What Are The Euro 6 standards – How Can a Smoke Meter Help?

If you’re running a vehicle-based business, we’ve got some bad news for you: your fleet might not be up to scratch.

For the last 30 years, the EU has been clamping down on engine emissions with its series of Euro standards – tightening the limits on harmful chemicals in a gradual move towards more eco-friendly vehicles.

We don’t know yet if the rules will change after Brexit. But with so many established rules already in place for car manufacturers, it’s a fairly safe bet that we’ll be working with the same standards for some time.

And if you’re managing a fleet with older vehicles, that means you might need to start retrofitting to comply with those restrictions.

So what are the Euro 6 standards for diesel engines? And how can you make sure your vehicles are within the limits?

Let’s get started:

 

What are the Euro 6 standards?

Euro 6 is the most recent update on the rules placed on petrol and diesel vehicles – a set of limits on the harmful emissions produced by their engines.

It’s the latest in a series of increasing regulations stretching back to the Euro 1 standards that began in 1992, designed to encourage manufacturers to reduce their effect on the environment and bring cleaner air to our roads, towns, and cities.

And for vehicle-based businesses like yours, it’s crucial that your fleet stays inside these limits – not just to help the environment, but to improve your efficiency and help you cut costs.

So what exactly are the Euro 6 limits on emissions?

If your business works with diesel-powered vehicles, these are the emission limits you need to be aware of:

 

Carbon Monoxide (CO)	0.5g per km
Hydrocarbons (HC) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)	0.17g per km
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)	0.08g per km
Particular Matter (PM)	0.005g per km
Solid Particle Number (PN)	6.0 x 1011 particles per km

 

 

Why should you care about emission standards?

The Euro 6 standards are all about reducing the environmental impact of vehicles on the road – bringing down the levels of harmful emissions and helping to create cleaner air in congested areas.

And that’s a cause we should all be standing behind. But there’s a lot more to hitting those targets than just being eco-friendly:

Bringing your fleet up to scratch can save your business money.

With a fleet of Euro 6-compliant vehicles on the road, you’ll be able to:

• Cut down on your fuel costs with engines that are more fuel-efficient
• Avoid the charges and penalties of Ultra Low Emission Zones (currently £100 a day for heavy vehicles in London)
• Travel and park freely without fines through restricted areas across Europe – such as the ZCR and ZPA areas of France that require a Crit’Air sticker
• And save money on your taxes – with lower CO₂ emissions leading to lower vehicle tax bands.

 

What does that mean for your fleet?

If you’re a younger business running an all-new fleet of vehicles, you might not need to worry about the current Euro 6 standards.

Any new vehicle registered from 1 September 2015 should already conform to Euro 6. (Just check for the relevant documentation to make sure you’re compliant.)

But if you’re running a more established business – with a diverse fleet of older and newer vehicles – you may need to start retrofitting some of your existing vehicles to stay within the limits.

So how can you tell if your fleet stands up to Euro 6?

The first step is with a direct test of the exhaust from your vehicles – with an accurate and portable Euro 6-accredited smoke meter.

 

How can I test my vehicles for Euro 6 standards?

With a modern, portable smoke meter, you can bring accurate and reliable exhaust testing into your own workshops and depots – giving you an instant reading of the efficiency and emissions from every vehicle in your company.

So how does it work?

Our own DS2 XP-0 cable-free diesel smoke meter plugs straight into the exhaust of your vehicle – measuring the amount of light that gets blocked from a sample of smoke.

It then sends this information to a handheld, wireless tablet, with a visual readout that displays the smoke density and the efficiency of your engine’s combustion.

And the result?

You’ll get an immediate measurement of the emissions it’s producing – giving you the data you need to help bring your vehicles in line with Euro 6 standards.

 

Ready to bring your fleet up to scratch?

The Euro 6 standards are the strictest version of diesel emission standards to date. And if you’re managing a fleet with a wide range of vehicle types, it can be tough to make sure you’re staying compliant.

So if you’re looking to cut fuel costs, avoid fines (and help the environment along the way), take a look at our in-house portable emissions testers – or get in touch with one of our experts to talk about what you need.