New regulations for electric motor efficiency classes (2019/1781)

11 March 2021
Main news

New Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 for electric motors and variable speed drives.

To limit global energy consumption and the associated increase in emissions, governments are rolling out stricter regulations to reduce energy needs.

As electric motors consume a substantial portion of the electricity available, the European Union is introducing laws to make these motors more energy-efficient. The aim is to reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact, thereby also decreasing CO2 and other emissions.

The EU has drafted a directive for the introduction of minimum energy performance standards for induction motors. From July 2021, the current regulation will be repealed and replaced by tighter requirements that apply to a wider range of motors. A stricter regulation introducing the new IEC standard IE4 will subsequently apply from 2023.

The new energy efficiency guidelines are as follows:

New standard as of July 1, 2021

As of July 1, 2021, electric motors with a rated output between 0.75 kW and 1000 kW must comply with the IE3 Premium efficiency class for versions with 2, 4, 6 or 8 poles. The standard also applies to uncooled TEAO versions and to applications in ATEX environments.

Electric motors with a rated output of 0.12 to 0.75 kW must comply with the IE2 efficiency class for versions with 2, 4, 6 or 8 poles. This applies to uncooled TEAO versions and applications in ATEX environments as well.

Future standard as of July 1, 2023

As of July 1, 2023, electric motors with a rated output between 75 kW and 200 kW must comply with the IE4 Super Premium efficiency class for versions with 2, 2, 4 or 6 poles.

Electric motors with a single-phase 230 V power supply and a rated output exceeding 0.12 kW must comply with the IE2 efficiency class for versions with 2, 4, 6 or 8 poles.