Emission performance of Euro VI HDVs

Project duration: 2020 - 2021

Funded by: UBA Austria und UBA Germany 

Project team: Weller, Hausberger

The Euro VI emissions regulation has been tightened several times since its introduction in 2013. While the limits for regulated emissions have remained unchanged, the boundary conditions for valid on-board emission tests have been steadily expanded. With Euro VI D (in force from 2019), the threshold for valid measurements in a low-load drive was lowered from 20% to 10% of the rated power. With Euro VI E (in force from 2021), cold-start emissions, at least from 30°C cooling water temperature, will also be included proportionately in the test result. These changes also lead us to expect changes in the real emission level of heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

In order to integrate these effects in the Handbook Emission Factors (www.hbefa.net), we have analysed the available measurement data on Euro VI SNF separately according to Euro VI A,B,C and Euro VI D. With the measurement data, we parameterised the institute's own simulation tool PHEM and used it to simulate the fleet emissions in the HBEFA traffic situations. The same method has already been used to calculate the emission factors for Euro 0 (before the introduction of Euro stages) up to Euro VI, so that the results are directly comparable..

The following figure shows the results for NOx real drive emissions across the different Euro classes for a typical articulated truck in the German traffic mix. The results show that emissions have been steadily reduced by the different limit value levels. The introduction of Euro VI in 2013 reduced real NOx emissions by more than 80 % compared to Euro V. The Euro VI D emission level, which has been in force since 2019, led to a further reduction of more than 50% compared to Euro VI A, B and C vehicles.

Figure 1: NOx real world emissions by Euro class for an average semi-trailer tractor, half-loaded, in the German traffic mix

The next figure shows the PN real world emissions of typical tractor trailer units. Up to and including Euro V, only the particulate mass was limited. Since the introduction of Euro VI, the particle number emissions are also limited. This leads to a comprehensive use of particle filters and thus to a reduction of the particle number of more than 99 %.

Figure 2: PN real emissions by Euroclass, for an average semi-trailer tractor, half-loaded, in the German traffic mix

In addition, the HBEFA also considers the deterioration of emissions of heavy commercial vehicles over their entire service life.