What are the principles of the Euro Standard in road transport?
As early as the 1980s, the authorities began to introduce rules to reduce harmful gas emissions from road haulage. In the European Union, the Euro standard was introduced in 1988. Over the years, the requirements of this Euro standard have been tightened up to keep pace with technical developments and the possibilities offered by manufacturers. In the end, this framework will enable us to have increasingly low-polluting trucks on the market, with the Euro 6 standard now the norm (in application of regulation no. 595/2009 of the European Parliament and Council of June 18, 2009).
Basic principles of the Euro standard
The Euro standard currently targets three extremely harmful gases: nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulates. All vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW must comply with the limits imposed by the Euro framework.
The first standard, “Euro 0”, was introduced in 1990. Subsequent standards have gradually lowered the emission thresholds for each type of gas, culminating in the Euro 6 standard, which today delivers excellent vehicle performance.
The limits set by the Euro 6 standard are as follows:
- N0x: less than 0.4 g/kWh (compared with 2 for Euro 5)
- CO: less than 1.5 g/kWh
- HC: less than 0.13 g/kWh (compared with 0.46 for Euro 5)
- Particulate matter: less than 0.01 g/kWh (compared with 0.02 for the Euro 5 standard)
To understand these developments, we need to put them into perspective with the regulations in place at the time of the Euro 0 standard:
- NOx: less than 14.4 g/kWh
- CO: less than 11.2 g/kWh
- HC: less than 2.4 g/kWh
- And no limit for particulates (from Euro 1)
Between 2001 and 2014, emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulates were reduced by 92% with the Euro standard. And over a 23-year period, NOx emissions were divided by 36, HC by 18 and particulates by 35.
Other initiatives to reduce road transport pollution
Of course, while the Euro 6 standard is an essential and useful basis for improving the environmental performance of any road haulage business, it is not necessarily sufficient. At Transports Goëvia, we improve the performance of our fleet in other ways too.
In fact, all our vehicles are Euro 6, 100% hybrid or Oleo100 compatible. As a reminder, Oleo100 is a 100% renewable fuel produced from French rapeseed.
Among the other initiatives we are taking to protect the planet and limit our carbon footprint, the automated control of tires by TPMS terminals in partnership with Bridgestone. It not only reduces fuel consumption, but also reduces the risk of tire blowouts on the road. At the same time, we use exclusively premium fuel, in which we incorporate additives that also reduce our fuel consumption. Finally, we promote eco-driving among our employees, whose practices are continuously monitored and coached by driver trainers.
Guide
Discover our eco-responsible carrier policy
Transports Goëvia’s CSR policy is comprehensive. It covers several areas, including a complete focus on the environment.
- Taking care of employees and their well-being
- Maintaining good customer relations
- Respecting the planet and the environment
