In case you’re new to driving around Europe, you might encounter terms like Euro 5 and Euro 6 when driving in certain regions – what does that exactly mean?
Euro 5 and Euro 6 are both European Emission Standards. These are the certificates which your car has to comply with to enter some areas in Europe without having to pay an additional fee. Euro 6 is the newer standard, required in many places, even though many diesel vehicles still only pass for Euro 5.
How to convert your car from Euro 5 to Euro 6? Let’s find out.
Why do I need Euro 6?
Since September 2015 when Euro 6 was first established, all new cars sold in Europe have to comply with this standard. These differ for gas and diesel vehicles, as each produces different amounts of various undesirable substances.
If you’re driving a vehicle that’s not Euro 6 compliant, you may face additional charges or restrictions when driving around – this is most often noticeable in larger European cities like London or Berlin.
To meet Euro 6 requirements for diesel cars, your vehicle can produce no more than 0.08g/km of nitrogen oxide, 0.50g/km of carbon monoxide, and 0.005g/km of particulate matter.
Can you convert from Euro 5 to Euro 6?
Euro 5 to Euro 6 conversion can allow an older car to meet Euro 6 regulations, which means you won’t have to pay any fees and will be able to drive around unrestricted. The conversion is difficult to perform on gasoline engines and often quite expensive and the return on investment is rather poor, but diesel vehicles can be converted with less hassle.
There are many ways to perform Euro 5 to Euro 6 conversion on a diesel car – and it’ll give you the ability to skip taxes, saving you money in the long run. In comparison to gasoline cars, diesel vehicles are much cheaper to convert to Euro 6. In compatible vehicles, exhaust aftertreatment with AdBlue tank and an SCR system can be performed, bringing up the car’s standard to Euro 6 and making it more suitable for driving in larger cities.