Archive

Aug 2024

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) to amend the NHTSA regulations to include an advanced crash test dummy

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Provided Additional Information on Advanced Crash Test Dummies --– On July 9th the NHTSA issued a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) announcing the availability of documents supplementing NHTSA's September 2023 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This rulemaking is to amend NHTSA’s regulations to include an advanced crash test dummy – The Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint 50th percentile adult male (THOR). The documents listed in this notification were scheduled to be available in the docket as of July 9, 2024. Comments regarding this SNPRM are due by August 8, 2024.

Jul 2024

Updated UN ECE Regulations Relating to Hydrogen Fuelled Vehicles Published

Following the publication of Amendment 1 to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Global Technical Regulation No. 13 on hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles, an equivalent set of amendments to the UN ECE Regulation on hydrogen fuelled vehicles, UN ECE Regulation No. 134, were developed to ensure alignment and consistency between the two Regulations.  The resulting 02 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 134 were adopted by the UN ECE World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) in November 2023 and came into force on June 15, 2024.  On that same date, an 05 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 94 on offset deformable barrier front impact, and 06 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 95 on lateral impact and an 03 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 137 on full width flat barrier front impact also came into force.  Each of these Series of Amendments introduce the necessary provisions into the relevant Regulation to allow for the crash testing of hydrogen fuelled vehicles.

Jun 2024

EU Euro 7 Emissions Regulation Published

On May 8, 2024, a new European Union Regulation specifying the 'Euro 7' emissions requirements was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This new EU Regulation, (EU) 2024/1257, repeals and replaces both (EC) 715/2007 on light duty vehicle emissions (Euro 6) and (EC) 595/2009 on heavy duty vehicle emissions (Euro VI), effectively bringing all of the EU requirements on emissions into one Regulation. Whilst the exhaust emissions test procedures for both light duty and heavy duty vehicles specified in this new Regulation remain essentially unchanged from those specified in the existing Euro 6 and Euro VI emissions Regulations, the new Regulation does introduce some revisions to the applicable emissions limits, especially for heavy duty vehicles where both new and more stringent emissions limits are introduced. Additionally, the Regulation introduces new requirements and limits on the particulate emissions from brakes and tyres, new requirements and limits on the durability of batteries for pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and requires the mandatory fitment of an onboard monitoring (OBM) system to monitor the vehicle’s exhaust emissions whilst the vehicle is in operation.

May 2024

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for a New Federal Motor Vehicle Standard (FMVSS) for Electric Vehicles (EVs)

On April 15, 2024 NHTSA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to advance the safety of Electric Vehicles (EVs). The proposal includes a new FMVSS 305a, extension of requirements to heavy vehicles, responses to the National Transportation Safety Board  (NTSB) recommendations, OEM standard emergency responder information, and harmonization with Global Technical Regulation (GTR) 20. Comments are required by June 14, 2024 and compliance is expected two years after the Final Rule is published in the Federal Register.

Apr 2024

New UN ECE Regulation on Real Driving Emissions Published

On March 19, 2024, a new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation on the real driving emissions (RDE) of light duty passenger and commercial vehicles was formally published. This new UN ECE Regulation, UN ECE Regulation No. 168, specifies a worldwide harmonised method to determine the gaseous and particulate emissions from light duty vehicles during real world driving conditions. The emissions tests specified by this new Regulation are carried out using portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) equipment which can be fitted directly to the vehicle under test, thereby allowing the test vehicle to be driven on public roads, under real world conditions, whilst the gaseous and particulate emissions are being measured.

Mar 2024

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Issued a Final Rule (FR) to Amend Consumer Product Safety Standard for Four-Wheel All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)

The CPSC issued a Final Rule (FR) in the Federal Register: Volume 89, Number 15 dealing with16 CFR Part 1420 for ATV safety. The CPSC addressed the comments that were submitted for the NPRM and proceeded with the FR content and timing for an effective date of January 1, 2025.

Feb 2024

NHTSA Issue ANPRM Regarding Advanced Drunk and Impaired Driving Prevention Technology

On January 5, 2024 the NHTSA published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the Federal Register. This notice deals with Advanced Impaired Driving Prevention Technology by announcing the NHTSA's research and testing on this topic, discussing the current state of advanced impaired driving technology, and requesting public comments on some specific topics and questions. This action initiates rulemaking that would gather the information necessary to develop performance requirements and require that new passenger motor vehicles must be equipped with advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology. It would result in a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) related to preventing drunk and impaired driving. Comments are due no later than March 5, 2024.

Jan 2024

EU Regulations on the In-Service Verification Testing of CO2 Emissions Published

(EU) 2019/631, which is the EU Regulation on the CO2 emissions performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles, includes a requirement for Type Approval Authorities to undertake testing on in-service vehicles to verify that their CO2 emissions and fuel consumption performance aligns with the figures specified on the vehicle’s Certificate of Conformity (CoC). However, implementation of this requirement was subject to the European Commission defining the necessary processes and procedures to allow for its correct and consistent application. On December 18, 2023, the European Commission published Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2867 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2866 which specify the necessary guiding principles, selection criteria, processes and procedures for the in-service verification testing of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption performance.

Dec 2023

EU Regulation on Advanced Driver Distraction Warning Systems Published

On November 22, 2023, a new European Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2590 on Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) systems was published. The fitment of ADDW systems, which are defined as "systems that help the driver to continue to pay attention to the traffic situation and that warn the driver when he or she is distracted", is one of the new safety features mandated by EU Regulation 2019/2144. This new Delegated Regulation specifies the technical and performance requirements that ADDW systems must comply with and specifies test procedures for "spot-check" testing on vehicles equipped with ADDW systems.

Nov 2023

Updates to Australian Design Rule on Side Impact Proposed

On September 22, 2023, the Australian Government published a proposed update to the Australian Design Rule (ADR) on dynamic side impact occupant protection; ADR 72/00. Whereas the current version of ADR 72/00 requires compliance with the technical requirements specified in United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation No. 95-01, in the draft version of ADR 72/01, it is proposed that compliance with the technical requirements specified in UN ECE 95-03 would become mandatory. There are numerous differences between UN ECE 95-01 and UN ECE 95-03, but one of the most significant is the introduction of post-crash electrical safety requirements for vehicles equipped with an electrical power train operating on high voltage, i.e. hybrid electric and pure electric vehicles.