EU7 2026 bombshell

dutchie01 · May 21, 2020

Now heres one i did not see coming...

We all know the 95 gram EU regulation that forced manufacturers to downsize big time. From 12 to 8 to 6 to4 to 3 to even 2. The most horrible example of this beeing the fiat 500 twinpower, a horrible 2 pot sipping as much fuel as a 4 pot. Problem is the testing method that is a lab test is totally alien to real world driving. Enter eco settings on the gearbox. That change shiftpatterns and make sure it upshift before the turbo spools up. then remove mirrors, tape all gaps between panels, lower the car, use smaller tyres and ready to go through the lab cycle. Miracle figures wow. To everybodys frustration there is a massive gap between the real world fuel consumption and the figure quoted by the manufacturer.

And apparantly this is going to change with the EU7 regulation coming to force in 2026.

Main idea is to bring the fuel consumption and co2 figures in line with real world driving. The EU7 will replace current testing.

In Which Car australia, whichcar.com.au there is an interview with Frank Steffen Walliser a guy working with Porsche. He expects 20% more displacement and more cylinders to meet the test.

In other words, bigger engines. He expects manufacturesr to go from4 to 6 from 6 to 8 etc. Turbos will stay and all manufacturesr will have to design new engines.

Maybe there is life after death...

Does anyone know more??

ColinBarber · May 21, 2020

1 hour ago, dutchie01 said:

To everybodys frustration there is a massive gap between the real world fuel consumption and the figure quoted by the manufacturer.

The new(ish) testing method (WLTP) is much more real world. For example the IS300h went from 62/65mpg to 48.7 mpg on old and new testing methods. 49 mpg is easily achievable on the base grade IS300h so not sure another new method is needed.

Barry14UK · May 21, 2020

What goes around comes around then! Only trouble is everything gets more complicated and expensive to maintain so cars become more difficult and expensive to repair so more readily written off. Some of the old simple 'mechanical' cars which are easy to maintain and lacking a lot of the electronic sophistication are becoming desirable. In any event by 2026 I think a very large number of cars will have electric traction but still too many potential electrical problems.