Volkswagen has asked the European Union (EU) to give it more time to prepare vehicles for the upcoming Euro 7 emissions proposals. According to Reuters, VW wants the implementation of Euro 7 to be delayed to the autumn of 2026, which is a year later than intended.

Once new regulations are adopted, automakers have a two-year notice period to start implementing and three years to bring the entire fleet up to date. If the implementation is delayed until mid-2024, VW feels it will have enough time to get its affairs in order and meet the new standards.

The new Euro 7 regulations are some of the harshest we've ever seen, targeting both combustion and electric vehicles. Even with all-new EVs like the ID.7 arriving shortly, Volkswagen and other manufacturers will struggle to meet the demands.

The regulations are scheduled to go live in July 2023 and enforced from July 2025, taking the two-year lead time into account. Manufacturers are expected to reduce NOx emissions by 35%, while tailpipe particulate emissions must be reduced by 13%. Naturally, this will force manufacturers to spend money on EV development to meet the EU's even stricter 2035 regulations. Contrary to popular belief, the EU has not banned internal combustion. There are regulation loopholes that ensure internal combustion cars like the Porsche 911 can live on.

The most contentious issue has to do with the brakes and tires. Manufacturers need to cut brake particle emissions by 27%, while the reduction for tires has yet to be set. Considering the technology doesn't exist yet, it's a tough ask. While particulate emissions from tires are worse for the environment than tailpipe emissions, there isn't a single tire manufacturer close to being carbon neutral.

Unsurprisingly, VW has called for a delay on the tire and brake regulations with no date attached. VW stated that it needs several years of lead time.

According to Volkswagen, if the new regulations are enacted this July, that will lead to production halts in 2025. The commission countered, stating that these measures are needed immediately. The EU intends to rid the world of ICE vehicles as quickly as possible without considering the potential consequences.

This month alone, EVs have been in the news several times for all the wrong reasons. Engineers in the UK discovered that older multi-story car parts are struggling to cope with the sheer weight of electric vehicles. Locally, SEMA has spoken out against the Biden administration's proposed emissions regulations and how they could harm an entire industry.

It might be cheeky for VW to ask for a delay considering the German brand's unfortunate history with emissions regulations, but at least this time, it's upfront about it.