GB Type Approval Scheme
This page was last updated on 9th May 2023Light-Duty Emissions Approvals for GB Type Approval
Euro 6e is not accepted for GB Type Approval
Through Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/443, the EU has amended its light-duty emissions standard to introduce Euro 6e, which is mandatory in the EU for new vehicle types from 1st September 2023, and new vehicles from 1st September 2024.
This regulation does not apply in Great Britain, and is not part of the GB type-approval framework (set out by Retained Regulation 2018/858 as amended by SI 2022/1273). GB Type Approval (GBTA) currently requires Euro 6d-ISC-FCM, which is the retained emissions standard when the UK exited the EU.
Despite an acknowledgement that Euro 6e is a later standard and has more stringent requirements than 6d there is no legal basis for VCA to accept Euro 6e documentation (i.e., test reports, information documents) for GBTA.
Therefore, any GBTA applications submitted to VCA relying on Euro 6e evidence will be refused. Only Euro 6d test reports, test data and information documents in accordance with retained Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 as amended by 2018/1832 will be accepted for the purposes of a GBTA application. All submitted documentation for a GB light-duty emissions approval will be checked by VCA, to ensure it is aligned to the Euro 6d-ISC-FCM standard. This includes test report formats and the data contained therein.
It may be possible for manufacturers to avoid double-testing according to Euro 6d and 6e, where the previously performed testing and the family definitions of the vehicle are compatible with both standards.
Please note, Euro 6e does apply in Northern Ireland, following the same implementation dates as the EU. Therefore, UK(NI) approvals will require Euro 6e from 1st September 2023 for new types. Find out more about the UK(NI) approval scheme here.
UN Regulations for Light-Duty Emissions
At the end of 2023 or early 2024, with the predicted entry into force of UN Regulation No. 83.08 and the forthcoming UN Regulation on Real Driving Emissions, we expect there to be a full package of UN Regulations available as an equivalent alternative to the EU’s Euro 6e. These will accompany the existing light-duty emissions regulations: UN Regulations Nos. 24, 85 and 154. The UK Department for Transport intends to update the GB regulations to recognise approvals to these UN regulations, giving manufacturers the choice of approving their vehicles to either the UN requirements, which are equivalent to Euro 6e, or the GB requirements.
As UN approvals do not necessarily need to be obtained from the VCA, other type-approval authorities may be used to gain these light-duty emissions approvals, which will be recognised by VCA to meet GB requirements. In these cases, VCA will not undertake any additional checking of the approval documentation, unlike a GB light-duty emission approval. For example, a GB AES/BES assessment will not need to be completed by VCA.
Further guidance will be communicated in due course, following the outcomes of WP.29 in June 2023.
Timeline
Conformity of Production and In-Service Conformity
The Conformity of Production (CoP) and In-Service Conformity (ISC) requirements that apply to GB light-duty emissions approvals, are those of the Euro 6d-ISC-FCM standard. As such, all associated CoP and ISC testing will be assessed by VCA in accordance with this retained standard, with reference to the vehicle’s certificate of conformity. Until 1st July 2026, there is a derogation to permit the use of EU-format CoCs in GB. Where a vehicle is to be placed on the GB market using an EU CoC with Euro 6e derived values, the individual vehicle’s CoP and ISC may be assessed against Euro 6e values.
