UN Regulation No. 12
Steering Mechanism Impact Protection

Series of Amendments, Supplements, and Corrigenda

Proposal for the definition of “Exposed conductive part”.

Proposal to extend the scope to all kinds of powertrain systems above a certain working voltage level.

49. Referring to the discussion held under agenda item 16 (see para. 36), GRSP considered and adopted GRSP-48-03-Rev.2 as reproduced in Annex VI to this report. The secretariat was requested to submit the proposal to WP.29 and AC.1, for consideration and vote at their June 2011 sessions, as draft Corrigendum 1 to the 04 series of amendments to Regulation No. 12.

Text adopted by the GRSP to correct the text for electric vehicles in UN R12, replacing the word “power train” with “occupants” in the referenced rules, ‘registration’ with ‘approval’ in transition provisions in accordance with WP.29 guidelines, and correcting use of the acronym “RESS” to “REESS”.

Proposal unanimously adopted.

Proposal as approved by the GRSP to introduce provisions for coupling systems used in the charging of a Rechargeable Energy Storage System (REESS).

[Proposal adopted.]

Pursuant to GRPE work on vehicle propulsion system definitions (VPSD informal group; see document WP.29-165-17), this GRSP proposal would update the definition of the acronym “REESS” to refer to “rechargeable electrical energy storage system” across the passive safety regulations and currently proposed texts that make use of this acronym. (REESS had previously referred generically to “rechargeable energy storage systems”.)

Proposal to enable approval testing under UN R137 as an alternative to UN R12 in order to avoid redundant testing requirements. The proposal adds references to the steering gear provisions of UN R137 (full width frontal impact) as a compliance alternative in parallel to the current references similarly allowing compliance via provisions in UN R94 (offset deformable barrier frontal impact).

Proposal from GRSP to align UN R12 with the provisions of GTR 20 on post-crash electrical safety and the administrative provisions of Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement. The amendments only impact the approval of vehicles with an electric power train operating at high voltage.