Archive
Oct 2018
ECE Adopts Updated Requirements on Selective Catalyst Reduction Systems for Light Duty Vehicles
The World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) has recently adopted a proposed Supplement 7 to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation No. 83.07 on light duty emissions which introduces alternative activation thresholds for the driver alerting systems and driver inducement systems fitted to vehicles with diesel engines that are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems.
Sep 2018
China Introduces Reduced Fuel Consumption Limits for Heavy Duty Vehicles
The Chinese government have recently published an updated version of the Chinese Standard specifying the maximum permissible fuel consumption limits for heavy duty vehicles. This updated standard, GB 30510-2018, specifies fuel consumption limits which are around 15% lower than the limits specified in the previous version of this Standard.
Aug 2018
New EU Regulation on Heavy Duty Vehicle CO2 Emissions Monitoring Published
As part of the European Union's plans to implement a CO2 emissions reduction regime for heavy duty vehicles, on 9th July 2018, a new EU Regulation on the monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions from and fuel consumption of heavy duty vehicles was published. This new Regulation, (EU) No. 2018/956, specifies the data that must be recorded by Member States and by heavy duty vehicle manufacturers and requires the submission of this data to the European Commission on an ongoing annual basis.
Jul 2018
New EU Type Approval Framework Regulation Published
On 14th June 2018, the new EU Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, EU Regulation No. 2018/858, was finally published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Whilst this new Regulation, which repeals and replaces 2007/46/EC, does not contain any significant changes to the technical requirements applicable to vehicles, systems and components, it does contain major revisions to the applicable processes and procedures and introduces numerous additional checks to ensure the robustness of the type approval process.
Jun 2018
EU Proposes New Regulation to Repeal and Replace (EC) No. 661/2009
On 17th May 2018, the European Commission published a draft new EU Regulation that will repeal and replace EC Regulation No. 661/2009 on the type approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles, their trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended therefor, more often referred to as the General Safety Regulation or GSR. This draft new Regulation updates the list of UN ECE Regulations that apply on a compulsory basis for EU type approval to include additional UN ECE Regulations on components and the latest UN ECE Regulations on occupant protection, i.e. ECE 135.01 on pole side impact and ECE 137.01 on full width barrier frontal impact. It also expands the scope of some existing UN ECE Regulations so that they apply to additional types of vehicle and requires the mandatory fitment of a number of new safety features, including intelligent speed assistance (ISA) systems, lane keeping systems, blind spot information systems and driver drowsiness and attention detection systems.
May 2018
The FMCSA issues a Request for Comments to Identify Regulatory Barriers to Introducing Automated Driving Systems on Commercial Motor Vehicles in Interstate Commerce
This month's Spotlight article highlights another opportunity for stakeholder input for revising current regulations and/or drafting new ones regarding autonomous vehicles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently requested input regarding what actions need to be taken to avoid the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations from being a barrier to the evaluation and introduction of Automated Driving Systems on commercial vehicles. In addition to responses to specific questions, the FMCSA is seeking additional comments that manufacturers, owners, State partners, consumer groups, inspectors and others believe are important to consider when deploying these potential safety features.
Apr 2018
New Brazilian Resolution on Side Impact Protection Published
In January 2018, the Brazilian National Traffic Council (CONTRAN) published a new Resolution covering vehicle occupant protection requirements in the event of a side impact. This new Resolution applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles pick-up trucks and vans, and requires compliance with requirements that are based on UN ECE Regulation No. 95 and US FMVSS 214.
Mar 2018
Draft ECE Regulation on International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA) Adopted
In November 2017, at their 173rd session, the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) finally adopted the new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation, ECE Regulation No.0, on International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA). This new Regulation, which represents a major step towards the global harmonisation of vehicle regulations, has recently been allocated a provisional entry into force date of 19th July 2018.
Feb 2018
The NHTSA and the FHWA Issue Requests for Comments / Information to Identify Regulatory Barriers to Introducing Automated Driving Systems
Automated Driving Systems (ADSs) are increasingly being tested and introduced onto the public roadways. Although predicted by most to save lives and decrease injuries from roadway accidents, these systems can complicate testing and certification to current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). ADSs can be made more effective with infrastructure designed to meet certain requirements to enable consistent, safe vehicle operation. To this end, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have both issued requests for input, on how to best address use of ADSs. These Request for Comments (RFC) and Request for Information (RFI), were both issued on 18 January 2018.
Jan 2018
EU Proposes Mandatory Fitment of Onboard Fuel Consumption Measuring Devices
On 12th December 2017, the European Commission published a draft Regulation proposing the mandatory fitment of onboard fuel consumption measuring devices to all light duty vehicles (i.e. M1 and N1 category vehicles). This draft Regulation also includes requirements on the information to be recorded and stored by the device, the accuracy of the data recorded by the device and the accessibility of the data stored on the device.