EU: Vehicle type approval regulation updated and aligned with UN ECE

 

The EU the General Vehicle Safety Regulation contains in its Annexes a list of requirements needed to obtain the type approval.  Most of the items on the list are references to various UN regulations, which often get updated.

These references to the regulatory acts outlined in the Annexes of the General Vehicle Safety Regulation must be updated regularly to align with the most recent regulatory advancements.

Specifically, the Annexes should cite the applicable UN/EU regulations that establish technical requirements for the approval of motor vehicles concerning:

• direct vision,
• event data recorders (for heavy-duty vehicles),
• enlarged head impact zones, and
• advanced driver distraction warnings.

Therefore, the EU has published a draft regulation containing the necessary updates.

The draft seeks to incorporate the latest technical and regulatory advancements from the World Forum for the Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). To this end, the list of UN Regulations referenced in Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and the Council, as included in Annex I of the Regulation, should be updated. This update involves adding references to new UN Regulations and incorporating the latest series of amendments to existing UN Regulations that are mandatory for EU type-approval.

Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 currently references, among others, UN Regulation No 79, UN Regulation No 100, UN Regulation No 117, UN Regulation No 127, and UN Regulation No 152. All these regulations have since been amended by UNECE WP.29, making it necessary to update Annex I to reflect these changes.

The 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No 152 introduce requirements for advanced emergency braking systems to avoid or mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicycles. Currently, Annex I references the original version of this regulation, which only covers car-to-car collisions. To expand its scope to include car-to-pedestrian and car-to-bicycle scenarios, Annex I should be updated to reference the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No 152.

Similarly, the 03 series of amendments to UN Regulation No 127 enhance pedestrian safety by extending the head impact zone requirements for motor vehicles in collisions. Annex I, which presently refers to the 02 series of amendments, needs to be updated to reflect the 03 series of amendments to this regulation.

Additionally, UNECE WP.29 has adopted new regulations, including:

• UN Regulation No 167 – Provisions for the Approval of Motor Vehicles with Regard to Direct Vision [2024/1065],
• UN Regulation No 169 – Provisions for the Approval of Event Data Recorders (EDR) for Heavy-Duty Vehicles [2024/1218], and
• UN Regulation No 171 – Provisions for the Approval of Vehicles Concerning Driver Control Assistance Systems.

To ensure alignment with these developments, Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 should be amended to include references to these new regulations.

To find out more about automotive regulations and vehicle type approval in the EU, please do not hesitate to contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research Directly.