Many people think that standardization covers only some technical means, mechanisms, devices, interfaces, image and video files. And that EURO is some requirements for the composition of a particular fuel. Actually, it is not.
EURO is primarily an environmental standard that limits the composition exhaust gases gasoline and diesel cars mobiles. Not even engines, but the cars themselves. This article is about how the EURO standard developed, how public attitudes changed, how environmental requirements became tougher and what all this led to.
Story
At first, all diesel cars were big, smoky and smelly. There was no question of any mass exploitation of them. The situation began to change at the turn of the 1970s, when technology reached the point that they could create a compact diesel engine for a passenger car. It became clear that the main brake is the buyer's conviction that diesel is a "dirty" technology, suitable only for railways.
Automakers needed to break that stereotype and give the green light to diesel passenger cars. Thus, in 1970, the European Light Duty Vehicle Union issued the first exhaust emission standard for passenger cars. The second standard came out only 22 years later, in 1992, and became known as the Euro emission standard.
Euro 1
Let me remind you that at that distant time there was a serious struggle with tetraethyl lead, which was added to gasoline in order to increase its octane number. Such gasoline was called leaded, and the lead contained in exhaust gases caused serious diseases of the nervous system.
US research put an end to leaded gasoline in the US. Similar processes took place in Europe and in July 1992 the EC93 directive was issued, according to which leaded gasoline was banned. In addition, it was prescribed to reduce CO emissions (carbon monoxide) using the installation catalytic converter exhaust gases. The standard was named EURO-1. It has been mandatory for all new vehicles since January 1993.
Emission limits:
Euro 2
Euro 2 or EC96 was introduced in January 1996 and all cars produced from January 1997 had to meet the new standard. The main objective of Euro 2 is the fight to reduce the amount of unburned hydrocarbons in exhaust gases and increase Engine efficiency. In addition, the emission standards for CO and nitrogen compounds - NOx have been tightened.
The standard affected both petrol and diesel vehicles.
Euro 3
Euro 3 or EC2000 was introduced in January 2000 and all cars produced since January 2001 had to comply fully with it. Along with a further reduction in the limit norms, the standard limited the warm-up time of the car engine.
Euro 4
Introduced in January 2005 Euro standard 4 applied to vehicles manufactured from January 2006. In this standard, the emphasis was on further reduction harmful emissions from diesel engines - soot (solid particles) and nitrogen oxides. In order to meet the standard, some diesel cars had to be equipped with a particulate filter.
Euro 5
The standard was introduced in September 2009. The emphasis is on diesel technologies. Especially on emissions of particulate matter (soot). To comply with the Euro-5 standard, the presence particulate filter in the exhaust system of a diesel vehicle becomes mandatory.
Euro 6
The most recent standard, introduced in September 2014 and mandatory for vehicles manufactured since September 2015. It contains emissions harmful substances are reduced by 67% compared to Euro 5. This can only be achieved with the use of special systems in the vehicle's exhaust system.
So, to neutralize nitrogen compounds, urea injection into the exhaust gases or an SCR system is required, which is too expensive for small cars.
Fuel
It is clear that in order to ensure high environmental performance of vehicles, motor fuel should also be quite pure, which is not beneficial to the owners of refineries. However, progress does not stand still and in 1996 a pan-European standard for diesel fuel- EN590.
"Oil-Expo" - wholesale supply diesel fuel in Moscow and the region.
The newest environmental safety standard for Euro-6 cars will replace the current one from January 1, 2018, unless, of course, nothing changes at the legislative level. What does this mean for motorists? Vehicles that have commodity codes in accordance with UKT VED 8701 20, 8702, 8703, 8704, 8705 (tractors for semi-trailers, buses, cars, trucks, some special vehicles) when entering the customs territory of Ukraine and must comply with the current Euro standard. This year it is still, and from January 1, 2018 - Euro-6.
Will cars without Euro 6 be taken out of service?
A chain of incompetent publications in the media caused serious concern for car owners, who considered that cars that did not meet the Euro-6 standard would have to be disposed of or at least put on a joke. There is only one answer to this question that concerns many people: all transport that is located on the territory of Ukraine has already been cleared by customs and registered in the prescribed manner, it will be possible to operate further without any restrictions. The introduction of Euro-6 will apply to imported cars with mileage, which can be brought to Ukraine, and to new cars sold in showrooms. From 01/01/2018, all of them will have to comply with the Euro-6 standard.
What will Euro-6 change for those who want to buy a car?
For those who want to drive a used car, inclusive with the use of reduced excise duty rates (according to), this means that from the beginning of next year the minimum age of a car to be driven will be no more than 3 years, since the Euro-6 economy standards were introduced in the European Union in 2015 . Everything that is older will become "impassable". Except - they don't have an engine internal combustion, which means that the requirements for the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere are not applicable to them. Hybrid vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines, in terms of environmental requirements equivalent to conventional petrol or diesel vehicles.
So - if nothing changes, in a few months, Ukrainians who want to buy a car will have three options to choose from. The first is from the salon, which not everyone likes or can not afford. The second is, but at the same time with a dubious gain in cost: the prices for new cars in our country and in the EU are similar, respectively, the cost of two-three-year-old cars does not differ much from the same indicator in local market, and if you add customs clearance, in the end the whole operation may lose its commercial meaning. The third option is a purchase from "nth" hands, which has been in operation in Ukraine for several years.
What can change with the introduction or cancellation of Euro eco-standards in Ukraine?
Cancel "Euro"
The bill is all "Euro" requirements for used cars, leaving them only for new ones. In general, the idea is not unfounded: in almost the entire EU, Euro norms apply only to new cars produced by car factories and sold in car dealerships. Selling, buying, importing used cars from other countries is not actually prohibited.
As a regulatory tool in individual countries, special, often quite high, tax rates for used cars can be applied, the amount of which is directly related to the amount of harmful substances produced by such a vehicle. However, recently bill No. 5561 received an opinion from the Main Scientific and Expert Department of the Verkhovna Rada. Interestingly, the document contains many fragments borrowed from the text of another conclusion - addressed to the authors, which could legalize the operation of cars with foreign registration for a "subscription fee". One of the risks that GNEU experts saw in both cases is that “... there is a threat of Ukraine becoming used car junkyard". It is too early to say that document No. 5561 is doomed, but it has little chance of being put to a vote.
Return for all Euro-4
Another document that carried less radical tasks - to "push" the economy to the level of Euro-4. Quite a compromise solution that could suit both manufacturers and importers, and citizens. Nevertheless, the conclusion of the GNEU to s/n No. 6238 is very similar to the text to the previous document, and you already know what the text of the conclusion of s/n No. 5561 looks like.
The main risks that do not allow GNEU experts to recommend the adoption of these documents as a whole are the potential impact on the new car market, the threat environmental situation, the risk of turning Ukraine into a junkyard for old cars.
Postpone the introduction of Euro-6 for 2 years
And that's not all the initiatives from people's deputies: meet. It does not propose to radically cancel or change anything, but only the introduction of Euro-6 for 2 years. At one time, in the EU, the Euro-6 standard was introduced with a delay of 2 years (in 2015 instead of 2013). Manufacturers did not have time - and there was no urgent need to hastily move from Euro-5 to Euro-6.
As you may have guessed, this bill also received a summary from the Main Scientific and Expert Department of the Verkhovna Rada apparatus. We will not quote the main theses of this conclusion, since their essence is similar to the letter of all other conclusions. True, bill No. 5624 still has chances: it is supported by the profile committee of the Verkhovna Rada. So, albeit with comments from GNEU, but it can be taken out to the session hall.
Questions technical update have always been one of the most pressing issues for international carriers. Now they are inextricably linked with environmental issues, because leading automakers offer two-in-one solutions: advanced technologies"in the filling" of the car is accompanied by new developments in the field of emissions. A modern tractor, justifying the name, draws on itself the efficiency of work, its competitiveness and much more.
Economic considerations for updating the company's fleet begin to turn on long before the acquisition itself, when the carrier, choosing a car "for itself", calculates the operating costs, compares the pros and cons. Such an analysis has gained particular relevance with the advent of cars of the Euro-6 environmental standard. Expensive and demanding equipment in operation! However, as the manufacturers promise, skillful handling can bring tangible bonuses to the owner. Most different opinions, heard from carriers, prompted to understand the essence of the questions: “What is more in Euro-6 - economy or ecology? What are the features of the job? We turned to first deputy CEO JSC "Belmagistralavtotrans" Alexander Zenkevich. In 2015, the enterprise was one of the first in Belarus where “Euro-sixth” companies appeared.
Initially, two DAF cars were purchased, and last year eleven Volvos were added to them. In total, there are 155 cars in the fleet today, and their average age two and a half years, - A. Zenkevich explains.
- Alexander Evgenievich, why did you choose Euro-6?
By the time of purchase, we already had certain information from Polish and Lithuanian colleagues who had operating experience trucks this environmental standard. By the way, today they have truck tractors Euro-6 is many times more than that of Belarusian carriers. So, it was about a tangible economic effect. First of all, through tolls on the toll roads. So, in Austria, one kilometer for Euro-5 will cost 0.449 euros, and for Euro-6 - 0.375 euros. The difference is 7.4 euro cents. Of course, Euro-6 cars do not have such preferences everywhere, in some European countries For example, in Poland, Italy, France, the Benelux countries, the difference in tolls is almost imperceptible.
If we talk about the vehicles of Belmagistralavtotrans OJSC, then the average monthly savings per tractor is about 50-75 euros. We have concluded serious contracts with Italy, and the routes run through the Czech Republic, Austria. Work on them mainly Euro-6.
- And in Belarus the tariffs for travel on toll roads do not depend on the ecological class.
Transport companies have repeatedly advocated such differentiation, but the domestic operator has not yet implemented this opportunity. But such a step could become one of the incentives for the acquisition of "Euro-sixth".
- It would be nice to compare the value of 50-75 euros indicated by you with something.
Euro-5 in a good configuration costs about 61-64 thousand euros, Euro-6 "pulls" 71-75 thousand, or even all 80 thousand, if not a batch is purchased, but one tractor. Yes, regardless of the manufacturer, there will be a new cabin, adaptive cruise control, efficient system security, but we are still talking about the difference in cost - this is about 10 thousand euros. If we add customs duties and leasing payments to this, then it comes out to 11-11.5 thousand euros. When choosing between cars of different environmental standards, the carrier naturally looks for opportunities to “recapture” the difference faster.
What about fuel economy?
By purchasing Euro-6, we relied on efficiency. According to preliminary estimates received from automakers, as well as European carrier colleagues, the consumption should be lower by up to ten percent compared to Euro-5. Alas, we have not received practical confirmation of this. The fuel consumption of Euro-6 and Euro-5 cars is comparable - the average is about 30 liters per hundred. The value itself is not bad, but not what we expected.
Discussed this issue with manufacturers. In their opinion, European carriers use cars in the best road conditions, in addition, the machines are structurally different to some extent from those that come to Belarusian market. Rear axles lightweight, gear ratio gearbox is different. At the same time, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the best environmental performance of Euro-6 cars is achieved due to the increased consumption of the AdBlue reagent.
We have to state that the carriers with the "Euro-sixths" have not yet received any tangible benefits in terms of issuing ECMT permits. A survey was conducted to determine to what extent the allocation of the ECMT license quota should depend on the availability of Euro 6 vehicles. But, tell me, what decision could be made if the vast majority of carriers in the Euro-5 fleet? Of the total number of annual permits in Belarus valid for transportation to the territory of Russia, and, as you know, there are 16 of them, only one was allocated for the “Euro-sixth”.
To summarize, we did not receive the expected savings to quickly justify investments in equipment with higher environmental performance. The presence of Euro 6 vehicles does not provide any significant advantages and does not guarantee increased access to the market.
- Used in tractors Euro-6 modern systems and options justify themselves?
They serve as an excellent aid to the professionalism of the driver. For example, adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.
- Are Euro-6 machines more difficult to operate and maintain?
I would say they are more demanding. For example, to the quality of fuel. Manufacturers do not recommend refueling with diesel high content sulfur. There are no problems with this at European gas stations, in Russia, outside Moscow - they meet. We instruct our drivers where and with which operators to refuel along the route, taking into account at least two factors - quality and cost. We went, for example, to Irkutsk. Upon return of problems with fuel system not found.
- Did the drivers who were to work on Euro-6 cars need additional training?
Nothing extraordinary. Conducted appropriate training, but this happens in every case when new equipment arrives. Drivers were presented Technical information, data on available design differences. Representative offices of various automakers in Belarus today provide a service for training, instructing drivers, since each brand has its own characteristics.
Euro-6 truck tractors are more difficult to maintain. For example, diagnostic programs for Euro 5 DAF do not work with cars of the same brand with a higher environmental standard. A lot of actions maintenance Euro-6 is "tied" to the automaker's computer, so diagnostics and troubleshooting can be carried out remotely.
OAO Belmagistralavtotrans has its own service center, authorized by the company Volvo Truck Corporation, which corresponds to the service station of the branded car service. We service both our own cars and third-party enterprises, including Euro-6.
- Is an analysis of the operation of Euro-6 vehicles carried out?
Necessarily. And not only for Euro-6. Euro-5 also fall into the analytics. We compare fuel consumption, estimate the cost of maintenance, monitor the frequency of occurrence technical problems. Information about problems in operation is also transferred to the manufacturer for system analysis.
- Alexander Evgenievich, Euro-6 cars - is it economy or ecology?
Today, rather ... ecology. I suppose that Euro-5 cars will remain more attractive from an economic point of view for domestic carriers. I think this situation will continue as long as manufacturers produce Euro-5, and this is at least the next three years. It should also be taken into account that the opportunities for acquiring new technology with a profitability of three to five percent - very limited. Unless, of course, certain incentive mechanisms appear at the national level. For small and medium-sized businesses, which make up the bulk of the international road transport market, there is a significant difference in the cost of cars of lower and higher environmental standards.
We need conditions under which the cost of purchasing cars has decreased to some extent, while the opportunities for their operation, on the contrary, have increased. In Belarus, the amount of tolls for travel on toll roads is comparable to Germany. The cost of one kilometer on the German autobahn for Euro-6 is 0.135 euros, in Belarus, regardless of the environmental class, they charge 0.145 euros from a truck. It would be possible to differentiate, and thereby create conditions for Belarusian roads to be driven more often and more by cars of a high environmental standard, which will affect the economy of transport and the environmental situation.
The second point is the distribution of ECMT permits. The base quota, as I said, is 16 annual permits. If we apply the conversion factor for trucks of the Euro-5 standard, which is 10, we get 160 permits for transportation to the territory of Russia. If all this quota were allocated for the "Euro-sixths", then, taking into account the higher conversion factor, Belarus would have plus 32 permits - 192 per annum. Now. Each ECMT licensed vehicle makes an average of one and a half trips per month. The difference will be 576 flights per year. I think the difference is significant and a good increase to the Russian permits of the first, second and third categories.
According to the Transport Inspectorate, Belarusian carriers applying for ECMT permits for 2017 applied for 258 certified Euro-6 vehicles (tractors). It is clear that the entire quota will not be given away immediately, but let's move in this direction.
And third. A draft decree on certain measures for the development of international road transport cargo. It contains proposals both in terms of exemption from VAT when purchasing cars of high environmental standards, and in terms of applying a reduction factor for disposal fee. It is not yet clear what the final version will be. However, I am sure that these preferences will have their value only if the carriers receive them for any lengthy period of time - at least for two or three years.
Vyacheslav Milyanenko
Magazine "Compass of the Forwarder and Carrier"
What is the Euro 6 standard?
In 2016, an initiative was published on the website of the Russian Public Initiative to accelerate the transition to the production and sale of Euro-6 fuel by 2020. Only 784 votes were cast for it, with 634 in favor and 150 against. A year and a half has passed since then, and at what stage is the transition to new standards? What are the pros and cons of this transition? When will the introduction of Euro-6 in Russia begin?
Let's go back a little to history. The struggle for the purity of the “breathing” of engines began back in 1988. When a new regulation was approved in Europe, requiring the reduction of the following impurities in the exhaust of large-capacity vehicles: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and residual hydrocarbons. The name EURO-0 was given to the standard only after the change of the standard to EURO-1 in 1993. Further, the standards changed faster and faster and becoming stricter, Euro-2 1996, Euro-3 2000, Euro-4 2005, Euro-5 2009. Since the introduction of the first standard, it has been possible to reduce emissions of harmful substances: CO (carbon monoxide) from 2.72 to 9.3 times, NOx (nitric oxide) from 2.4 to 7.9 times, and particulate matter from 20 to 50 times . The run-up in measurements is explained by different standards for each category of vehicles.
EURO-6 also further tightens the standards for the emission of gases into the atmosphere.
| Standard | CO | HC | NOx | PM |
smoke |
| Euro 5 | 1.5 | 0.46 | 2.0 | 0.02 | |
| 1.5 | 0.13 | 0.4 | 0.01 |
There is one interesting feature, which is that if we compare the norms for gasoline and diesel cars, then for gasoline the norms have not changed.
Environmental friendliness of the Euro-6 standard
In order to comply with all standards, automakers had to invest a lot of money in preparing engines that work according to new standards. Concern Daimler AG (Germany) output Mercedes Actros worth a billion euros, Renault Group has invested 2 billion euros in the development of Euro-6 cars. As you can see, the money is far from small, even for such large companies.
To invest in the new standards, the designers had to work hard. In order to neutralize nitrogen oxide in exhaust gases, complex engineering systems have been developed: exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), selective catalytic reduction(SCR) injection aqueous solution urea 32.5% (AdBlue). SCR organizes the injection into the exhaust gas flow of a strictly adjusted amount of AdBlue liquid in the presence of a catalyst (vanadium pentoxide), after which the reaction of the conversion of nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water occurs. This innovation reduces fuel consumption by 3%. Despite the obvious advantages in the form of environmental friendliness and fuel economy, there are also disadvantages. Installation additional equipment and the need to add AdBlue fluid increases the cost of ownership and operation vehicle. AdBlue requires the installation of a separate container. Also, the liquid has a lower temperature limit of 11 0C, after reaching which it freezes. AdBlue consumption for trucks is 2-3.5% of fuel consumption, so that in the end, the cost of operating costs only increases.
Implementation of Euro-6 in Russia. Steps.
It must be understood that despite the willingness of automakers to speed up the transition to Euro-6, they still see no point in this, at least in Russia. The thing is that for the transition it is necessary to improve the quality of fuel, and the oilmen admit that they have not yet had time to reconstruct their refineries. And in the conditions low prices for oil, this modernization will be simply ruinous for them. Currently, the country sells mainly fuel of the Euro-5 standard. The main thing is to choose the right supplier working directly with oil refineries, Avios LLC is ready to supply any amount of Euro-5 fuel at a wholesale price.
Given the difficult economic situation in the country, the falling exchange rate of the ruble and the unstable price of oil, soon the introduction of the Euro-6 standard is not discussed.
The Euro-6 regulation tightens the content of harmful substances in the exhaust, but in addition to nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter in the atmosphere, the standard specifies the parameter of the average amount of carbon dioxide emitted. According to Euro-6 standards, a car must emit no more than 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
The hallmark of Euro 6 is a major overhaul nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission standards on diesel engines. If the previous Euro standards fought mainly with carbon monoxide (CO), then the introduced standard, while maintaining and tightening CO emission standards, sharply reduces the level of NOx on diesel engines from 180 mg / km immediately to 80 mg / km, while leaving the same requirements (60 mg/km) for gasoline engines.
Introduction of Euro-6 standards can cause serious damage to the development of the diesel automotive industry, since in order to comply with the emission standards for nitrogen oxide emissions at the current level of technology, it is necessary to use sophisticated methods of exhaust gas recirculation, as well as to install the injection of a special AdBlue solution into the exhaust gas aftertreatment system, which is nothing more than carbamide, in colloquially urea. AdBlue requires a separate tank and freezes at temperatures below -11°C, so for use in countries with cold climates it is necessary to install additional system heating. The production of diesels that meet the new standards without the use of urea is also available, but at a much higher cost.
At the same time, to comply with Euro 6 gasoline engines do not require major modifications. The main part of the requirements for them coincides with Euro-5 standards, and reconfiguration electronic block engine management solves other problems of exhaust cleanliness.
Subject to Euro-6 requirements, the cost of producing cars with diesel engines increases relative to gasoline-powered vehicles, which is reflected in the final price. Considering that diesel fuel, which used to be much cheaper than gasoline, has become one with it. price category, the attractiveness of passenger diesel cars in the eyes of the consumer rushed down. In the future, if the trends of tightening standards do not change, the passenger diesel car market will finally collapse, and only diesel cars will remain on the roads. big trucks, which are still profitable to operate due to the efficiency and high-torque diesel.
And when will we, in Russia, have diesel fuel Euro-6? There is no clear understanding on this matter, but we think that it will not be soon, because only last year we began to apply the Euro-5 standard for imported cars, and from 2016 all types of vehicles must comply with Euro-5 standards. automotive fuel produced in the Russian Federation.
He closely monitors the development of the situation, and promptly informs his customers and all readers of the site about the changes, and with the start of production of Euro-6 fuel in Russia, he will offer it for sale.
