Contents

1. What the Euro 7 regulation is

2. When Euro 7 comes into force

3. What changes compared with Euro 6

4. How Euro 7 affects used-car dealerships

5. Low Emission Zones (ZBE) and their relation to Euro 7

6. How to prepare your dealership for Euro 7

7. Frequently asked questions

What the Euro 7 regulation is

The Euro 7 regulation is the latest emissions standard approved by the European Union for road vehicles. It is set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/1257, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 24 April 2024, and replaces the Euro 6 rules that had been in force since 2014.

The Euro standards regulate emissions of pollutants harmful to health: nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), ammonia (NH3) and solid particles. They should not be confused with CO2 targets, which are regulated separately and point towards a ban on selling new combustion-engine cars from 2035 onwards.

What makes Euro 7 different from all previous standards is its scope. For the first time, the regulation is not limited to what comes out of the exhaust pipe. Euro 7 introduces mandatory limits for particulate emissions generated by brakes and tyres, something that until now had fallen outside the legal framework. This has a direct consequence: electric vehicles, which do not emit exhaust gases, also fall within Euro 7.

In addition, the standard incorporates battery durability requirements for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and tightens the conditions for type-approval tests, bringing them closer to real driving situations (extreme temperatures, cold starts, driving at altitude or at high speeds).

When Euro 7 comes into force

The Euro 7 implementation timetable is structured in several phases, depending on the type of vehicle. These are the official dates in Regulation 2024/1257:

Cars and vans (categories M1 and N1):

• 1 July 2025: mandatory for new type approvals. This means manufacturers can no longer approve new models under Euro 6 from that date onwards.

• 29 November 2026: mandatory compliance for all new light-vehicle types.

• 29 November 2027: all new cars and vans that are registered must comply with Euro 7. There are no exceptions.

Trucks, buses and trailers (categories M2, M3, N2, N3):

• 1 July 2027: mandatory for new type approvals.

• 1 July 2028: all new heavy vehicles must comply with Euro 7.

Small manufacturers (fewer than 10,000 vehicles a year) have extended deadlines: until July 2030 for cars and vans and until July 2031 for heavy vehicles.

An important point: Euro 7 is not retroactive. Vehicles that are already registered and on the road do not need any modification or adaptation. The standard applies exclusively to new vehicles entering the market from the dates indicated.

What changes compared with Euro 6

The final version of Euro 7 turned out to be less aggressive than the initial draft proposed by the European Commission in 2022. Manufacturers, through ACEA, lobbied to soften the limits, arguing that the increased cost of new cars could be up to €2,000 per vehicle. The result is a standard that keeps some Euro 6 limits but tightens other aspects.

Exhaust emissions in cars and vans:

The NOx figures stay the same, but the test conditions are more demanding. Vehicles must meet those limits across a much wider range of real-world situations: extreme temperatures, altitude, short urban driving, high speeds and towing. Meeting 60 mg/km in the laboratory is one thing. Meeting it in a cold start at 5 degrees below zero on a mountain pass is another.

Brake emissions (a completely new addition):

Durability of pollution-control systems:

Euro 6 required emissions-control systems to maintain their performance for 5 years or 100,000 km. Euro 7 doubles that requirement: 10 years or 200,000 km. For a used-car dealership, this has direct implications for the reliability of Euro 7 cars that will reach the used-car market in the coming years.

Battery durability (electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles):

• Cars: 80% capacity after 5 years or 100,000 km, and 72% after 8 years or 160,000 km.

• Vans: 75% after 5 years or 100,000 km, and 67% after 8 years or 160,000 km.

Vehicle environmental passport:

Euro 7 introduces a digital document linked to each vehicle that collects information on its real-world emissions, consumption and electric range. This passport will accompany the vehicle throughout its useful life and could become a relevant element for used-car sales, similar to what the vehicle history report represents today.

How Euro 7 affects used-car dealerships

If Euro 7 only applies to new vehicles, why should a used-car dealer care? Because its indirect effects on the used-car market are significant.

Accelerated depreciation of cars with older standards. Every time a new Euro standard comes into force, vehicles with previous classifications lose value more quickly. This already happened with the transition from Euro 4 to Euro 5 and from Euro 5 to Euro 6. With Euro 7, Euro 4 cars and earlier (with no DGT label) are the most exposed. But Euro 5 cars with a B label are also starting to be affected in cities with active Low Emission Zones.

Revaluation of Euro 6d cars. Euro 6d and Euro 6d-TEMP vehicles represent the last generation before Euro 7. They are cars with a DGT C or ECO label, modern pollution-control systems and none of the circulation restrictions that affect older vehicles. For the end buyer, they offer an attractive balance between price and urban access. For the dealership, they represent a stock segment with good demand and a reasonable margin.

Impact on the price of new cars. If Euro 7 makes production of new vehicles more expensive (because of the need for additional technologies in brakes, tyres and aftertreatment systems), the knock-on effect on the used market is predictable: recent used cars, a few years old and Euro 6d, become more attractive compared with a more expensive new car. That can benefit stock turnover at used-car dealerships.

Durability as a sales argument. Euro 7 cars that reach the used-car market from 2030-2031 onwards will come with pollution-control systems guaranteed for 200,000 km and batteries with certified minimum performance. This changes the sales conversation: a used Euro 7 car will offer technical guarantees that do not exist in today’s vehicle parc. Knowing how to communicate this to the customer will be a differentiator.

Low Emission Zones (ZBE) and their relation to Euro 7

Euro 7 does not create ZBEs or regulate them directly, but it reinforces the trend driving them. And for a used-car dealership, ZBEs are the factor that most shapes demand for its stock right now.

Current status of ZBEs in Spain. Climate Change Act 7/2021 requires all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to introduce a Low Emission Zone. Around 150 municipalities are obliged to do so. To date, cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville, Córdoba, Pontevedra, A Coruña, Badalona and Gijón already have ZBEs in operation. Another 89 cities are in the approval or implementation phase.

Which vehicles are excluded. Restrictions vary by municipality, but the general pattern is clear: vehicles without a DGT label (petrol cars registered before January 2000, diesel cars registered before 2006) are banned from access in most active ZBEs. In Barcelona, vehicles with a B label already have partial restrictions and are expected to be permanent from 2028 onwards. Madrid has introduced successive grace periods for residents’ vehicles without a label, but the direction is clear.

What this means for your stock. If a significant part of your inventory is made up of vehicles without a label or with a B label, the pool of potential customers shrinks with every passing quarter. A car without a label that three years ago sold without problems in any city with more than 50,000 inhabitants now faces circulation restrictions in a growing number of municipalities. Data from the Cetelem Observatory confirms it: more than 76% of used-car buyers already look at the environmental label before choosing a model.

Knowing the emissions of used cars that make up your stock and understanding how they affect their resale value is increasingly necessary for making smart buying decisions.

How to prepare your dealership for Euro 7

Euro 7 is not going to change your day-to-day overnight. But it does mark a clear direction that is worth anticipating.

Analyse the make-up of your stock by environmental label. Check how many cars you have without a label, with a B label, with a C label and with ECO or Zero. If more than 30-40% of your stock falls into the most restrictive categories, it is time to adjust your sourcing strategy. The point is not to stop buying B-label cars (they still have a market outside the big cities), but to know exactly what proportion you have and who you are going to sell it to.

Prioritise sourcing Euro 6d and above. Euro 6d vehicles with a DGT C label represent the sweet spot for used-car buyers over the coming years: affordable price, access to all current ZBEs and modern emission-control systems. ECO and Zero vehicles are gaining share, but their purchase price is still high and margins can be tighter.

Check the label and history before buying. Before acquiring a vehicle for stock, checking its environmental classification with the DGT and its maintenance history avoids surprises. A car that on paper looks interesting may have circulation restrictions in the main cities where your buyers are. With Dealcar you can consult the DGT and CARFAX report for any vehicle before deciding whether to buy it.

Communicate the value of the environmental label to your customer. Many buyers already ask about the label, but not everyone understands what it means. Explaining that a C-labelled car can circulate without restrictions in all current ZBEs, or that a Euro 6d has pollution-control systems designed to last longer, is a legitimate sales argument that builds trust.

Keep track of market price trends. The gradual entry into force of Euro 7 and the expansion of ZBEs are set to keep putting downward pressure on prices for vehicles with older labels and upward pressure on the cleanest ones. Having access to up-to-date market data allows you to anticipate movements and adjust both purchase and sale prices. If you already know how the impact of emissions regulations on used cars works, this context will help you connect the dots.

If you are considering adding electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles to your stock, it is worth understanding well how to assess the battery of an electric car, as Euro 7 sets minimum durability levels that will become a benchmark for the used-car market.

Conclusion

The Euro 7 regulation does not directly affect cars that are already on the road, but its indirect impact on the used-car market is real and growing. The combination of expanding ZBEs, buyers’ preference for clean labels and new durability standards changes the rules of the game for any used-car dealership. Reviewing stock composition, prioritising vehicles with a C label or above and communicating the value of the environmental classification to the customer are three actions that can make all the difference in the coming years.

More than 500 dealerships already use Dealcar to manage their used-car business

From checking DGT and CARFAX reports to tracking market prices, Dealcar gives you the tools to make buying and selling decisions with real data. If you want to see how it works, you can book a free demo at dealcar.io.

Frequently asked questions

Does Euro 7 require me to modify the cars I already have in stock?

No. Euro 7 applies exclusively to new vehicles that are manufactured and registered from the date it comes into force (November 2026 for new types, November 2027 for all car registrations). Vehicles already registered, regardless of their Euro standard, do not need any adaptation.

What DGT label will Euro 7 cars have?

The DGT has not yet created a specific label for Euro 7. The most likely outcome is that Euro 7 combustion-engine cars will receive a C label (as current Euro 6d cars do) and hybrids and electric vehicles will keep the ECO and Zero labels respectively. When there is an official update, the DGT will announce it.

Will Euro 6 cars stop being allowed on the road?

Not in the short term. Euro 6 vehicles with a DGT C label can circulate without restrictions in all ZBEs currently operating in Spain. Current restrictions mainly affect vehicles without a label and, in some cities such as Barcelona, those with a B label. There is no expectation that Euro 6 cars with a C label will be restricted in the coming years.

How can I find out which Euro standard a specific car complies with?

The Euro standard appears on the vehicle's technical data sheet (ITV card). You can also check it through the vehicle’s DGT report, which includes the environmental classification. At Dealcar you can obtain this report directly from the platform before deciding whether to buy a vehicle for your stock.

Does Euro 7 also affect motorbikes?

Not directly. Regulation 2024/1257 applies to cars, vans, lorries, buses and trailers. Motorbikes and mopeds are regulated by specific rules (currently Euro 5+). However, ZBEs do restrict access for motorbikes without an environmental label, so the practical effect on urban circulation is similar.