Euro 6 certification is a system of environmental standards that govern emission requirements harmful substances V exhaust gases cars. The first environmental certificate was adopted in the European Union in 1992 and has been valid since 1993. This certificate regulates the content of CO, CH and NO in car exhausts. The Euro certificate applies to all vehicles, not excluding special equipment imported, produced or sold in the EU. Now environmentalists are already planning to introduce the Euro 6 standard, which has significantly increased the requirements for the composition of harmful substances in automotive exhaust compared to the first Euro 1 certificate.
With each adoption of new Euro standards, the requirements for the content of harmful substances in the exhaust gases of cars that polluted environment. The higher the number of the standard, the higher the environmental requirements and standards.
Each time a new Euro standard was adopted, car owners had to upgrade their vehicle. Many have installed catalytic converters that reduce toxicity exhaust gases.
Enterprises that are engaged in the production of cars had to revise their production and complete the cars. Now they will again need to try to reach the requirements of the upcoming new Euro 6 standard. Some concerns have begun to produce hybrid cars that run on different types of fuel (gasoline, gas, and others). The first to introduce hybrid cars into production was the auto concern giant Honda. Further, other automakers developed car models that run on natural gas, with alcohol engines, with hydrogen engines and so on. Progress does not stand still, so every year new cars are produced that meet the highest environmental requirements.
To date, the European Union has a Euro 5 certificate. This standard for trucks came into effect on October 1, 2008, and for cars– from 1.09.2009. The Euro 5 certificate has been adopted in 27 countries of the European Union.
Recall that the government Russian Federation plans to switch to the Euro 5 standard in 2014. And Europe, without stopping, in the same year switches to the Euro 6 standard.
It should be noted that Euro 5 diesel fuel can already be purchased at gas stations. Previously, Lukoil produced fuel of this class only for export. But in connection with the tightening of environmental requirements and the transition to new standards, already in 2011, Russians can fill their cars with fuel that meets the Euro 5 standard.
The European Union plans to adopt a new Euro 6 certificate and further increase environmental requirements. The European Commission has set the date for the adoption of the new standard as December 31, 2013. This means that the Euro 6 certificate will be valid from 01.01.2014 on the territory of the European Union. After new standard Euro 6 will come into force, all EU member states must refuse to sell, register and approve cars that do not comply with the regulations accepted standard. A delay of one year is provided for vehicles that meet social needs, as well as for vehicles of category N1 and N2.
The Euro 6 certification provides for a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of up to 120 g/km. This will significantly affect the ecological situation and the state of health of all mankind.
According to Mats Franzen, strategic manager at Volvo Trucks, the company's engineers and designers are ready to adopt the new Euro 6 standard. To do this, it is necessary to reconsider production and apply the latest automotive technologies. Also, the manager does not exclude the possibility of using the technology of electoral catalytic reduction and exhaust gas recirculation systems. The company plans to thoroughly improve the engines and provide for the use of particulate filters.
The Euro 6 certificate obliges many enterprises to improve their technologies and invest some financial resources in the development of new production processes.
In 2010, at the 6th International Motor Transport Forum in Moscow, the GAZ Group presented buses that comply with Euro 4 and Euro 6 standards. Although the Euro 6 certificate has not yet been officially adopted, many automakers are striving to conquer a new car market today. Providing the consumer today with cars that have a Euro 6 certificate, they will be able to recoup the costs of developing technologies in the field of upgrading cars to new standards.
The Euro-6 environmental standard came into effect in September 2015. Its regulations apply to all new cars and trucks, as well as light commercial vehicles and buses.
Purpose of the Euro standard
It's no secret that fossil fuel vehicles pollute the atmosphere with particulate matter and dangerous gases. Especially it concerns diesel engines trucks and passenger buses. Under load, such power plants produce more toxic substances that settle in green areas, cities and towns.
The main toxic constituents in the exhaust are nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon oxides (CO) and particulate matter (PM). Therefore, environmental standards have been developed and adopted, forcing automakers to create vehicles with a minimum amount of emissions.
Basic norms of the Euro standard
Even 20 years ago, diesels were the most toxic engines. This was due to the imperfection of diesel engines, the lack of cleaning systems and inferiority diesel fuel. To limit the impact of toxic power plants on the environment, the European Commission decided to create European environmental legislation.
The first Euro 1 standard came into effect in 1993. According to its standards, exhausts were divided into several classes based on harmfulness and damage to the environment. Euro-1 standards for passenger cars, light and heavy commercial vehicles are presented in the following table:
Tab. 1 Euro-1 environmental standard for diesel engines| Transport type | CO | NOx | PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| cars | 2.72 g/km | 0.14 g/km | |
| 2.72 g/km | 0.14 g/km | ||
| 5.17 g/km | 0.19 g/km | ||
| 6.9 g/km | 0.25 g/km | ||
| trucks and buses | 4.5 g/kW*h | 8 g/kW*h | 0.61 g/kW*h |
| trucks and buses (> 85 kW) | 4.5 g/kW*h | 8 g/kW*h | 0.36 g/kW*h |
Development of the Euro standard
Since its introduction, the Euro environmental standard has been reviewed every 4 years. Each time, its norms became more severe and tougher for automakers. So the new Euro 3 standard, introduced in 2000, set the NOx limit for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles at 0.50 g/km. In addition, particulate matter emission standards have been reduced by 20%, CO by 50%.
Until recently, the latest edition of the environmental standard was the Euro-5 standards, which were introduced in September 2009. According to these standards, emissions were regulated by the following values:
Tab. 2 Euro 5 environmental standard for diesel engines| Transport type | CO | NOx | PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| cars | 0.5 g/km | 0.18 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| light commercial vehicles (≤1.305 kg) | 0.5 g/km | 0.18 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| light commercial vehicles (1305 - 1760 kg) | 0.63 g/km | 0.235 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| light commercial vehicles (1760 - 3500 kg) | 0.74 g/km | 0.28 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| 1.5 g/kW*h | 2 g/kW*h | 0.02 g/kW*h |
The Euro-6 environmental standards can hardly be called revolutionary, since they actually became an improvement on the Euro-5 standard. For diesel engines, the changes affected only nitrogen oxides (NOx), other levels remained the same:
Tab. 3 Euro 6 environmental standard for diesel engines| Transport type | CO | NOx | PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| cars | 0.5 g/km | 0.08 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| light commercial vehicles (≤1.305 kg) | 0.5 g/km | 0.08 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| light commercial vehicles (1305 - 1760 kg) | 0.63 g/km | 0.195 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| light commercial vehicles (1760 - 3500 kg) | 0.74 g/km | 0.125 g/km | 0.005 g/km |
| trucks and buses | 1.5 g/kW*h | 0.4 g/kW*h | 0.01 g/kW*h |
It should be noted that diesel buyers are unlikely to feel big difference in the dynamics and power of cars. However, manufacturers will have to slightly increase the price of vehicles that comply with the Euro-6 standard. This is due to the improvement of the exhaust gas filtration system. It will be harder transport companies in countries with harsh environmental standards, as they will have to change the fleet of cars with outdated exhaust aftertreatment systems.
Euro 6 compliant diesel vehicles will consume less fuel compared to machines of the previous eco-standard. Petrol vehicles practically will not change, since the Euro-6 norms have remained the same compared to the previous version of environmental standards:
Tab. 4 Euro 6 environmental standard for gasoline enginesHow Euro 6 Compliance Is Achieved
To make the diesel engine more environmentally friendly, the following areas of refinement are currently being used (in practice, a combination of these technologies is usually implemented):
- Selective Catalytic Reduction - Reduces NOx with special additives.
- Exhaust Gas Recirculation – reduction of NOx emissions. Possible increase in fuel consumption.
- Installing a particulate filter (Diesel Particulate Filter) - reduction of the level of solid particles in the exhaust of a diesel car. Weight increases vehicle complicates its maintenance.
The introduction of Euro-6 was planned as early as December 31, 2013, but the leading European automakers and fuel producers were then not ready for absolute compliance with the innovative requirements of zealous legislators and asked for a delay. The next restrictions on the permissible content of harmful substances in exhaust gases were too strict, and heavy fines threatened for their non-compliance. An additional respite was needed to refine engines, improve fuel quality and modernize enterprises.
"No" to harmful substances!
Nominally, the battle for the purity of the "breathing" of cars in Europe began in 1988 (although environmental standards existed there before), when a regulation was approved requiring the reduction of carbon monoxide (CO), residual hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides in the exhaust gases of heavy vehicles. nitrogen (NOx). The first restrictive barriers looked like this:
Its name is so called basic standard Euro-0 received only after the Euro-1 standard that replaced it in 1993. And since then, it's gone. In 1996, Euro-2 officially entered into force, in 2000 - Euro-3, in 2005 - Euro-4, in 2009 - Euro-5. Each regular regulation introduced more and more strict restrictions, calculations became more complicated and new monitoring objects were added: smoke level (smoke), particulate matter (PM) content in exhaust gases, etc.
From the time of the first standard until the introduction of Euro-5, it was possible to achieve a multiple reduction in emissions of harmful substances, including carbon monoxide CO (carbon monoxide) - from 2.72 to 9.3 times, nitrogen oxides (NOx) from 2.4 to 7 .9 times, suspended particles - from 20 to 50 times. A noticeable scatter of data is due to the fact that each category of vehicles (taking into account the type of fuel) has its own standards.
Cleaner than cigarette smoke
Euro-6, continuing the traditions of its predecessors, also tightens control over the emission of exhaust gases into the atmosphere. Thus, compared with the previous standards, the permissible threshold for the content of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and residual hydrocarbons (HC) is again reduced. At the same time, the engines of the new standard must fully meet all the stated requirements for at least seven years from the date of manufacture or 700 thousand kilometers in all operating conditions. An interesting experiment conducted by a group of Italian scientists in 2014 as part of the Tobacco Control project under the auspices of the World Health Organization testifies to what ecological heights the Euro-6 standard has reached. They found that three cigarettes lit in 30 minutes of burning in a closed garage with a volume of 60 cubic meters. m allocate b O higher concentration of harmful substances than a diesel engine of a Euro-6 passenger car operating in the same place and for the same time.
Comparison of Euro-5 and Euro-6 standards for different categories of cars (taking into account the type of fuel) shows an interesting feature of the new regulation, it leaves the standards for gasoline engines unchanged. They have been left alone for now. It seems that Euro-5 has already squeezed too much out of them. Euro-6 is directed only against the harmful effects on human health and the environment of diesel engines, primarily against the high level of nitrogen oxides emitted into the atmosphere during their operation. According to environmentalists, nitrogen oxides are 10 times more dangerous than carbon monoxide. Reacting with hydrocarbons, they are involved in the formation of highly toxic and carcinogenic compounds, contribute to the formation of photochemical smog and acid rain. That is why this time the heavy diesel engines. The amount of permissible concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) was immediately reduced five times - from 2 to 0.4 g / kWh, the level of particulate matter (PM) was reduced by half - from 0.02 to 0.01 g / kW - h, and the content of residual hydrocarbons (HC) was reduced by 3.5 times - from 0.46 to 0.13 g/kWh.
European exhaust gas standards for heavy diesel engines, g/kWh (smokyness in m−1)
In order not to fall out of the competition, seven European manufacturers trucks and buses brands - DAF, Iveco, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Renault, Volvo, Scania - have invested heavily in the preparation of new series of tractors and other vehicles that comply with Euro-6 standards, which are already successfully operated on EU roads. So, it is known that German concern Daimler AG market launch fourth generation Mercedes-Benz Actros cost a billion euros Italian company Iveco spent 300 million euros on its offspring Stralis Hi-Way, and French Renault Group in the creation of cars of the Euro-6 standard, including the main Renault tractor Trucks T series, invested 2 billion euros.
Looped
The designers had to work hard to figure out how to neutralize nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases as efficiently as possible. They developed complex schemes exhaust gas recirculation (EGR - Exhaust Gas Recirculation), selective catalytic neutralization system (SCR - Selective Catalytic Reduction) with injection of AdBlue reagent (aqueous urea solution, 32.5%), improved particulate filters. Most automakers, in order to cope with the problem of compliance with Euro-6 standards, use these technologies, adding their own developments. New environmental class Mercedes-Benz trucks Actros IV with Mercedes-Benz engines OM 471 of the BlueEfficiency series is carried out thanks to the system EGR recirculation with particle filter and selective catalytic reduction system. SCR involves the injection of a strictly metered amount of AdBlue liquid into the exhaust gas stream in the presence of a catalyst (vanadium pentoxide), as a result of which a chemical reaction occurs to convert harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) into harmless substances - nitrogen and water. Such engineering solution in addition to complying with environmental requirements, it allows to reduce the fuel consumption of a Euro-6 version truck by 3% compared to previous model and AdBlue consumption by 40%.
fourth generation Volvo trucks FH complies with Euro 6 standards also with the help of EGR and SCR technologies. But the company Iveco acted more original. In their new Stralis Hi-Way tractors with Cursor engines she managed to achieve Euro-6 standards through the use of unique system Hi-eSCR (High Efficiency SCR), patented by FPT Industrial (a division of FIAT), without the use of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, but only with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with AdBlue and a particulate filter. According to representatives Iveco, the efficiency of HI-eSCR placed together with particulate filter in a single housing next to the frame, exceeds 95% compared to 80-85% for best competitors according to the level of NOx in the exhaust gases. In addition, compared to its predecessor in the range, the Stralis Hi-Way consumes 2% less fuel. The developers claim that their know-how will allow the engine to “digest” diesel fuel with high content sulfur, since engines without EGR are less demanding on fuel quality. And this is very important for Russia, where the quality of fuel still leaves much to be desired.
Ecology requires sacrifice
The installation of additional equipment on Euro 6 diesel vehicles, its maintenance and the need to use AdBlue increase the total cost of vehicle ownership and create certain inconveniences for drivers. For example, AdBlue liquid requires the installation of a separate container, the liquid freezes at a temperature of -11.5 0 С, and you also have to pay for its refilling. The consumption of the AdBlue reagent for the operation of the SCR system for Euro-6 trucks is on average 2-3.5% of fuel consumption, and for cars - from 0.9 liters per 1000 kilometers.
European exhaust gas standards for passenger cars (category M*), g/km
Experts suggest that for this reason, after the entry into force of Euro-6, car owners diesel cars in the EU countries will begin to actively abandon them in favor of other types of cars, including hybrids and electric vehicles, which have recently been so widely promoted. In addition, in some countries, such a decision is stimulated at the state level by good monetary compensation. So, in France, car owners who decide to change cars with diesel engines for electric cars or hybrids are offered a subsidy of 10 thousand euros, and London drivers are promised 2 thousand pounds for the same.
Those who resist will be sanctioned. Recently in France at the legislative level diesel engines, even those complying with Euro-6 standards, have already been excluded from "category 1", which includes the most environmentally friendly motors. Further, the French authorities plan to increase duties on diesel fuel, the abolition of local tax and parking incentives, and a ban on entry into certain urban areas. London announces £20 fine for drivers diesel vehicles for parking in a city with a running engine. By 2020, all diesels are expected to be charged £10 to enter the center of the British capital.
A paradoxical situation has arisen. A couple of decades ago, the purchase of diesel cars was positioned in Europe as an environmentally friendly right choice and even encouraged in some countries by tax preferences. As a result of government policy, the share of such vehicles in the fleet of France now reaches 80%, in Spain - 70%, in the UK it exceeds 50%. The EU average is 55%. Now diesels are being demonized, turning into an object of censure, which is being attacked on all fronts. Whether light diesel vehicles will withstand the pressure of public environmental opinion, time will tell. So far, experts are not afraid only for the fate of large-capacity trucks, main tractors and heavy equipment. According to their estimates, this market segment will not undergo big changes, because there is simply no alternative to such cars for the coming years.
European Exhaust Standards for Lungs commercial vehicles≤1305 kg (category N1-I), g/km
Shall we catch up with Europe?
It is still difficult to say when Russia will host Euro-6. We would first deal with Euro-5. Nominally, it was introduced in our country on January 1, 2014, but in fact the transition for trucks and buses to this standard took place only on January 1, 2015, from the moment the technical regulation of the Customs Union "On the safety of wheeled vehicles" officially came into force. Although until the end of 2015 it is allowed to manufacture Euro-4 vehicles certified and approved until the end of 2013, provided that they are equipped onboard system engine diagnostics. But from January 1, 2016, the Euro-5 norms will become mandatory without exception on the territory of our country for all new domestic and imported vehicles.
Yes, and the introduction of Euro-5 is not entirely smooth. According to this regulation commercial transport must be equipped with fuel analyzers, the task of which is to limit the engine torque. When using fuel Low quality the device automatically reduces the engine speed, which can lead to its complete stop and provoke serious accidents. Therefore, for many Russians, Euro-5 standard cars will not yet bring anything but a headache. After all, the quality of our fuel often leaves much to be desired. For reference, in 2008, in the ranking of one hundred countries compiled by international center fuel quality (IFQC, Houston, USA), Russia showed the worst results in Europe in terms of the quality of diesel fuel and gasoline. In general, in the world, our country took only 44th place in diesel fuel and 84th in gasoline.
European emission standards for light commercial vehicles 1305–1760 kg (category N1-II), g/km
Despite the technological lag, Russian automakers, to the extent of financial possibilities, are preparatory work to the future transition to Euro 6. For example, back in September 2010, GAZ Group demonstrated in Moscow a sample of a low-floor bus LIAZ-5292 with gas engine from MAN and "automatic" ZF Ecolife, corresponding to the EEV (Euro-6) eco-standard. And in June 2012, in partnership with the Belgian Bosal, the gas workers launched a plant in Nizhny Novgorod for the production of exhaust gas systems that meet Euro-3 and Euro-4 standards, which, if necessary, can be brought up to Euro-5 and Euro-6 standards. Moreover, local products are used not only for GAZ vehicles, but also for Volkswagen Jetta assembled at the Nizhny Novgorod plant, Skoda Octavia and Skoda Yeti.
Engineers of the Yaroslavl Avtodizel, in cooperation with the Austrian AVL List, have created a new family of Euro-4 YaMZ-530 diesel engines with the possibility of upgrading them to Euro-5 and Euro-6. The production of in-line four- and six-cylinder engines was put on stream in 2013. The range of engines designed for cars manufactured by the GAZ Group plants consists of 27 modifications and over 200 configurations with power from 120 to 320 hp.
European emission standards for light commercial vehicles >1760 kg max 3500 kg (Category N1-III & N2), g/km
But KAMAZ, together with the Swiss Liebherr-International AG, is only developing the next generation of in-line diesels and gas engines. A new family of six-cylinder KAMAZ-910.10 engines with a working volume of 11.95 liters and a power of 380–550 hp. at 1900 rpm it will comply with Euro-5 standards and have technical potential, allowing in the future to reach the level of the Euro-6 standard. The release of the first batches of engines is scheduled for the second half of 2017. It is important that almost 100% localization of their production in Russia is expected.
In autumn 2015, AVTOVAZ will start deliveries of cars to the EU brands Lada, modified to comply with Euro-6 standards. First to evaluate quality Russian cars residents of Hungary and the Czech Republic will be able to. Further development of the markets of Germany, Italy and Great Britain is planned.
KAMAZ-910.10
Domestic automakers declare their readiness, if necessary, to accelerate the transition to Euro-6, but note that without improving the quality of fuel, this makes no sense. The oilmen, on the other hand, admit that they did not have time to reconstruct their refineries in a timely manner and blame the crisis caused by the fall in oil prices for everything. In their opinion, before the end of the crisis, modernization is simply ruinous. In the meantime, the production and sale of motor gasoline and diesel fuel of at least Euro-4 and Euro-5 classes are officially allowed on the territory of our country. At the same time, according to the fuel technical regulations (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 27, 2008 No. 118, the circulation of Euro-4 class fuel is allowed only until December 31, 2015. According to experts, because of this and because of the technological backwardness of oil refineries next year in Russia there may be a shortage of fuel. Therefore, the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation intends to ask the government for a two-year delay in banning Euro-4 fuel. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich at a meeting in Novorossiysk in August this year said that in the event of such an appeal from the Ministry of Energy, the government would significantly increase excise taxes on Euro-4 fuel compared to excise taxes on Euro-5 in order to force oil companies to seriously re-equip their processing capacities. So, we are still very far away from the transition to Euro-6 standards in terms of fuel quality.
Technical renewal issues 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. A variety of opinions heard from carriers prompted us to understand the essence of the issues: “What is more in Euro-6 - economy or ecology? What are the features of the job? We turned to First Deputy General Director of 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 experience in operating trucks of 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 environmental 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 high sulfur diesel. 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 Euro-6 maintenance activities are “tied” to the automaker’s computer, so diagnostics and problem identification can be carried out remotely.
OAO Belmagistralavtotrans has its own service center, authorized by Volvo Truck Corporation, which corresponds to the service station of a company 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) withdrawal 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) with 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. The installation of additional equipment and the need to fill in AdBlue liquid increases the cost of owning and operating a 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 conditions of low oil prices, 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.
