The European Union published on 25 October 2019 the result of the revision of the Commission Regulation (EC) 640/2009 for electric motors. The new Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 will require minimum requirements for a wider scope of motors (0.12 kW – 1000 kW), will also include 8-pole motors and will abolish the former requirement of an IE2 motor plus a converter instead of IE3. Also, maximum losses for converters between 0.12 kW and 1000 kW at IE2 are requested. From 2023, IE4 will be required for motors between 75 kW and 200 kW.

Motor requirements Tier 1 from 1 July 2021:

1. the energy efficiency of three-phase motors with a rated output equal to or above 0.75 kW and equal to or below 1 000 kW, with 2-, 4-, 6- or 8-poles, which are not Ex eb increased safety motors, shall correspond to at least the IE3 efficiency level;
2. the energy efficiency of three-phase motors with a rated output equal to or above 0.12 kW and below 0.75 kW, with 2-, 4-, 6- or 8-poles, which are not Ex eb increased safety motors, shall correspond to at least the IE2 efficiency level.

Variable speed drives efficiency requirements from 1 July 2021:

• the power losses of three-phase variable speed drives (VSDs) rated for operating with motors with a rated output power equal to or above 0.12 kW and equal to or below 1 000 kW shall not exceed the maximum power losses corresponding to the IE2 efficiency level. Energy efficiency for VSDs, expressed in International Energy efficiency classes (IE), is determined based on the power losses as follows: the maximum power losses of the IE2 class are 25 % lower than the reference value.

Motor requirements Tier 2 from 1 July 2023:

1. the energy efficiency of Ex eb increased safety motors with a rated output equal to or above 0.12 kW and equal to or below 1 000 kW, with 2-, 4-, 6- or 8-poles, and single-phase motors with a rated output equal to or above 0.12 kW shall correspond to at least the IE2 efficiency level;
2. the energy efficiency of three-phase motors which are not brake motors, Ex eb increased safety motors, or other explosion-protected motors, with a rated output equal to or above 75 kW and equal to or below 200 kW, with 2-, 4-, or 6- poles, shall correspond to at least the IE4 efficiency level.

For more information, see Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1781