. Our EV Retail Ready programme is designed to support used dealers; standards like these strengthen the market further."
