Updated energy requirements for electric motors on the way

A new and more ambitious ecodesign directive is on the way, covering several types of electric motors. The new rules mean that all electric motors with a power output between 0.75 kW and 1000 kW must have an energy class corresponding to at least IE3. Most OEM’s both within and outside of Europe will therefore be affected by the EU directives.

The amendments will officially enter into force on 1 January 2021 and consist of three phases implemented between 1 July 2021 and 1 July 2023. The directive, which enters into force on 1 January 2021, applies to induction motors for continuous operation via the mains and which have 2, 4, 6 or 8 poles and a power output between 0.12 kW and 1000 kW.

Extended scope and VFD exception removed

In particular, there are three points to pay special attention to in relation to the new rules:

1. The current scope is extended from 0.75 kW – 375 kW to 0.12 kW – 1000 kW.
2. 8-pole motors are now also included and ecodesign will now apply to 2, 4, 6 and 8 poles.
3. Today, motors supplied by frequency converters (VFD) only need to be IE2, even though the requirement is actually IE3. This exception will be removed.

Phased changes

From 1 July 2021:
All electric motors with a power output between 0.12 kW and 0.75 kW must meet the requirements for energy class IE2, while 0.75 kW to 1000 kW must be in IE3 as a minimum.

From 1 July 2022:
Motor suppliers will be required to test all electric motors based on different speeds, unlike the current situation, in which testing is performed only at full speed and with different loads. This is because more and more VFD-controlled applications are entering the market, running at widely different speeds and loads.

From 1 July 2023:
Ex eb increased safety motors from 0.12 kW to 1000 kW and single-phase motors from 0.12 kW upwards must meet the requirements for IE2. All standard motors from 75 kW to 200 kW must meet the requirements for IE4.

Integrate now

Hoyer Motors recommends that OEM’s start thinking about including more energy-efficient motors in their product designs now, as this will reduce the overall climate footprint of the industry and future-proof products.

“As an OEM, you should already now be conscious of introducing this in your new design. It would be regrettable to spend thousands of engineering hours developing an application that cannot be sold on the market in 2021 because the product is installed with a motor that is not efficient enough,” says Thomas Vase, Product and Application Specialist at Hoyer Motors.

Whitepaper download

Download our whitepaper and get a complete overview of the new ecodesign rules.