These Euro 7 requirements for vehicles relate to the limits for particulate pollution from tires and brakes. Within two years, the European Commission will publish a report outlining ways to measure these emissions.

These requirements also apply to electric vehicles, whose tires generally wear more because these vehicles have greater traction and are often, on average, heavier than combustion-engine vehicles. For now, these are proposals from the European Commission in response to various studies showing that tires and brakes cause a lot of particulate matter.

Relates to particles up to 10 nm. These microscopic particles often end up in the food chain via surface waters and rivers as microplastics. Researchers in Europe alone estimate that this erosion releases half a million tons of microscopic particles into the environment. Already there Upgraded filters reduce fine rubber dustbut it still looks clumsy and not very aerodynamic.

The Euro 7 standard will come into force in 2025, and although all trucks and cars must be electric from that year onwards, tires and brake discs remain major contributors to these emissions. However, electric cars brake much less than combustion-engine-powered cars because a lot of the braking energy is recovered and so the brake discs wear out less quickly.