Truck prices set to rocket under Euro-4
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by Karen Miles • Hauliers already spending more money to buy trucks to meet Euro-2 emissions standards will have to fork out tens of thousands more in future to meet EC plans for Euro-4. The European Commission says the combined cost of Euro 3+4 is expected to put more than £40,000 on the price of a new truck by 2015, without taking inflation into account.
The increase is expected because manufacturers believe development costs will be £600m each year from now until 2015, says the Commission.
The programme aims to cut truck emissions by up to 70% by the year 2010, making European standards tougher than those in the US. The changes will get underway later this year when the Commission issues a draft directive outlining more details on Euro-3 and 4.
Euro-3, which will come into force in 2000, will reduce emissions by up to 40% below the Euro-2 limit. Euro-4 will be proposed by the Commission in 1998, ready for implementation in 2005: lower sulphur diesel will be required by 2000 (see Vehicle News Extra, page 14).
The Commission has also said that next year it will attempt to improve minimum standards of maintenance. This will probably include changing the annual test procedure so that emission checks will take account of engines working at different levels of acceleration.