The next Euro7 standard could “make the thermobile as expensive as the electric one”, explains Challenges Vincent Cobée, CEO of Citroën. “Euro 7 is likely to increase the price of vehicles significantly,” said Jean-Philippe Imparato, new head of Alfa Romeo (Stellantis) and former director of Peugeot. It will be “1,000 extra euros”, specifies Gilles Le Borgne, director of engineering at Renault. “As it stands, the Euro 7 standard goes beyond the simple rules of physics! It would simply make it impossible to continue making thermobiles,” Carlos Tavares said a year ago in an interview with Figaro.
The general manager of Stellantis specified: “We can not be content with waving the red flag for the urgent global warming and destroying the industry that we are counting on just to fight it!” The requirements “would lead to an increase in the price of vehicles of up to 30% in the case of entry-level vehicles”, emphasizes the PFA (Automotive Platform). In addition, the niche of small minicars for contracts has largely disappeared in recent years. Production of the Opel Karl, Ford Ka, Citroën C1, Peugeot 108, was discontinued. “Renault Twingo will not be replaced,” Luca De Meo, Renault’s General Manager, recently assured. Only Dacia Sandero and Fiat Panda still resist.
Judgment on July 20
The impact of the new standard will have the effect of “seriously affecting price attractiveness for these (entry-level) vehicles, thus forcing consumers to turn to the used vehicle market. The market for new vehicles thus induced , would be counterproductive in terms of policies to combat air pollution “, the PFA further states. A group of experts called Clove (Consortium for Ultra Low Vehicle Emissions) made an extremely harsh first copy in April 2021, which surprised the automotive industry. On this basis, the Commission will prepare a proposal, which will be published on 20 July next. Manufacturers are, of course, up against these new restrictions. The leaders in Italy, Germany or France are not thrilled either …
“I do not think this proposal will pass through Parliament and the Council without being changed. Because, in my opinion, France is afraid that the color of the vests will change from yellow to orange,” predicted Marian-Jean Marinescu, Europe Member of Parliament. Union (EPP), on Public Senate at the end of October last year. Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire feared in the same program that the Euro 7 standard presented by the Commission was impossible to follow for manufacturers and devastating for the car industry. Green MEP Karima Delli believes that “it can be done”!
Mandatory hybridization
This new standard addresses both emissions while driving during certification cycles and new ceilings for pollutant emissions – nothing to do with CO2, which is a greenhouse gas. “In the current state (the Euro 6d standard in force today), we estimate that emissions (by homologation) already cover more than 98% of the normal driving conditions for our customers. The remaining marginal part (2%) represents atypical conditions of use ( extreme temperatures, altitude, sporty driving, etc.), which are only encountered very rarely “, we explain to PFA. Imposing the same level of pollution requirements under all conditions of use without distinction would be” useless and will probably generate additional technological costs, thus that the offer of thermal motorization may disappear in the short term “, insists PFA.
As for the new emission limit values, PFA considers that they are “difficult to measure” by PEMS measurement systems. They “are not compatible with the measurement uncertainties”. Euro 7 will “force the hybridization of thermal vehicles to … warm up the engines”, argued Gilles Le Borgne in an interview with Challenges at the Munich Motor Show in September 2021. Because these standards will place very high demands on the cold pollution of vehicles. And this after the three phases of the Euro 6 standards since 2014, which have already become quite sophisticated and therefore increased the price of vehicles. “To say that these standards will have no effect on car prices is ridiculous,” said Gilles Le Borgne.
Tools are now targeted
The future standard will also be aimed at utilities. The expert group “is not aware that supply vehicles have specific uses (on-board cargo, route type, cold or hot engine start, etc.) which need to be taken into account in order to establish a procedure and appropriate limits”, the expert group condemns. the car sector. This requires “a date of use of Euro 7 differentiated for light commercial vehicles of at least three years or taking into account specific emission limit values”, adapted to these vehicles. The dates planned in advance for the entry into force of the Euro7 rules are 1 September 2025 for new types of cars and 1 September 2026 for all passenger car models. For light commercial vehicles, the date is set for September 1, 2026 for new types, September 1, 2027 for all vehicles. The European Commission also announced on 14 July that petrol and diesel engines will cease from 2035. Conditions, accompanied by very high fines, forcing the industry to reinvent the car. And this therefore independent of the strict anti-pollution standards. The cost of an electric vehicle “in 2030 will still be 4 to 5,000 euros higher than for a thermal model”, says Alexandre Marian, associate director of Alix Partners.