EU: Amendments to the EU emissions regulations for heavy-duty vehicles

 

The EU is planning to amend its emissions regulations for heavy-duty vehicles

Recently, it has published a Draft Commission Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2400 as regards the determination of the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of medium and heavy lorries and heavy buses and the inclusion of vehicles running on hydrogen and other new technologies and amending Regulation (EU) 582/2011 as regards the applicable rules on the determination of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption in order to obtain an extension to an EU type-approval.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2400, enacted on 12 December 2017, establishes a standardized method for objectively comparing the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles marketed in the Union. It includes provisions for certifying components that affect CO2 emissions and fuel consumption and introduces a simulation tool to determine and report these metrics.

The proposed amendment aims to incorporate new technologies, such as hydrogen-powered vehicles (using both fuel cells and internal combustion engines), vehicles with multiple independent powertrains (e.g., electric vehicles with electric motors on different axles), and vehicles capable of recharging while in motion. Additionally, it seeks to introduce stricter testing conditions for assessing air drag performance, implement a new simulation method for air drag evaluation, and improve and clarify existing provisions where necessary.

Furthermore, the amendment intends to revise Regulation (EU) 582/2011 to clarify procedures for determining CO2 emissions and fuel consumption values for certain medium lorries in light of the aforementioned changes.

To find out more about EU vehicle regulations including vehicle emission regulations, please do not hesitate to contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research Directly.