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Euro 7 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1257) is the latest wave of air pollutant emissions standards to be rolled out across the European Union.[1]
The regulation marks a significant milestone because it expands vehicle-emissions regulation beyond exhaust pollutants to include non-exhaust sources such as brake particle emissions and tyre wear. Euro 7 is therefore working to redefine what constitutes a compliant vehicle in 2026, with environmental and public health at its core. According to industry experts at Michelin, “emissions are no longer seen purely as a combustion-engine problem, but as a systemic mobility issue across all powertrain types.”[2]
In contrast to Euro 6, this new generation of policy unifies light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle regulations under a single legislative framework for the first time.[3] This creates one consistent policy across all powertrains, including petrol, diesel, hybrid, and electric, across all passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses.
Euro 7 directly supports the European Green Deal’s zero-pollution ambition and broader climate goals, positioning the automotive sector to deliver measurable reductions in emissions while navigating the complex transition to electric vehicles.
Highlighting the urgency for non-exhaust emission standards, Michelin found that “Tyre abrasion is currently one of the largest sources of non-exhaust emissions in road traffic.”
Projections for the project estimate that the regulation will slash NOâ‚‚ pollution from road transport by up to 56 percent by 2035.[4] Cities including Brussels, Madrid, and Paris could achieve significant emission reductions in pollution hotspots.
Euro 7 also supports another key pillar of the European Green Deal’s zero-pollution ambition, which targets a 55 percent reduction in the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution by 2030 and near-zero pollution by 2050.[5] The new pollutant-emissions standards support the EU’s zero-pollution objectives by addressing major sources of urban air pollution, while operating alongside broader climate policies, such as the Paris Agreement.[6]
By establishing comprehensive limits on nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and emerging pollutants, the regulation aims to protect public health in densely populated areas where transportation-related air pollution poses the greatest risks. Reduced air pollution translates directly into fewer cases of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
The Euro 7 regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 8 May 2024, with the following implementation timeline:[7]
For light-duty vehicles, Euro 7 largely maintains the existing Euro 6 exhaust limits while tightening particle-number requirements by including particles above 10nm. Heavy-duty vehicles face more stringent pollutant limits, including for some pollutants that were not previously regulated (Table 1).
Table 1: Emissions levels by vehicle type across Euro 6, Euro VI, and Euro 7[8]
Pollutant
Euro 6 (Light-Duty—Petrol/Diesel)
Euro 7 (Cars—Unified)
Euro VI (Heavy-Duty)
Euro 7 (Heavy-Duty)
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
60/80mg/km
60mg/km
460mg/kWh
200mg/kWh
Ammonia (NH₃)
Not Regulated
10ppm
60mg/kWh
Nitrous Oxide (Nâ‚‚O)
Euro 7 addresses non-exhaust emissions from brake wear particles and tyre wear. The policy enforces updated particulate matter restrictions, lowering the particulate size threshold from 23nm to 10nm. These particles can penetrate the respiratory system, posing heightened cardiovascular and respiratory risks. This change reduces a significant share of harmful particle emissions, addressing public health concerns about submicron pollution that previous standards overlooked.
As part of the new policy, non-exhaust particulate emissions, particularly brake particle emissions, are regulated through dedicated type-approval testing procedures (Table 2). Tyre wear is a major contributor to microplastic contamination across waterways and ecosystems. Other non-exhaust emissions, such as brake dust, have been found to contain toxic metals like copper and nickel and are subject to explicit control under the new policy.[9]
Table 2: Euro 7 non-exhaust particle emission limitations[10]
Vehicle Category/Class
Powertrain Type
Limit Value
M1 (Standard passenger cars)
Pure electric vehicles (PEVs)
3mg/km
All other powertrains (e.g., internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid)
7mg/km
N1 - Class I & II (Light commercial vans ≤ 1,760kg)
All other powertrains (e.g., ICE, hybrid)
N1 - Class III (Heavy commercial vans > 1,760kg)
5mg/km
11mg/km
A new, expanded Real Driving Emissions (RDE) testing is another pillar of Euro 7 compliance. RDE testing is a method of measuring emissions that genuinely reflect real-world, diverse driving conditions. The testing now encompasses challenging conditions such as cold starts, altitude variations, and short urban trips. It is designed to reflect people’s actual driving patterns by creating representative real-world conditions.
Euro 7 introduces significant durability requirements for new vehicles. For passenger cars and vans, emission control systems, such as sensors and software, must remain compliant in line with regulatory requirements for 10 years or 200,000km. This effectively doubled the Euro 6 requirement, essentially meaning that automobile manufacturers cannot simply introduce short-term solutions to maintain compliance during the vehicle’s early life cycle; the vehicle must be tested for long-term compliance.
As carmakers and manufacturers prepare for the implementation of Euro 7 in November 2026, the impact of this regulation extends far beyond technical compliance. Automotive experts at Carwow note that this shift in policy reflects a broader understanding of pollution, stating that the focus on non-exhaust emissions “reflects their growing role in urban air pollution.”[11]
Michelin comments that this creates a “fundamental conflict between safety, performance, and environmental protection” as abrasion to tyres, which causes emissions, is required to create the conditions for safe braking. Therefore, this policy places greater responsibility on carmakers and manufacturers to prevent non-exhaust emissions that cause environmental damage and health impacts.
Euro 7 will serve to reshape investment strategies across the automotive industry. Initial estimates suggest high compliance costs.[12] The new durability requirements under Euro 7 could lead to higher costs for enhanced emission-control systems to ensure long-term durability. The electric car sector will also be required to install durable batteries as standard, leading to higher production costs.
Carwow suggests that these stricter rules on durability and diagnostics are already underway across manufacturers’ roadmaps. The regulation presents substantial investment hurdles. Euro 7’s new exhaust and particulate emission limits may also lead to further technological investment.
As investment is made, consumer costs are likely to increase. However, Carwow experts provide a more positive outlook for consumers: “Costs may rise slightly, but not to the extent first feared.... Many manufacturers can comply by refining existing technology rather than developing entirely new systems.”
Compliance is driven by electronic systems that enable real-time vehicle adjustments and testing. High-precision sensors monitor particulate matter and battery health, while microcontrollers (MCUs) facilitate real-time on-board monitoring and secure communication. Power management integrated circuits (ICs) optimise energy efficiency and thermal regulation, supported by precision passives and circuit protection that ensure signal accuracy and safeguard systems against electrical stress. Finally, high-reliability connectors provide the robust data links required for these systems.
Euro 7 represents a decisive shift in how vehicle emissions are defined, measured, and regulated, extending beyond traditional exhaust limits to address non-exhaust sources, real-world performance, and long-term durability. By unifying standards across powertrains and introducing stricter testing and lifespan requirements, the regulation may indirectly challenge the automotive industry to adopt more advanced sensing, processing, and power management technologies.
While compliance may increase development complexity and cost, it also accelerates innovation and reinforces the role of high-performance electronic components in enabling cleaner, more sustainable mobility—positioning manufacturers and suppliers to meet evolving environmental and public health expectations across global markets.
[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401257 [2] Interview with a representative from Michelin [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401257 [4] https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/a-robust-euro-7-will-substantially-improve-air-quality-in-europe [5] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en [6] https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement [7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401257 [8] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401257; https://theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/ICCT_Euro6-VI_briefing_jun2016.pdf [9] https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2025/02/brake-pad-emissions.page [10] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401257 [11] Interview with a representative from Carwow [12] https://www.frontier-economics.com/media/piugmdqt/frontier-report-regulatory-costs-of-euro-7.pdf
Part of Mouser Electronics’ EMEA supplier marketing team, Simon Duggleby is a Senior Supplier Marketing Campaign Manager who brings an engineer’s perspective to supplier campaigns, drawing on his Electronic and Computer Systems Engineering background from Loughborough University.
At Mouser, he has supported Analog Devices’ One Tree Planted initiative in EMEA, and he also shares “tech for good” collaborations, including engineering that helps restore seagrass meadows and lidar-equipped drone work supporting whale conservation in Iceland.
