Euro Standard

A Euro standard is one of the successive European Union regulations that set maximum exhaust emissions for new road vehicles. From Euro 1 to Euro 6 and now Euro 7, each generation has tightened the limits on air pollutants, and a vehicle must meet the standard in force at its type approval to be sold in the EU.

Which pollutants are covered

Euro standards target pollutants that harm health and local air quality:

• Nitrogen oxides (NOx), mainly emitted by diesel engines.
• Particulate matter (PM) and, for recent standards, the number of particles.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC).

They do not cap carbon dioxide. CO2 is governed by separate EU rules on average fleet emissions for manufacturers. A vehicle can therefore meet a recent Euro standard and still have high fuel consumption. Limits also differ between petrol and diesel engines, and separate series apply to passenger cars and vans (written Euro 6) and to heavy-duty vehicles (written Euro VI). Euro 7 extends the scope to brake and tyre particles and to battery durability on electric vehicles.

How to find a vehicle's standard

The standard a vehicle was approved under is shown on its registration certificate, in the environmental field, or in its certificate of conformity. When the field is empty, the date of first registration gives a reliable indication, since each standard became mandatory for new registrations on a fixed date. Emissions are measured during type approval on a standard laboratory cycle, today the WLTP procedure, completed by real driving emissions tests on the road.

Why it matters for a company fleet

For a fleet manager, the Euro standard is more than a technical detail on a document:

• Access to cities: in France, it largely determines the Crit'Air sticker class, and therefore which low-emission zones a vehicle may enter.
• Taxation and resale: older standards can weigh on company vehicle taxes and on residual value.
• Renewal planning: knowing the standard of every vehicle shows which ones will be restricted first and should be replaced.
• Reporting: the age and standard profile of the fleet is a useful indicator for CSR reporting alongside the carbon footprint.

How Dadycar helps

Dadycar is a French fleet management software that keeps each vehicle's registration certificate and documents in a single record through documents management, so details such as the Euro standard are at hand when a zone tightens its rules. Reminders and due dates track lease ends and inspections, which helps schedule renewals before restrictions apply, and reports give a view of the fleet by age and energy. The AI agent Donna answers questions about the fleet in plain language. Data is hosted in France, with OVHcloud.

FAQ

Do Euro standards apply to vehicles already on the road?
No. They apply at type approval. Older vehicles keep their original standard, but cities may restrict them through low-emission zones.

Do electric vehicles have a Euro standard?
They have no exhaust emissions, so exhaust limits do not apply, but Euro 7 adds requirements on battery durability and brake particles.

What is the difference between Euro 6 and Euro VI?
Arabic numerals designate the standards for cars and vans; Roman numerals designate the standards for heavy-duty engines in trucks and buses.