What is a Euro six diesel?
But what is a Euro six diesel?
In brief, it is a car that meets super-strict emissions regulations set to come into force in 2014. Current harass emissions regulations meet Euro five standards, which became mandatory on one January two thousand eleven for the sale of all fresh cars. Euro six standards are the next progression of this, and all fresh cars sold from one January two thousand fifteen must meet them.
Meeting these Euro emissions regulations is, with a few exceptions, relatively straightforward for petrol engines. For diesel cars tho’, it is much more challenging.
Euro five regulations pinched down on harass particulates, which mean many fresh diesel models are fitted with standard harass particulate filters (particulates is less of an issue for petrol cars). This time, Euro six regulations are targeting a reduction in nitrous oxides, or ‘NOx`, because they are a significant greenhouse gas and air pollutant.
Indeed, the greenhouse gas effect of nitrous oxide itself is hundreds of times greater than carbon dioxide: it is the fourth largest contributor to greenhouse gas global heating.
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The cut is large: an Euro six diesel car must emit more than fifty per cent less nitrous oxides than a Euro five diesel. The cap is eighty mg/km, compared to a one hundred eighty mg/km allowance for Euro five diesels. The reduction from Euro four to Euro five was twenty per cent, showcasing how severe the reduction demanded by Euro six is.
Back in 2000, the nitrous oxide limit was five hundred mg/km, illustrating how large the reduction has been.
Local air pollution is also being tackled by Euro six standards with a cap on emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrous oxides from diesel cars. These are limited to one hundred seventy mg/km, compared to 230mg/km with the current Euro five regulations.
This is why Euro six regulations are so significant. Diesel engines naturally produce higher levels of nitrous oxides than petrol cars. Euro five was a daunting target for diesel engines to meet, but Euro six is perhaps even more challenging.
To meet them, car manufacturers are having to invest in yet more fresh diesel engine filtration technology to clean up harass emissions. One example of this is Selective Catalytic Reduction, which stores emissions and then ‘selectively` heats up to regenerate and neutralise the emissions. Another alternative is a fuel-borne urea solution (commonly known as ‘AdBlue`) which violates down emissions in the harass.
Both ‘NOx filter` solutions are costly. Diesel cars are already more expensive than comparable petrol models because of the costly harass aftertreatment they require, and this will add to the price premium.
Euro six emissions compliance will increasingly become a selling point over the next year or so, as the two thousand fourteen Euro six regulations come into force. What is not yet clear is how much it may add to the list price of diesel cars. The challenge for car manufacturers right now is to ensure it is kept as manageable as possible…