SMMT begins Euro-6 countdown to cleanest ever cars
Motor industry trade association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has begun its countdown to the official launch of Euro-6, the strictest-ever European vehicle emissions regulations.
The tough new standards for new car emissions will come into force in September 2015. From then, all new car models sold in the EU must meet the new standard - making them the cleanest vehicles in history.
Vehicles equipped with Euro-6 technology have the lowest CO2 emissions on record and emit virtually zero particulate matter. And nitrogen oxide emissions are more than half those of previous generation motors built in the past five years.
Car manufacturers in the UK have already started producing vehicles that adhere to the strict standards in anticipation of the regulation. Meanwhile, approximately half of new car buyers have already given the low-emissions vehicles the thumbs-up, having opted for a Euro-6 car last month.
Buyers have been choosing low emission vehicles in increasing numbers since last year. Almost one in every two new cars registered (45.9%) in April boasted next-generation Euro-6 technology, compared with fewer than one in five (18.7%) in September 2014. Of the cars registered last month, a staggering 70.4% of the UK's top 10 best-sellers met the standard.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, commented: "With 100 days still to go until the new Euro-6 standard becomes mandatory, new car buyers are shifting to these next-generation vehicles. This is the result of huge investment from manufacturers in clean technology – and the quicker we get these Euro-6 cars onto the roads, the quicker we'll see improvements in air quality."
