Tag Archives: European Union

News

Euro 7 standards will apply from 2026

For a long time, there was talk about the Euro 7 standard, which was supposed to reduce the harmful impact of internal combustion engines on the environment and thereby appease the increasingly strong demands of those who advocate for environmental protection, but their strict regulations met with strong resistance from vehicle manufacturers. In the meantime, the European Parliament tried to find a solution that should satisfy both parties, which they succeeded in doing. The solution is milder regulations very close to the current Euro 6 standards.

Car manufacturers were against strict regulations that, according to them, would increase the price of cars and reduce investment in electric vehicles. They also pointed out that measurements of microplastic particles obtained by braking and rolling tires would be too expensive and the environmental benefits negligible.

“We believe that with this proposal we have achieved broad support and a balance in the investment costs of producers while improving the environmental conditions resulting from these regulations,” said Hector Gomez Hernandez, Spain’s Acting Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

The new Euro 7 norm will apply from 2026, and the new regulations include new, less strict regulations on the limitation of microplastic particle emissions from tires and brakes.

Source: Reuters

News

EU Bans Chrome Plating From 2024

According to recent news, the EU is considering banning the use of chromium from 2024. The reason for this decision could be the toxic emissions resulting from this process, which can lead to major health problems, including cancer.

The EU states that emissions from chrome production are hundreds of times more toxic than CO2 emissions from diesel engines. This could be reduced by using special substances, however, these substances are also toxic.

Although chrome is used less and less in the automotive industry, the decision to ban its production could pose a problem for owners and restorers of classic cars. Therefore, companies that still produce chrome parts will switch to trivalent chromium, another method of decorative chrome plating which is considered the environmentally friendly alternative to hexavalent chromium, which is not so toxic.

So far, there is no official confirmation of such a decision, nor when, if it is made, it will start to be applied. However, the ban on covering decorative parts will surely come into force soon. This will not be the first time that a government has banned the use of chrome. For example, in California, that measure was voted starting from 2027, while the ban on industrial use will be from 2039.

Source: Autocar

News

Germany refuses to apply EU regulation on internal combustion engines

The EU is working to reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible, and a decision passed by the European Parliament in early June bans the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines from 2035. The decision applies to new vehicles, and not all countries agree with it. Germany was the first country to refuse to implement it.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the ban on cars with internal combustion engines was bad and would not be implemented by the German government. The decision was made without consulting the member states.

The European Union plans to reduce CO2 emissions by half by the end of the decade, and by 2035 completely. This should not have a big impact on car manufacturers as most of them plan to fully electrify their models by the end of the decade. However, there are also those who have decided to continue producing vehicles with ICE, such as Porsche.

2020 Porsche 911

Many Porsche models are already in the process of partial or full electrification, but it seems that the legendary 911 could be saved from that. A Porsche 911 without a petrol engine would not be the same, and the company seems to be aware of that as well. According to recent reports, Porsche is investing an additional $ 75 million in increasing synthetic fuel production. The company believes that synthetic fuels will sustain internal combustion engines for years to come, at least when it comes to special cars.

Whether other countries will follow the decision of the German government remains to be seen.

Source: Reuters