9. The expert from the EC presented informal document GRSP-78-19-Rev.1 and gave an overview of the work of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Electric Vehicle Safety (IWG-EVS). She introduced the latest draft of the proposal for an amendment to UN GTR No. 20 (informal document GRSP-78-04) and discussed the changes to be expected in the final proposal that would be submitted for adoption as a working document to the June 2026 session of GRSP. She indicated that it was not expected that Phase 2 of IWG-EVS would need to be extended beyond its current expiry date of March 2026 and announced the intention of Contracting Parties to submit to the March 2026 session of AC.3 a request for authorisation to start working on a series of pending issues in a Phase 3 of IWG-EVS (informal document GRSP-78-18-Rev.2).

124. The representative of the European Commission informed AC.3 that IWG-EVS had submitted a draft proposal for an amendment to UN GTR No. 20 to the December 2025 session of GRSP which had been well received, that it had now sent a final proposal to the June 2026 session of GRSP and that it expected this proposal to be presented to AC.3 for final adoption on its November 2026 session. This proposal focused on thermal propagation and represented the conclusion of phase 2 of the IWG. He informed that the IWG was now requesting authorization to develop a phase 3 of amendments (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/42), encompassing some pending issues from the previous phases, as well as some new issues which had been identified (see paragraph 9 in the request for a full list). Phase 3 of the IWG-EVS would be co-chaired by Canada and the European Commission, with a Vice-Chair from China and with Japan acting as secretariat. The representative of China expressed the willingness to contribute to the work under phase III of EVS and requested to act as Co-Chair together with Canada and the European Union. The representative of the European Commission requested an initial period of 4 years to develop this work. AC.3 endorsed the request for authorization (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/42) and requested the secretariat to distribute it with an AC.3 symbol at its June 2026 session.

8. The expert from the European Commission informed GRSP of the latest developments regarding the informal working group on electric vehicle safety (IWG-EVS) (informal document GRSP-79-33). The group had finished its discussions on the proposal for an amendment 1 to UN GTR No. 20 in December 25, it had received authorisation to start work on a phase 3 of its work from WP.29 and AC.3 on March 2026 and was now seeking final endorsement of the proposal for amendment (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2026/4) and the final status report (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2026/3) from GRSP.

9. The expert from France presented informal document GRSP-79-32 seeking to amend the final status report to include a mention of future work on V2X technologies (the use of the traction batteries to cover external power and energy demands). After some discussion, the experts from France, Japan and EC submitted a revised proposal (informal document GRSP-79-32-Rev.1).

10. GRSP endorsed ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2026/3 (as amended by informal document GRSP-79-32-Rev.1) and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2026/4, and requested the secretariat to submit them as proposals for a final status report and an amendment 1 to UN GTR No. 20 to the November 2026 sessions of WP.29 and AC.3.