International Dealer News IDN 153 February/March 2020 | Page 20

news ROOM
NEWS
BRIEFS
New Euro 5 environmental
standard entered into
force January 1 2020
It is now a little easier for Germans to
use their car driver's licence to drive
light-power scooters and motorcycles
with 125 cubic centimetres and a
maximum of 11 kW (15 hp) of power.
In December 2019 the Federal Council
voted in favour of a Driving Licence
Ordinance amendment proposed by
the Federal Minister of Transport that,
though still requiring five years of
driving practice in cars, a minimum age
of 25 years and extensive theory and
practice training, it will dispense with
the need for an examination.
BMW Motorrad is teaming up
with mobility provider Cooltra to
offer its maxi-scooter BMW C
Evolution as part of a ride-sharing
pilot programme in Barcelona.
The Cooltra Prime app makes it
simple to find, book and unlock
the BMW C Evolution. The
scooters offer a range of up to
100 km and come complete with
insurance and helmet.
Since the introduction of the Dream D-
Type in 1949, Honda's 70th
anniversary of motorcycle mass-
production has also marked the
company's 400 million-unit milestone
for global motorcycle production.
Honda was founded in 1948 and
began mass-production of motorcycles
at its first overseas production facility in
Belgium in 1963. Since then, Honda
has expanded its production globally in
accordance with its fundamental
principle of producing locally where
there is demand, currently producing
motorcycles from 50 cc commuters to
1,800 cc models at 35 facilities in 21
countries. Honda began motorcycle
production in North America in 1979.
Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary
General: "From a supply side
perspective, vehicle technology has
been instrumental in improving the
environmental performance of
motorcycles."
An important news release from
ACEM, the Brussels based
international motorcycle
industry trade association…
As of 1 January 2020, all new type-
approved motorcycles and mopeds sold
in the European Union (EU) and the
European Free Trade Area (EFTA) will
have to meet the new Euro 5
environmental standard replacing the
current Euro 4 specification.
For existing moped and motorcycle
models type-approved before the 1
January 2020, Euro 5 will become
mandatory as of the first day of 2021.
This brings the pollutant emissions of L-
category vehicles (i.e. mopeds,
motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles)
to the same level as Euro 6 cars.
Improving environmental
performance through vehicle
technology
Technical innovation in the motorcycle
industry has played a key role in
progressively lowering vehicle
emissions. Since the introduction of the
Euro 1 standard for motorcycles and
mopeds in 1999, pollutant emissions
have been drastically reduced.
Combined emissions of hydrocarbons
(HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) have
gone down by 96.6%, whilst carbon
monoxide (CO) emissions have been
reduced by 92.3%.
The Euro 5 environmental
standard in detail
Under the new Euro 5 standard, tailpipe
emissions of mopeds, motorcycles,
tricycles and quadricycles will not be
allowed to exceed 1,000 mg/km of
carbon monoxide (CO), 100 mg/km
total hydrocarbons (THC), 68 mg/km
non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC),
60 mg/km of oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
and 4.5 mg/km of particulate matter
(PM). These Euro 5 tailpipe pollutant
emission limits are the same as those of
Euro 6 for cars.
The new Euro 5 standard that will
replace the previous one (Euro 4) will
become mandatory for all new type-
approved motorcycles and mopeds as
of 1 January 2020. Some niche
segments (i.e. enduro and trial
motorcycles, three-wheeled mopeds
designed for utility purposes and light
quadrimobiles) have been granted
additional lead time. These niche
products will have to comply with the
new Euro 5 tailpipe emission limits as
of 1 January 2024.
Durability provisions and evaporative
emission levels are equally becoming
more stringent. Another important
innovation is the progressive
introduction of a second stage on-
board diagnostic (OBD), allowing
advanced identification and flagging of
malfunction and deterioration of
emission control systems.
Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary
General, said: "From a supply side
perspective, vehicle technology has
been instrumental in improving the
environmental performance of
motorcycles. ACEM members have
invested heavily in research and
product development to develop Euro 5
compliant motorcycles equipped with
technologies such as 3-way catalysts
with oxygen sensor controls, complex
electronic engine management
systems, advanced fuel injection and
variable valve timing and lift
technologies."
"As a result of this, the environmental
performance of Euro 5 motorcycles will
be equivalent to that of Euro 6 cars.
ACEM sees this fitting within the vision
of the recent European Green Deal of
achieving less polluting transport,
especially in cities, and further enabling
the contribution of our range of vehicles
to a multimodal transport system."