Understanding Euro 6 Emissions Standards: What It Means for Your Business

April 28, 2026

Key Takeaways

• What is Euro 6?: Euro 6 is an emissions standard that limits harmful pollutants in vehicles.
• When did Euro 6 begin?: Euro 6 began in 2014, with updated testing in 2021 – Euro 7 began in 2025.
• What is Euro 6e-bis?: Euro 6e-bis further enhances testing for vehicles – especially electric vehicles.
• What does Euro 6 mean for diesel vehicles?: Diesel vehicles are subject to stricter limits.
• What does Euro 6 mean for petrol vehicles?: Petrol vehicles are subject to slightly more lenient pollution limits.
• What does Euro 6e-bis mean for my fleet?: Euro 6e-bis may change your tax treatment for PHEVs
• Is my vehicle a Euro 6 vehicle?: If your car is registered from the 1st of September, it is most likely a Euro 6 vehicle.
• How does Euro 6 compare to Euro 5’s standards?: Euro 6 is a little stricter than Euro 5.

Euro 6 is a European emission standard for vehicles, introduced in 2014. The Euro 6 emission standards set strict limits on harmful vehicle pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and fine particulate matter. Euro 6 regulations mean that all new vehicles must be fitted with advanced emission control technologies, to include diesel particulate filters and selective catalytic reduction systems alongside an EGR valve and car oxygen sensors. These emission control technologies work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and smog to protect the ecosystem and prevent respiratory conditions.

What is Euro 6?

The Euro 6 emissions standard simply sets a limit on the amount of harmful pollutants that passenger and commercial vehicles can emit, including our Volvo and Mack models, in an attempt to reduce air pollution. If you have a vehicle that meets the Euro 6 standard, your vehicle will be classified as a Euro 6 vehicle. You can find this information about your vehicle in your vehicle’s documents.

When did Euro 6 begin?

In Europe, the latest Euro 6 standard was implemented in September 2014. This standard affected the majority of new vehicles produced by the following year. That said, though the limits haven’t yet changed, new vehicles have also been subject to further updated testing requirements since 01 January 2021. And now, a further stringent emissions standard, Euro 7, is set to be introduced in 2026.

What is Euro 6e-bis?

Euro 6e-bis is a further enhancement of the Euro 6e testing standard for C02 and other pollutants. The 6e-bis standard is designed to provide more accurate measurements for cars, vans, and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). Euro 6e-bis is part of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) and Real Driving Emission (RDE).

The new Euro 6e-bis standard typically results in higher, yet more realistic emissions ratings for many vehicles, especially PHEVs. This impacts regulation, taxation, and your fleet management decisions.

What does Euro 6 mean for diesel vehicles?

Diesel vehicles are subject to stricter limits under Euro 6. This is because diesel vehicles emit higher levels of NOx and particulates than petrol vehicles. Under Euro 6 emissions standards, diesel cars can’t emit more than 80 mg/km of NOx. For petrol cars, the limit is just 60 mg/km. Particulate matter (PM) limits are the same for both fuel types, however, at 4.5 mg/km.

Car manufacturers meet these limits through technology like a car DPF filter. This is a filter that captures and stores particulate matter, the minute soot that your car produces during combustion. Another option is selective catalytic reduction systems. These work by injecting a urea-based additive into your car’s exhaust stream, which then converts NOx into water vapour.

What does Euro 6 mean for petrol vehicles?

For petrol cars and vehicles, we’ve already mentioned how Euro 6 limits NOx emissions to under 60 mg/km. Otherwise, the Euro 6 regulations are slightly more lenient, focusing on reducing emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Still, the Euro 6 emissions standards require petrol engines to feature improved, modern catalytic converters paired with more efficient fuel injection systems to achieve lower emissions levels.

What does Euro 6e-bis mean for my fleet?

Since the Euro 6e-bis changes how official CO2 emissions are calculated, some PHEV emissions figures have doubled or tripled. So, Euro 6e-bis may directly affect your fleet’s tax treatment, meaning increased costs for drivers and businesses. This is because your PHEVs may now exceed the threshold that qualifies them as the low-emission cars otherwise eligible for 100% corporation tax relief or other ultra-low company car tax rates. Thus, this shift complicates how you select vehicles.

Is my vehicle a Euro 6 vehicle?

Generally, almost all cars registered from the 1st of September 2014 onwards fall into the Euro 6 classification standard. That said, if you can’t find evidence of the vehicle meeting Euro 6 emission standards in your registration documents, why not get in touch with your local dealership or the previous owner? Meeting the Euro 6 emissions standards will help you avoid paying a fee or toll if you drive in an area that restricts environmental pollution, like London’s Ultra Low Emission Zones.

How does Euro 6 compare to Euro 5’s standards?

Euro 5, the former emissions regulations for vehicles in Europe, is a different level of emission regulation for vehicles in Europe, and is less strict. While Euro 5 allowed up to 180 mg/km of NOx for diesel cars, for example, Euro 6 reduced this to 80 mg/km.

And while both Euro 5 and Euro 6 have stringent limits on particulate matter, it’s only Euro 6 that goes all the way to requiring particulate filters on direct-injection petrol engines, further reducing PM emissions on these vehicles.

Hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) also have even stricter limits under Euro 6, meaning that vehicles must produce fewer pollutants than they would be permitted to in Euro 5