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3. UN Regulation No. 51 (Noise of M and N Categories of Vehicles)

4. GRBP was briefed on the progress of the Informal Working Group on Real Driving – Additional Sound Emission Provisions (IWG RD – ASEP) (GRBP-82-03-Rev.1) and agreed to extend its mandate until February 2027.

GRBP-82-03/Rev.1 | IWG RD ASEP: Status Report

5. The IWG RD-ASEP Subgroup on UN Regulations Nos. 51 and 138 reported on their activities with the aim to find a satisfactory solution for the sound emissions of electric vehicles (EVs) and to update both UN Regulations (GRBP-82-35). In particular, the Subgroup agreed on the introduction of EVs in the scope of Annex 7 (ASEP) and on the urgency to do so, since some EVs were already equipped with external sound enhancement systems. The Subgroup decided to use the OICA proposal (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2025/29) for further consideration and discussed two main points on UN Regulation No. 51: addition of optional sounds and sound pressure limits for EVs of categories M1 and N1.

GRBP-82-35 | IWG RD-ASEP Subgroup on UN Regulations Nos. 51 and 138): Status report
GRBP/2025/29 | UN R51: Proposal for a Supplement to the 03 series of amendments

6. Against this background, the expert from OICA presented in detail their proposal that includes EVs in the scope of ASEP provisions in Annex 7 to UN Regulation No. 51, together with supporting data (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2025/29, GRBP-82-06, GRBP-82-08, GRBP-82-09, GRBP-82-38). The experts of several Contracting Parties considered the OICA proposal as an excellent basis, but pointed out that they would need more time to study it and suggested to postpone taking a decision until the next session of GRBP in February 2026.

GRBP-82-06 | UN R51: Background to the proposal for Supplement to 03 series of amendment
GRBP-82-08 | UN R51: Proposal for a Supplement to the 03 Series of amendments
GRBP-82-09 | UN R51: Supporting information for the proposal for Supplement to 03 Series of amendments
GRBP-82-38 | UN R51: Application of ASEP for EVs
GRBP/2025/29 | UN R51: Proposal for a Supplement to the 03 series of amendments

7. To speed up reaching a consensus on the draft EV-ASEP amendments, the expert from Netherlands (Kingdom of the) suggested a detailed time planning and identified four agreed elements for inclusion into the proposal, namely the default mode, transitional provisions, limit curve and the character of sound (GRBP-82-39).

GRBP-82-39 | UN R51: Short term steps to deliver a supported EV-ASEP proposal

8. The expert from OICA also proposed clarifications and corrections for UN Regulation No. 51 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2025/20 as amended by GRBP-82-07, GRBP-82-22, GRBP-82-23). GRBP adopted these proposals as part of draft Supplement 11 to the 03 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 51 and agreed to freeze it for the time being, awaiting other amendment proposals before transmission to WP.29 and AC.1.

GRBP-82-07 | UN R51: Proposal for a Supplement to 03 series of amendments
GRBP-82-22 | UN R51: Proposal for Supplement to 03 Series of amendments
GRBP-82-23 | UN R51: Proposal for correction to 03 series of amendments
GRBP/2025/20 | UN R51: Proposal for corrections to the 03 series of amendments

9. On behalf of the Chair of the former Informal Working Group on Measurement Uncertainties (IWG MU), the expert from OICA introduced a revised document of reference (GRBP-82-18, GRBP-82-19). GRBP adopted the document and requested the secretariat to publish it on the respective page of the GRBP website.

GRBP-82-18 | Measurement Uncertainties when testing to Noise and Tyre Regulations
GRBP-82-19 | Measurement Uncertainties: Background presentation on testing to Noise and Tyre regulations