Euro 7 emissions regulations take effect across the EU on 29 November, and for the first time they cover more than exhaust fumes: brake particle emissions and tyre wear fall inside the rules, which means electric cars are affected too.
The standards also introduce battery durability requirements, setting minimum capacity thresholds a car must hold over defined periods and distances.
Stricter particle limit for electric cars
Brake particle rules apply to both electric and combustion-engined cars, but the thresholds differ. EVs must meet 3mg/km (4.8mg/mile) while ICE cars are allowed 7mg/km (11.3mg/mile). The gap reflects regenerative braking, which does more of the slowing work in an EV and so reduces reliance on conventional friction brakes and the dust they produce.
The regulation targets particles of 10 microns or smaller (PM10), generated when brake pads grip steel discs to convert a moving car's kinetic energy into heat. A large share of that dust comes from the steel disc rather than the friction pad, which is why hardening the disc surface is one route to cutting emissions.
Battery durability thresholds
Under the battery durability requirements, a car must retain at least 80% of its original capacity for the first five years or 100,000km (62,000 miles), and 72% between five and eight years or 160,000km (99,422 miles), whichever comes first in each case.
That gives buyers a regulatory floor for how much range a used EV should still deliver, rather than leaving degradation to warranty terms alone.
Aftermarket suppliers move first
Euro 7 currently applies only to new cars and original equipment, but replacement parts suppliers are already working to the same criteria, since Regulation ECE R90 requires aftermarket brake materials to match factory parts and be safe on the road.
ZF Aftermarket, through its TRW braking brand, has developed a next-generation DTEC dust-reducing disc and pad combination aimed at cutting fine particle emissions. ZF expects manufacturers to pick from a range of disc surface treatments rather than a single answer, with the right mix of surface treatment and pad friction compound dictated by a vehicle's inertia and engine type.
Hardening a disc surface can make noise and vibration behaviour harder to control, so the trade-off is not free. The catch for drivers is that cleaner braking may arrive through parts changes rather than anything visible on the showroom floor.
What is not yet settled
The sources cover the EU rules only. No Australian equivalent has been announced in the material provided, so Australian buyers should not assume the same brake particle or battery durability limits apply to cars sold locally.
