EU: Motorcycles: Emissions

Overview

 * Standard type: Conventional pollutant emission limits
 * Regulating body: European Union (European Commission, Parliament, Council, and Member States)
 * Current standard: Euro 3, Directive 2002/51/EC
 * Future standards: Regulation (EU) No 168/2013: Euro 4 emission standards for motorbikes from 2016 and mopeds from 2017; Euro 5 standards for all two- or three-wheel vehicles from 2020.
 * Applicability: New and existing Category L vehicles: Mopeds, Motorcycles, Motor Tricycles and Quadricycles

History
On 17 June 1997, Directive 97/24/EC implemented Euro 1 standards to reduce air pollutant emissions from two- and three-wheel vehicles, which are referred to in later directives as Category L vehicles. Standards were adopted in two stages for mopeds and one stage for motorcycles. Directive 2002/51/EC amended Directive 97/24/EC on 19 July 2002 and implemented standards Euro 2 and 3 for motorcycles.

Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 was issued in January 2013 and expanded the number of L-categories and established implementation dates for Euro 4 and 5. From an air quality perspective, the primary objective is to keep constant or reduce the share of total road-transport emissions from L-category vehicles as compared to other road vehicle categories.

Euro 2 and 3
Directive 2002/51/EC aimed at reducing the level of pollutant emissions from two- and three-wheel motor vehicles by tightening the limit values for such emissions from 2003 through 2006. There were no updates to motorcycle emissions standards from 2007 and through 2012.

Test Cycles

Under the Euro 2 and Euro 3 standards, the test cycle for mopeds was ECE Reg 40 and the test cycle for motorcycles and tricycles was ECE Reg 47.

Euro 4 and 5
In 2013, Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 expanded the number of L-categories and updated implementation dates for Euro 4 and 5 standards. The updated regulation explicitly covers hybrid vehicles also. The regulation sets more stringent emission standards for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Euro 4 also introduces OBD stage 1 requirements for motorcycles and three-wheelers. Reporting of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as part of the type approval process is now required.

The following tables outline the emission limits and test cycles for Euro 4 and 5.

Regulatory Documents

 * Euro 2 and 3, Directive 2002/51/EC


 * Euro 4 and 5, Regulation (EU) No 168/2013


 * ECE Regulation 40
 * Test cycle information can be found in Appendix I
 * Corrections and amendments are found on the ECE website


 * ECE Regulation 47