12. The representative of France introduced WP.29-194-15 on retrofit activities for electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The representative of the European Commission supported the initiative from Italy, France and Spain. He added the European Commission had a legal mandate to find solutions for the uptake of retrofitted vehicles and agreed to be involved in forthcoming discussions. The representative of Italy urged a quick development of an internationally harmonized tool under the purview of WP.29 to accelerate the pace of development of retrofit systems.

13. The representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shared the view that retrofit systems were gaining momentum and agreed to stay informed on the topic. The representative of Spain shared his view that retrofit systems needed to be done in a safe and environmentally friendly way, highlighting the potential benefit of international harmonization. The representative of Sweden welcomed this initiative and was considering to be involved in it. The representative of CITA supported the initiative and reiterated the knowledge and expertise of some CITA members, for example with respect to approval of modified vehicles.

14. The Chair requested Italy, France and Spain and all interested parties to initiate the development of Terms of References (ToRs) for a dedicated IWG and to report back at the next session of WP.29.

10. The representative of France proposed creating a new IWG on Electric Vehicles (EV) / Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (HFCV) retrofit systems under GRPE (WP.29-195-10-Rev.1), with the timeline until the end of 2027. The representatives of China, Russian Federation, Sweden and EU supported the proposal and stressed the need to involve relevant experts from other GRs into the activities of the new IWG.

11. The representative of Canada emphasized the potential impacts on safety of such vehicle conversions and invited GRPE and the new IWG to pay close attention to the coordination among GRs.

12. The representative of the US looked forward to being updated on the progress of this activity. She also made a reservation about the expertise on WP.29 and GR-related matters of one of the co-secretaries nominated for the new IWG. WP.29 noted this reservation.

13. WP.29 endorsed the creation of a new IWG on EV/HFCV retrofit systems under GRPE, pending the approval of its Terms of Reference (ToR) by GRPE, and looked forward to reviewing ToRs at the November 2025 session of WP.29.