Conventional pollutant emission limits
European Union (European Commission, Parliament, Council, and Member States)
Current Standard
Euro 5, Regulation (EU) No 168/2013, No 134/2014, and 2019/129
Applicability
New and existing Category L vehicles: Powered cycles, 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.
| Standard | Class | Type Approval Date | First Registration Date | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro 1 | Mopeds, motorcycles and tricycles | 17 June 1999 | Directive 97/24/EC | |
| Euro 2 | Mopeds | 17 June 2002 | Directive 2002/51/EC | |
| Three-wheelers | 1 January 2003 | 1 July 2004 | ||
| Motorcycles | 1 April 2004 | 1 July 2005 | ||
| Euro 3 | Motorcycles | 1 January 2006 | 1 July 2007 |
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.
| Standard | Sub-category | Enforcement dates | Regulation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New types of vehicles | Existing types of vehicles | Last date of registration | |||
| Euro 4 | L1e, L2e, L6e | 1 January 2017 | 1 January 2018 | 31 December 2020 | Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 |
| L3e, L4e, L5e, L7e | 1 January 2016 | 1 January 2017 | 31 December 2020 | ||
| Euro 5 | L1e-L7e | 1 January 2020 | 1 January 2021 | – | |
Technical Standards
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.
| Two-Wheelers | CO (g/km) |
HC (g/km) |
NOx (g/km) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro 2 2004.04.01 |
< 150 cc | 5.50 | 1.20 | 0.30 |
| ≥ 150 cc | 5.50 | 1.00 | 0.30 | |
| Euro 3 2006.01.01 |
< 150 cc | 2.00 | 0.80 | 0.15 |
| ≥ 150 cc | 2.00 | 0.30 | 0.15 | |
| Three-Wheelers | CO (g/km) |
HC (g/km) |
NOx (g/km) |
|
| Euro 2 2003.01.01 |
All Gasoline | 7.00 | 1.50 | 0.40 |
| All Diesel | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.65 | |
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.
| Vehicle Category | Vehicle category name | Propulsion class | CO (g/km) |
THC (g/km) |
NOx (g/km) |
PM (g/km) |
Test Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1Ae | Powered cycle | Positive Ignition (PI) /Compression Ignition (CI) /Hybrid | 0.56 | 0.10 | 0.07 | – | UNECE R47 |
| L1Be | Two-wheel moped | PI/CI/Hybrid | 1.00 | 0.63 | 0.17 | – | |
| L2e | Three-wheel moped | PI/CI/Hybrid | 1.90 | 0.73 | 0.17 | – | |
| L3e L4e* L5Ae L7Ae |
• Two-wheel motorcycle w/ & w/o sidecar • Tricycle • Heavy on-road quad |
PI/PI Hybrid, vmax<130km/h | 1.14 | 0.38 | 0.07 | – | WMTC, phase 2 |
| PI/PI Hybrid, vmax≥130km/h | 1.14 | 0.17 | 0.09 | – | |||
| CI/Cl Hybrid | 1.00 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.08† | |||
| L5Be | Commercial tricycle | PI/PI Hybrid | 2.00 | 0.55 | 0.25 | – | UNECE R40 |
| Cl/Cl Hybrid | 1.00 | 0.10 | 0.55 | 0.08† | |||
| L6Ae L6Be |
Light on-road quad Light quadrimobile |
PI/PI Hybrid | 1.90 | 0.73 | 0.17 | – | UNECE R47 |
| Cl/Cl Hybrid | 1.00 | 0.10 | 0.55 | 0.08† | |||
| L7Be L7Ce |
Heavy all terrain quad Heavy quadrimobile |
PI/PI Hybrid | 2.00 | 0.55 | 0.25 | – | UNECE R40 |
| Cl/Cl Hybrid | 1.00 | 0.10 | 0.55 | 0.08† | |||
| Note: * Only the base two-wheel motorcycle to which the side-car is fitted must meet the appropriate emission limits. † CI only, also if e.g. a hybrid concept includes a CI engine. |
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| Vehicle Category | Vehicle category name | Propulsion class | CO (g/km) |
THC (g/km) |
NOx (g/km) |
PM (g/km) |
Test Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1Ae | Powered cycle | PI/CI/Hybrid | 0.50 | THC 0.10 NHMC 0.068 |
0.060 | 0.0045* | Revised WMTC† |
| L1Be-L7e | All other L-category vehicles | PI/Pl Hybrid | 1.00 | 0.060 | 0.0045* | Revised WMTC | |
| Cl/Cl Hybrid | 0.50 | 0.060 | 0.0045 | ||||
| Note: * Applicable to petrol direct injection (DI) engines only † The environmental effect study in Article 23(4) and (5) will also report on the feasibility for L-category vehicles other than L3e, L5e-A and L7e-A to be emission-tested in a revised WMTC. |
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Links
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
Additional Resources
EU Automotive Directives
ICCT Policy Update: Proposed Emissions Standards for Two- and Three-Wheeled Vehicles in Europe
