New cars and vans in Great Britain must meet Euro 7 emission rules from November 2027
The Department for Transport has confirmed it will follow the EU's tougher standard, which for the first time covers brake dust, tyres and electric car battery durability, but has dropped an earlier deadline for brand new models.
By Daily Oracles News Team2 min read
Anyone buying a new car or van in Great Britain from the end of November 2027 will be buying one built to the Euro 7 emission standard, after the Department for Transport confirmed on Tuesday that it will adopt the rules already agreed in the EU.
The decision follows a consultation that ran from April to May and drew 67 responses, 15 of them from vehicle manufacturers. Most organisations backed the change, including manufacturers, trade bodies, environmental groups and public sector bodies. Most of the 14 private individuals who replied were against it, citing the cost and repairability of new vehicles.
Brakes, tyres and batteries
Euro 7 replaces Euro 6 as the minimum standard for cars and vans. It is not only about what comes out of the exhaust. The new rules also cover brakes, including the particles they shed as they wear, tyres and replacement pollution control devices, and they bring in durability requirements for the batteries in electric cars.
From 29 November 2027, every new light vehicle registered in Great Britain from a mainstream manufacturer will have to meet the standard. Small volume makers, defined as those registering fewer than 2,500 cars or vans a year in Great Britain, have until 1 July 2030.
The department had also proposed an earlier deadline of 29 November 2026 for newly designed models seeking approval for the first time, matching the EU. Several manufacturers said that left too little time to update model lines, and the government has decided not to set a mandatory date for new types in British law.
Vehicles built in very small numbers, through the GB small series, medium series and individual vehicle approval schemes, will not have to meet Euro 7 at this stage, although their makers can choose to use EU Euro 7 approvals.
What it could cost to run a car
Some fleet operators told the consultation that Euro 7 tyres and brakes could be more expensive, and that higher servicing costs would eventually be passed on. Independent repairers and parts suppliers raised concerns about access to data and approval of replacement brakes.
On that point the government said replacement brakes fitted to Euro 7 vehicles would not initially have to meet the new brake wear limits. The UK is supporting work at the United Nations on a regulation for aftermarket brake parts, and suppliers would get extra time once that is in force.
One approval for the whole UK
Manufacturers will not need separate British testing. Great Britain will accept EU and equivalent United Nations Euro 7 approvals, so one specification of vehicle can be sold across the UK. The department will lay a statutory instrument under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 to set the 2027 date in law.
Lorries, buses and coaches will be dealt with in a further consultation once EU implementing rules and dates are settled. The government said any delay to EU implementation arising from talks on the EU's automotive omnibus regulation would be mirrored in Great Britain.
