Last verified: 26 Jun 2026. Standards, effective dates and certificate scopes change and enforcement dates move — always confirm the current position with the issuing authority or a licensed customs broker before acting. Altonex Global is a B2B trade-expo and supplier-discovery platform; it does not issue certificates, provide compliance services, or act in any of the regulatory processes described — these are obligations of the supplier/exporter and the importer.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 — Euro 7 — introduces the first-ever mandatory brake particle (PM10) emission limits for motor vehicles in the European Union, entering into force on 28 May 2024. For light-duty passenger cars and vans, the first-stage limits take effect at the type-approval stage from 29 November 2026 and apply to all new registrations from 29 November 2027. The limits do not target friction-material chemistry directly; they set a measurable PM10 output that suppliers must achieve by whichever engineering route they choose.
What are the Euro 7 brake particle limits and when do they apply?
Euro 7 sets PM10 mass limits at the vehicle level, expressed in milligrams per kilometre across all four brakes. The first-stage limits for light-duty vehicles (M1 passenger cars and N1 vans) are structured by powertrain type.
| Vehicle category | Powertrain | First-stage PM10 limit | Applies from |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 passenger cars | ICE / HEV / FCEV | 7 mg/km | 29 Nov 2026 (new type-approvals); 29 Nov 2027 (all new registrations) |
| M1 passenger cars | Battery-electric (BEV) | 3 mg/km | As above |
| N1 vans (large ICE) | ICE | 11 mg/km | As above |
| All M1/N1 powertrains | All | 3 mg/km (second stage) | 1 January 2035 |
The lower BEV limit reflects the role of regenerative braking in reducing the proportion of energy absorbed by friction brakes. From 2035, a single 3 mg/km limit will apply to all M1 and N1 powertrains regardless of drive system.
How does Euro 7 treat different powertrains, and what does that mean for mixed fleets?
Euro 7 itself does not apply a powertrain "correction multiplier" to a measured result. Instead, the regulation sets different PM10 limits for different powertrains (the 7, 3 and 11 mg/km figures above), and the brake test method accounts for the share of deceleration that an electrified vehicle handles with regenerative braking rather than friction braking — which is why a battery-electric vehicle is held to a lower limit. Separately, one industry analysis — attributed to S&P Global Mobility (analyst Patricio Barbale) and reported by the ATS Group — illustrates the relative brake-wear advantage of each powertrain with the approximate factors below. These are an analyst's illustrative figures, not a compliance formula contained in Regulation (EU) 2024/1257; treat them as background and confirm any compliance threshold against the regulation's Annex I and Annex III tables.
| Powertrain type | Illustrative relative brake-wear factor (industry analysis — not a regulatory compliance formula) |
|---|---|
| ICE (pure combustion) | 1.0 |
| Mild hybrid (MHEV) | 0.6 |
| Full hybrid (HEV) | 0.4 |
| Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) | 0.3 |
| Battery-electric (BEV) | 0.15 |
The binding figures in Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 are the PM10 limits themselves — 7 mg/km (ICE/HEV/FCEV), 3 mg/km (BEV), and 11 mg/km (large ICE N1 vans). The illustrative factors above are not part of that compliance calculation; for any procurement or type-approval decision, work from the regulation's Annex I and Annex III tables, or your notified body's guidance, rather than from a single secondary analysis.
For procurement managers sourcing replacement friction material across a mixed fleet — ICE service vehicles alongside PHEV or BEV passenger cars — the applicable PM10 limit, and the way the brake test accounts for regenerative braking, differ by vehicle variant. A pad compound qualified for one vehicle's type-approval does not automatically qualify for another, so confirm the applicable compliance threshold per variant with the vehicle manufacturer's type-approval documentation.
Does the 7 mg/km limit apply to the brake pad alone, the disc alone, or the matched pair?
Euro 7 tests brakes as an integrated system. The limit applies to the pad-and-disc combination tested together on a brake dynamometer, not to either component in isolation. Industry sources including friction and disc manufacturers confirm that "the pairing of the brake disc with the respective friction pad gains importance under Euro 7, as they are tested in combination and the limits apply to the pairing."
The practical consequence for procurement is significant. A supplier offering pads sourced from one Tier-1 manufacturer and discs from a different Tier-1 can no longer assume the combination is compliant simply because each individual component passed its own performance benchmark. Compliance data must be generated for the specific pad-disc pairing as used on the vehicle type-approval. This directly affects multi-supplier catalogue strategies and the way OEM supply contracts specify matched-pair references.
What is the test method, and what does the shift from UN GTR No. 24 to UN Regulation No. 179 mean for existing test reports?
The original Euro 7 text referenced UN Global Technical Regulation No. 24 (adopted by UNECE in June 2023) as the basis for brake-cycle dynamometer testing. UN GTR No. 24 uses a WLTP-derived Brake Cycle on a brake dynamometer — verify the exact test-cycle parameters against the GTR No. 24 text published by UNECE before citing specific figures in technical or compliance documentation.
In March 2026, UNECE's WP.29 adopted UN Regulation No. 179, an evolution of GTR No. 24 that introduces enhanced measurement precision for PM10, PM2.5, and particle counts, and adds a friction braking share coefficient that accounts for the proportion of deceleration handled by regenerative versus friction brakes in electrified vehicles. The European Commission subsequently proposed replacing the GTR No. 24 reference in Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 with a reference to UN Regulation No. 179. The regulation is expected to enter into force by end-2026 (with some sources indicating around October 2026).
For suppliers holding test reports conducted under GTR No. 24: once UN Regulation No. 179 enters force and the Annex III reference is updated, new type-approval submissions will reference the newer standard. Brake friction manufacturers should confirm with their technical approval body whether reports generated under GTR No. 24 remain valid for ongoing type-approval submissions after the transition, or whether re-testing under UN Regulation No. 179 is required for their vehicle applications. This is an open compliance question as of June 2026 — confirm the current position with your notified body or technical service.
Does Euro 7 change what ECE R90 requires for replacement brake pads and discs?
ECE R90 remains the current mandatory type-approval standard for replacement (aftermarket) brake friction assemblies in the EU and across UNECE contracting states. As of June 2026, ECE R90 does not incorporate PM10 emission limits. Euro 7 brake PM limits apply at the vehicle type-approval level.
Industry sources confirm that the extension of PM limits to the independent aftermarket is expected to flow through future ECE R90 amendments, but no ECE R90 revision incorporating brake PM limits has been published as of this article's verification date. The current ECE R90 framework verifies that a replacement friction assembly matches the performance characteristics of the OE part; it does not yet measure PM10 output of the assembly itself.
The practical position today: a brake pad or disc holding a current ECE R90 certificate is compliant for aftermarket sale and installation under present rules. Exporters supplying EU aftermarket channels should monitor ECE R90 revision proposals through the UNECE GRPE working group and update their certification planning accordingly when an amendment schedule is published.
What engineering routes are suppliers using to meet the new PM10 limits?
Euro 7 does not mandate any specific friction-material chemistry. It sets a measurable PM10 outcome; the supplier chooses the engineering route. Two principal approaches are reported by Tier-1 manufacturers.
Disc-coating technologies
- Ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC) — a heat treatment that increases disc surface hardness and reduces wear particle generation from the rotor surface
- Hard-coated discs using tungsten carbide or titanium carbide surface layers, which reduce the volume of metallic particles generated by rotor wear — verify exact hardness and wear-reduction performance against the disc manufacturer's technical data sheet
- These coating approaches reduce PM10 primarily by reducing disc wear, with the pad formulation determining the remainder
Friction-material reformulation
- Non-asbestos organic (NAO) and ceramic pad compounds based on the adhesion friction principle rather than abrasive cutting, reducing metallic particle output
- Reduced abrasive metallic content in semi-metallic formulations to lower PM10 without fully switching to NAO chemistry
- Copper elimination running in parallel: California and Washington State Better Brakes laws (Phase 3, effective 1 January 2025) require less than 0.5% copper by weight in brake pads sold in those states — this is a parallel US regulatory driver, separate from Euro 7, though manufacturers developing low-copper formulations for the US market are simultaneously better positioned to reduce metallic abrasive content for Euro 7 compliance
What is the current position on heavy-duty vehicle brake particle limits?
Euro 7 does not set brake PM10 limits for heavy-duty vehicles (M2, M3, N2, N3 categories). Article 18(5) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 requires the European Commission to submit a report by 31 December 2027 reviewing measuring methods and the state of the art, with a view to adopting delegated acts establishing second-stage brake PM limits for heavy-duty vehicles. Industry expectation is that heavy-duty brake PM limits will apply from 2030 at the earliest.
Euro 7 does apply to heavy-duty vehicles for exhaust emissions, with new type-approvals refused from 29 May 2028 and new registrations prohibited from 29 May 2029 — but brake particle limits for those categories remain subject to the 2027 Commission report before any limit is set.
How does this affect sourcing decisions for buyers of brake friction material?
Procurement managers sourcing brake pads, discs, and friction assemblies for OEM supply lines, fleet replacement, or export distribution into EU markets should factor in the following.
Key sourcing considerations from November 2026
- New vehicle type-approvals submitted from 29 November 2026 must meet Euro 7 brake PM10 limits; suppliers feeding OEM or tier-1 supply chains need to confirm their compound and matched-pair test data covers the specific vehicle variant
- For mixed-powertrain fleet contracts, confirm the applicable PM10 limit per vehicle variant and the compliance threshold it produces — verify against Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 before accepting compound specifications
- Aftermarket ECE R90 certificates are currently unchanged; monitor UNECE GRPE communications for the amendment timeline that will eventually extend PM limits to the aftermarket
- Matched-pair test data (pad + disc combination, not pad alone) is the emerging requirement for new-vehicle supply; ask suppliers for system-level PM10 dynamometer results, not component-only performance data
- Test reports referencing UN GTR No. 24 may need to be re-validated once UN Regulation No. 179 is formally adopted into EU Annex III — confirm status with your notified body
Suppliers registered on Altonex Global may list technical specification data for their brake friction product lines on their supplier booth pages. Buyers sourcing brake pads and discs for export or fleet procurement can submit an RFQ to registered suppliers via the RFQ Center. For guidance on how the platform connects buyers with friction material suppliers, see How It Works or the B2B Buyers Sourcing Guide.