Euro 6 vs Euro 5 Trucks: Which Should UK Operators Buy?
Euro 6 or Euro 5? How emissions standards affect clean air zone charges, running costs, resale value and the used truck you should buy in the UK.
If you are buying a used truck in the UK, the Euro emissions rating is one of the first things to check. It affects where you can drive without paying a daily charge, what the truck will be worth when you sell it, and in some cases whether a customer will let it on site at all.
What The Euro Ratings Mean
Euro standards set limits on the nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates a diesel engine can produce. For heavy goods vehicles the two you will see most often on the used market are:
- Euro 5 (Euro V): fitted to most new trucks registered from late 2009 until the end of 2013.
- Euro 6 (Euro VI): compulsory for all new heavy goods vehicles registered from 31 December 2013.
A Euro 6 engine produces around 80% less NOx and about half the particulates of a Euro 5 engine. To get there, most Euro 6 trucks combine exhaust gas recirculation, a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction using AdBlue.
Why Euro 6 Matters For Clean Air Zones
The London Low Emission Zone and the charging clean air zones in cities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Bradford and Sheffield treat Euro 6 as the standard for diesel HGVs. A compliant truck drives in free of charge. A Euro 5 truck pays a daily charge, typically between £50 and £100 a day depending on the city.
If your work takes you into any of these areas even once a week, those charges quickly add up to more than the price difference between a Euro 5 and a Euro 6 truck. Our clean air zone guide for HGV operators explains how each zone works.
Running Costs
Euro 6 trucks generally have better fuel economy than the Euro 5 models they replaced, because manufacturers updated engines, gearboxes and aerodynamics at the same time. They do use more AdBlue, and the DPF needs to regenerate properly, so a truck that has spent its life on short, stop-start work deserves a closer look.
Euro 5 trucks are mechanically simpler, with no DPF on most models, which some operators prefer for older vehicles kept for local or off-road work.
Resale Value
Demand for Euro 6 trucks is much stronger, and that gap is likely to grow as more towns introduce clean air zones. A Euro 5 truck bought today will usually be harder to sell or part exchange in a few years. A Euro 6 truck holds its value better and appeals to far more buyers.
How To Check The Euro Rating
Do not rely on the registration plate alone. Most trucks on a 63 or 14 plate and later are Euro 6, but some late Euro 5 trucks were registered in 2014 under end-of-series rules, and some earlier trucks were built to Euro 6.
- Check the V5C and the manufacturer's certificate of conformity.
- Look up the vehicle on the GOV.UK clean air zone vehicle checker.
- Ask the seller for the engine type, which tells you the standard it was built to.
Every truck we list shows its Euro rating and clean air zone status. If you are unsure, ask our sales team and we will confirm it before you view.
So Which Should You Buy?
- Choose Euro 6 if you run into cities, work for customers with emissions policies, or plan to sell the truck in the next few years.
- A Euro 5 truck can still make sense for local work outside any zone, yard shunting or off-road use, where a lower purchase price matters most.
Browse our used trucks for sale to compare Euro 6 tractor units, rigids and tippers, all with the emissions rating shown on the listing.