Open consultation

Updating the minimum emission standard for new road vehicles

Published 13 April 2026

The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking views on a proposal to update the minimum emission standard to Euro 7 for new:

• cars
• vans
• trucks
• buses
• coaches

Introduction

Vehicle emission standards are used to set strict limits on pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and fine particulate matter (PM) to improve air quality. They set the test procedures for these pollutants, as well as the official figures for:

• carbon dioxide (CO₂)
• fuel economy
• energy consumption
• electric range

The standards are also used to define in-service conformity (ISC) testing measures to check that vehicles continue to meet the emission standards they were approved to throughout their lifetime.

In Europe, emission standards are known as Euro standards, beginning with Euro 1 for light-duty vehicles (cars and vans) and Euro I for heavy-duty vehicles (trucks, buses and coaches) in the 1990s. The standards have become stricter over time. The current standards are Euro 6 and Euro VI for light and heavy-duty vehicles.

Euro 7 is the EU’s latest emission standard. It will apply to new light-duty vehicle models from 29 November 2026 and to new heavy-duty vehicle models from 29 May 2028. The UK has helped develop this standard through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

We are proposing to update the minimum emission standard for new light and heavy-duty vehicles in Great Britain to the Euro 7 emission standard, in line with the EU. We are also proposing to change the light-duty ISC testing obligations.

Background to the proposal

Current emissions regulations in the UK

Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and its implementing regulation, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151, set the current minimum emission standard for light-duty vehicles, known as Euro 6d. This includes the requirements for ISC testing.

Regulation (EC) No 595/2009 and its implementing regulation, Commission Regulation (EU) No 582/2011, set the current minimum emission standard for heavy-duty vehicles, known as Euro VI Step D.

These regulations were retained in UK law after leaving the EU, based on the latest emission standard at the time. These standards continue to apply in Great Britain.

Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland applies the current EU standards, known as Euro 6e and Euro VI Step E for light and heavy-duty vehicles, respectively.

ISC testing

Part B of annex II of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 sets out the current methodology for ISC testing. This was retained in UK law after leaving the EU.

ISC testing checks that vehicles continue to meet the emission standards they were approved to comply with throughout their lifetime. For light-duty vehicles, this includes laboratory and on-road testing.

Vehicles are grouped into ISC families by the manufacturer during type approval. If over 5,000 units from an ISC family are sold in Great Britain, ISC testing must be conducted by the manufacturer.

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) must verify ISC for 5% of ISC families per manufacturer, or at least 2 ISC families per manufacturer, per year, for vehicles it has approved.

Understanding the Euro 6e, Euro VI Step E and Euro 7 standards

In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 has introduced the Euro 7 standard, which will replace the Euro 6e and Euro VI Step E standards.

Euro 7 includes the changes introduced by Euro 6e and Euro VI Step E. Euro 6e and Euro VI Step E were introduced in the EU in 2023 and 2021, respectively.

Changes to be introduced by the Euro 6e standard

Euro 6e builds on Euro 6d, with improvements to the laboratory and on-road test procedures for measuring emissions and fuel economy.

Reduced error margins for on-road testing

During on-road emissions testing, portable emission measurement systems (PEMS) are used to measure NO_x and particle number (PN) emissions. PEMS are less accurate than laboratory equipment, so error margins are used to allow for measurement uncertainty.

As was done between previous sub-steps of Euro 6, these error margins have been reduced in Euro 6e to reflect an improvement in the accuracy of PEMS.

On-board fuel consumption monitoring for large vans

On-board fuel consumption monitoring (OBFCM) devices record a vehicle’s real-world fuel and energy consumption.

Under Euro 6d, OBFCM devices are already mandatory for passenger cars and vans with a maximum mass of 3.5 tonnes. Euro 6e extends this to vans and goods vehicles with a maximum mass of between 3.5 and 12 tonnes.

Auxiliary emission strategy flags

Auxiliary emission strategies (AES) are programmed changes to the normal control of emissions within the software of a vehicle. They are used by manufacturers in certain circumstances, including to protect the engine from damage or during engine start-up.

Vehicles must report (or flag) when and which AES is active through the on-board diagnostic system. These flags will discourage the use of illegal defeat devices by helping enforcement authorities see when AES are active.

Updates to plug-in hybrid electric vehicle CO₂ emission figures

The calculation method of official CO₂ emission figures for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) is updated in 2 stages. These updated calculations address a globally recognised gap between official and real-world emissions. CO₂ emissions from PHEVs are almost 2.5 times higher in real life than recorded in the testing cycle.

In the UK, changes have been made to mitigate the effects on taxpayers and vehicle manufacturers of increasing the official PHEV CO₂ figures due to new emission standards. These changes will also mitigate the effect on manufacturers and taxpayers if Euro 7 is implemented in Great Britain.

Vehicle taxation

The proposed changes would increase official PHEV CO₂ emission figures, which could, in some situations, increase the benefit in kind tax due on PHEV company cars.

The government recognises that while it is right that higher-emitting vehicles pay more tax, company cars play an important role in supporting our transition towards decarbonisation and zero emission vehicles.

The government has introduced a benefit in kind tax easement for PHEVs that will apply UK-wide retrospectively from January 2025 to April 2028. The tax easement aims to mitigate the impacts on users of PHEV company cars and their employers during this period. It would also apply to vehicles approved to the Euro 7 standard, should Euro 7 be implemented in Great Britain.

Vehicle emissions trading schemes

The Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (VETS) Order includes a CO₂ standard that limits CO₂ emissions from non-zero emission cars or vans (non-ZEV), including PHEVs.

The order has been amended to give manufacturers an option to use PHEV CO₂ values calculated in line with Euro 6d for compliance with the non-ZEV scheme. The option would apply where that vehicle has been approved to the Euro 6e standard.

The government will ensure that this flexibility continues to apply to vehicles approved to the Euro 7 standard.

Changes to be introduced by the Euro VI Step E standard

Euro VI Step E includes updates to improve real-world emissions performance.

Introduction of PN measurement in PEMS testing

PN measurement is added to the PEMS test procedure used for ISC and off‑cycle testing. PN emissions must now be demonstrated against the laboratory PN limit, within an error margin. This ensures real‑world particle emissions are more accurately measured.

Inclusion of cold‑start in PEMS testing

Engines often have higher emissions when started from cold. While cold-start was already included in laboratory testing, Euro VI Step E adds it to the on-road PEMS test to better represent real-world usage.

Updated documentation of emission strategies

AES and base emission strategies (BES) must be documented in the same way they are for light-duty vehicles. This improves transparency and allows approval authorities to better understand when and how different emission strategies operate.

Changes to be introduced by the Euro 7 standard

Euro 7 builds on the existing standards by strengthening current requirements and introducing several new requirements. The UK has helped develop many of these requirements through the UNECE.

Exhaust emissions

For all vehicles, PN limits are set at the PN₁₀ scale, rather than PN₂₃, ensuring smaller particles are regulated. Requirements on durability and lifetime compliance are extended to ensure emissions remain controlled over a longer lifespan.

For light-duty vehicles, other pollutant limits remain unchanged from Euro 6e.

For heavy-duty vehicles, a new limit for nitrous oxide is introduced and limits are reinforced for pollutants, including:

• NO_x
• particulate matter (PM)
• carbon monoxide
• ammonia
• non-methane hydrocarbons

Non-exhaust emissions

The UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory estimates that non-exhaust emissions from brakes and tyres are now the dominant source of PM emissions from road transport in the UK.

Euro 7 introduces new requirements to limit PM emissions from brake wear and tyre abrasion, to help improve air quality.

Electric vehicle (EV) battery durability

Battery durability requirements are introduced for EVs and PHEVs, including minimum capacity retention thresholds over defined mileage and time periods.

Euro 7 also requires vehicles to be fitted with accurate, accessible and comparable battery health monitors. This would support buyers of second-hand EVs by standardising the information supplied on the condition of batteries.

On-board monitoring (OBM)

Vehicles will need to be equipped with OBM systems capable of monitoring exhaust emissions in real-time.

These systems can also warn drivers when repairs to emissions control systems may be required.

Anti-tampering

Manufacturers will be required to protect vehicles’ emissions control systems and engine management systems against tampering. This will help to prevent the manipulation of emissions control systems.

Policy objectives

By implementing Euro 7 in Great Britain, we intend to:

• improve air quality by reinforcing exhaust emission limits and introducing new limits on brake wear and tyre abrasion
• support the zero emission vehicle transition and build consumer confidence in the second-hand EV market by introducing battery durability requirements
• implement the government’s commitment to align with EU type approval regulations where possible, to minimise and avoid regulatory divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• reduce administrative burdens for manufacturers by avoiding a divergence of technical standards and a need for additional type approval testing for Great Britain

Implementing the Euro 7 standard

To implement Euro 7, amendments will need to be made to GB type approval regulations.

This would initially focus on implementing Euro 7’s light-duty vehicle requirements, as legislation to implement the heavy-duty vehicle requirements is still under development in the EU and at the UNECE.

As Euro 7 includes the changes of Euro 6e and Euro VI Step E, we are not proposing to mandate these sub-steps separately.

Proposed implementation approach

We propose to implement Euro 7 in Great Britain by accepting EU and UNECE Euro 7 type approvals. Those approvals would be used to demonstrate compliance with the type approval testing procedures under the GB Whole Vehicle Type Approval framework.

By following this approach, we:

• avoid the need for additional testing to demonstrate compliance with the type approval testing procedures specific to Great Britain, by aligning the technical standard with the EU’s Euro 7
• allow manufacturers to demonstrate compliance using existing documentation, such as EU, UNECE, and UK(NI) approvals to Euro 7
• maintain regulatory alignment with Northern Ireland, the EU, and internationally recognised UNECE standards

A new piece of secondary legislation would be introduced to replace Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151.

The new statutory instrument (SI) would require vehicle manufacturers to present EU or UNECE Euro 7 type approvals as part of their GB Whole Vehicle Type Approval application. This would allow manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with Euro 7’s type approval testing procedures. The proposed implementation dates are laid out later in this document.

Part I of annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 sets out the regulatory requirements for GB type approval. Item 2A in the table in part I of annex II would be updated to reference the Euro 7 requirements.

Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 would remain in the table as an alternative approval route for small volume manufacturers until 30 June 2030. This is in line with the proposed all new registrations date for small volume manufacturers of light-duty vehicles.

UN regulations as alternatives in Regulation (EU) 2018/858

Vehicle manufacturers would also be able to demonstrate their compliance with Euro 7 by presenting approvals to UN regulations that are equivalent to Euro 7.

Part II of annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 sets out a list of UN regulations where approvals are recognised as an alternative to the Great Britain regulations listed in part I.

To ensure this remains aligned with Euro 7, item 2A would be updated as outlined in Table 1.

Table 1: Proposed updates to item 2A in part II of annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/858

Subject	UN regulation	Series of amendments
Emissions light duty vehicles (does not cover diesel smoke, engine power, worldwide harmonized light vehicle test procedure or real driving emissions)	83	09
Emissions light duty vehicles (engine power)	85	00
Emissions light duty vehicles (worldwide harmonized light vehicle test procedure)	154	04 (level: 1A or 2)
Emissions light duty vehicles (real driving emissions)	168	01 (level: 1A or 2)
Emissions light duty vehicles (system power)	177	01
Emissions light duty vehicles (brake emissions)	179	00
Emissions light duty vehicles (on-board monitoring)	180	00
Emissions light duty vehicles (tyre abrasion)	To be confirmed in June 2026	00

This update would take place on 29 November 2027, in line with the proposed new registrations date for light-duty vehicles when Euro 7 becomes mandatory.

Ahead of this date, vehicle manufacturers may present approvals to the UN regulations currently listed in the table, or later series of those regulations. This includes the following UN regulations, which feature some of the Euro 7 requirements:

• UN Regulation No. 83 (09 series of amendments)
• UN Regulation No. 85 (original series of amendments)
• UN Regulation No. 154 (04 series of amendments)
• UN Regulation No. 168 (01 series of amendments)

This would allow manufacturers to approve Euro 7 vehicles ahead of our proposed legislation entering into force, where the vehicles have been approved to the relevant UN regulations.

Proposed implementation dates

To minimise divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, we are proposing to follow the same implementation dates as the EU. Dates are presented in table 2.

Table 2: proposed implementation dates for different categories and types of vehicle

Category	Implementation date	Type
Cars and vans	29 November 2026	New vehicle types
Cars and vans	29 November 2027	All new registrations
Trucks, buses and coaches	29 May 2028	New vehicle types
Tyres	1 July 2028	C1 class tyres (used for cars)
Trucks, buses and coaches	29 May 2029	All new registrations
Tyres	1 April 2030	C2 class tyres (used for vans)
Cars and vans (small volume manufacturers)	1 July 2030	All new registrations
Trucks, buses and coaches (small volume manufacturers)	1 July 2031	All new registrations
Tyres	1 April 2032	C3 class tyres (used for trucks, buses and coaches)

Based on current resource and alignment with the EU’s staggered implementation dates, the VCA is expected to be able to manage the anticipated approval applications after Euro 7’s proposed implementation in Great Britain.

Light-duty vehicles approved to Euro 6d or Euro 6e could be registered until a last registration date of 28 November 2027. For small volume manufacturers, the last registration date would be 30 June 2030.

Heavy-duty vehicle implementation

While it is not yet possible to implement Euro 7’s heavy-duty vehicle requirements in Great Britain, we would expect to follow a similar approach of accepting both EU and, where available, UNECE Euro 7 type approvals to demonstrate compliance with the type approval testing procedures.

We would also propose to follow the same implementation dates as the EU. We are aware of ongoing discussions in the EU about delaying the heavy-duty implementation dates. If this happens, we propose to delay our implementation dates in the same way.

A further consultation regarding heavy-duty vehicles will follow once the relevant EU legislation is available and implementation dates are confirmed, but we are still interested in hearing your views on the proposed approach and implementation dates.

Changing ISC testing obligations

Our obligation to perform ISC testing was retained in UK law after leaving the EU.

ISC testing was not intended to be a solitary obligation on individual type approval authorities (TAAs). Within the EU, ISC has a mutual recognition system, meaning that an ISC family tested by one European TAA does not need to be tested by another, and its results are recognised across the EU. An individual TAA is only responsible for checking ISC of the vehicles they have approved.

Under GB type approval (GBTA), VCA is the sole TAA and is therefore responsible for all ISC families. In 2025, before the rollout of full GBTA, VCA checked 21 vehicles from 7 ISC families. With the rollout of full GBTA, VCA is forecast to check up to 72 vehicles in 2026 and up to 222 vehicles in 2027.

The 2026 figure is over 3 times as many families as the German TAA (which has one of the largest ISC programmes in the EU) tested in 2024. This scale of testing will be undeliverable due to:

• resourcing challenges
• supplier capacity
• competing priorities

Therefore, a change to the obligation is needed.

Paragraph 5.4 of part B of annex II of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 sets out the requirement for the VCA to perform laboratory and on-road testing on ‘a minimum of 5% of the ISC families per manufacturer per year or at least 2 ISC families per manufacturer per year’.

It is proposed that the minimum frequency requirements are amended to allow optional testing of at least one ISC family per year, per manufacturer, rather than the current mandatory approach. A minimum overall annual volume of ISC testing would also be introduced.

This would provide flexibility for VCA to tailor their programme to target testing in a way that is effective and proportionate, building on their current risk-based approach.

For example, vehicles that have not been subject to ISC testing by EU type approval authorities or through the Market Surveillance Unit’s emissions testing could be considered a higher priority. Setting a minimum volume could ensure that the total level of ISC testing remains broadly in line with current levels.

This approach would be more proportional for Great Britain’s market. It would also allow the VCA to target testing on ISC families that have been evaluated to have the greatest risk of non-conformity, increasing value for money.

Paragraph 5.5 of part B of annex II of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 covers the funding of ISC testing and recovery of fees from the vehicle manufacturer by the VCA. This would be amended in accordance with our proposed change to the frequency obligation.

Full list of questions

Questions on the individual or organisation

Question 1: What is your full name?

Question 2: What is your email address?

Question 3: Are you responding on behalf of an organisation?

Question 4: What is the full name of your organisation?

Question 5: How many people’s views does your response represent?

Question 6: Your organisation type is:

• a vehicle manufacturer
• an aftermarket component supplier
• a fleet operator
• an automotive industry trade body
• an approval authority
• a public sector body
• an environmental non-government organisation (NGO)
• another NGO
• an academic organisation
• another type of organisation

Questions on the proposals

Question 7: Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to update the minimum emission standard in Great Britain to Euro 7 for new light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles? If you disagree, explain why.

Question 8: Do you agree or disagree with the proposed implementation approach to maximise the approval routes available to demonstrate test compliance with the Euro 7 standard? If you disagree, explain why.

Question 9: What, if any, other implementation suggestions do you want to be considered in the proposed implementation approach?

Question 10: What, if any, challenges do you foresee arising from the proposed implementation approach to implementing Euro 7 standards in Great Britain (supplying evidence if possible)?

Question 11: Do you agree or disagree with the proposed implementation dates? If you disagree, what, if any, alternative dates do you prefer?

Question 12: Do you agree or disagree with the proposed changes to ISC testing? obligations? If you disagree, explain why.

Question 13: Which factors, if any, should be considered to determine the minimum overall annual volume of ISC testing in Great Britain?

Question 14: Which factors, if any, should be considered within the risk-based assessment to prioritise ISC testing in Great Britain?

Question 15: Any other comments?

How to respond

We will only accept responses received before the closing date: 11:59pm on 25 May 2026.

The easiest way to respond is to use the online response form. It includes the option to save and continue your response if you are unable to complete it in one go.

If you cannot use the online form, email or post your response to us.

Email to: ivs.consult@dft.gov.uk

Write to:

International Vehicle Standards
3rd Floor, Zone 4
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Rd
London
SW1P 4DR

If you send your response by email or post:

• answer the questions asked in the consultation and, if required, provide further comments and evidence
• tell us if you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation

You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt if you submit your response by email. Check your junk or spam folder if you do not receive this within 15 minutes of sending your email. If you do not find a receipt, email ivs.consult@dft.gov.uk with ‘missing receipt’ in the subject line.

What will happen next

We will publish a summary of responses and the government response on GOV.UK. Paper copies will be available on request.

If you have questions about this consultation, please contact:

International Vehicle Standards
3rd Floor, Zone 4
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Rd
London
SW1P 4DR

Alternatively, email: ivs.consult@dft.gov.uk.

Further information

Freedom of information

Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

If you want information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory code of practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence.

In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information, we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances.

An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the department.

Data protection

The Department for Transport (DfT) is carrying out this consultation to seek your views on whether to implement the Euro 7 emission standard for:

• cars
• vans
• trucks
• buses
• coaches

As part of this consultation, we’re asking for your name, email address and organisation. This is in case we need to ask you follow-up questions about any of your responses. You do not have to give us this personal information, but if you do, we will only use it for the purpose of asking follow-up questions.

We will not use your name or other personal details that could identify you when we report the results of the consultation.

View our DfT online form and survey privacy notice for more information on how your personal data is processed in relation to this survey.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be used to analyse responses to this consultation. Where the consultation asks for directly identifiable information, such as your name or contact details, these will be removed before processing with AI tools.