Euro Norms

What are EURO I and EURO II emission norms?

They are the norms for regulating vehicular emissions in Europe. The norms are expressed in terms of the weight of the pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydro-carbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (Nox) and particulate matters (PM) emitted per kilometre of vehicular run. These ceilings have been fixed for various categories of vehicles, for instance, there are particular emission levels for petrol driven and diesel driven vehicles. The Euro –I norms should have been applicable from the year 2000, and Euro – II from 2005.

Fiction/Fact about Euro Norms

Fiction	Fact
Being Euro compliant enhances the performance of cars.	Euro I norms are solely an emission standard and not a performance standard. By conforming to them, the performance of all cars remains unchanged.
My existing car also needs to be Euro compliant in NCR of Delhi	Euro Emission Norms are only applicable on new vehicles being registered on or after 1st June, 1999 and not on vehicles earlier. Hence, for existing car owners there is no additional cost involved.
If your car is not Euro compliant, you will face problems in transfer of resale.	Euro Emission Norms have no bearing on transfer of ownership of vehicles or resale. In case you sell your car, you can do so without any problems since cars are registered only once i.e. at the time of first purchase.

Emission control - why are they needed?

The environment is a major area of concern, today, the world over. The problem has attracted attention in India too, as is evident from the concern voiced by the public, and the recent Supreme Court judgments.

The air quality has indisputably deteriorated with toxic substances from many sources like industry, automobiles and refrigeration/air - conditioning equipment, to name a few. All combine to lead the human race Towards environmental disasters like acid rain, photochemical smog, ozone layer depletion and other ecological imbalances.
Humans are the immediate victims - from headache, dizziness, eye irritation, to brain damage, respiratory problems, cancer, kidney damage and cardiovascular deaths.

The power that propels automobiles comes from combustion in the combustion chamber. That is where fuel (hydrocarbons) meets air. Ideally, oxygen in the air converts all the hydrogen in the fuel into water and all the fuel into carbon dioxide. But, in reality, combustion also produces unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and water.

First steps to control emission

The first ever step to control emissions was taken in California in 1964, by specifying minimum emission system control systems on cars on 1966 model cars. In 1970, the US Congress adopted the first major Clean Air Act and established the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In the same year, emission control norms were being set up in Europe and Japan. The subsequent two decades norms became more comprehensive, the implementation procedure got fine -tuned and the structural framework created.

The current decade has seen these norms being tightened, and also the adoption of a long-term agenda. Europe introduced the Euro series of norms.

European emission limits in g/kwh
Heavy duty engines : European 13 - mode test
	Euro 1	Euro 2	Euro 3	Euro 4
	1992	1995	2000	2004
NOx	8	7	<5	<3
CO	4.5	4	2.5	1
HC	1.1	1.1	0.7	0.5
PM	0.36	0.15	< 0.10	< 0.10