The Electric Vehicles and the Environment Informal Working Group held its 97th session on May 19, 2026. Discussions addressed UN GTR 22/25 including Norwegian EV demographics, a proposed Readiness Monitor concept for State of Certified Energy activities, and OICA terminology amendments replacing “monitor” with “assessment of virtual distance” in Part C. The group reviewed Phase 4 priorities for UN GTR 21 and UN GTR 25, including Minimum Performance Requirements, conditioning cycles, and lifetime requirements addressing disconnects between mileage and year thresholds. The next session is scheduled for June 16–17, 2026.

Proposal to amend Amendment 2 to UN GTR No. 22: Modify para. 5.2. to define virtual distance calculation and add requirements for reporting virtual distance by vehicles with V2X functionality or Category 2 vehicles used for non-traction purposes, add new para. 5.2.1. specifying virtual distance determination, add para. 6.1.3. defining Part C family criteria for virtual distance verification, add para. 6.5. establishing Part C verification procedure for reported virtual distance with test conditions including environmental temperature 23°C ± 5°C, initial battery SOC according to normal charging procedure, discharge testing at highest available power, test duration of 50 km virtual distance or 2 hours, and pass/fail criteria requiring reported virtual distance not more than 5 per cent higher than measured virtual distance, add para. 6.5.2.1. with statistical decision chart for Part C pass/fail determination based on cumulative sample size and failed result counts, revise para. 6.1.4. to add family identifier format for virtual distance families, add para. 52.a. through 52.e. in the Statement of Technical Rationale documenting Phase 3 developments including family criteria for Part C verification, boundary conditions for virtual distance verification test with environmental temperature requirements and discharge test options based on kilometres or hours, OVC-HEV UBE correction in Annex 3, and additional regional regulation requirements in Annex 2, and add flow chart Figure 3 for Part C verification process.

The presentation reports results from performance-based models for electric passenger vehicles and electric vans, analyzing capacity retention and capacity fade at 5, 8, and 10 years and at 100,000 km, 160,000 km, and 200,000 km driving distances. Results show capacity retention exceeding 60 per cent at 10 years and 200,000 km for vans with Li-Ion NCM-LMO (2015) battery technology, and exceeding 65 per cent for battery electric vehicles under the same conditions.

The document presents Norway’s electrification progress for light duty vehicles (LDVs) and heavy duty vehicles (HDVs). Norway has 994,000 electric LDVs and 5,300 electric HDVs from a total fleet of 3.4 million LDVs and 73,000 HDVs. In April 2026, EV market share reached 98.6 percent with 107 municipalities achieving 100 percent market share. The document reports EVs represent 2-7 percent of registered vehicle fires, with fossil fuelled vehicles accounting for up to 90 percent. Research findings indicate battery degradation is driven by operating conditions, with cold climate introducing dual effects and battery management systems being key durability drivers.

GTR 22 proposes introducing a State of Certified Energy (SOCE) Readiness Status to determine when sufficient enabling conditions exist for accurate battery State of Health calculations. Manufacturers shall make SOCE values easily available to vehicle owners via dashboard, infotainment, or mobile application and provide procedures for owners to achieve recent updates. GTR 22 shall include mandatory parameters: State of Certified Energy Readiness Status, Energy Storage System Recent Depth of Discharge Counter, and Preconditions for Recent Battery Capacity Update, removing quantitative specifics dependent on energy storage chemistry and time duration references from existing annexes.

Proposal to amend virtual distance to assessment of virtual distance and amend monitor to assessment of virtual distance. The amendments ensure text robustness and alignment between GTR 22 and UN R154/04. The monitor was copied from Part A families and is not mentioned in Part C. The Battery cell characteristic includes the REESS as part of the Family concept.

The session is scheduled for May 19, 2026, from 05:30 to 08:00 EDT. The agenda includes discussion of UN GTR 22 and UN GTR 25 regulatory topics covering conditioning cycles, SOCE readiness monitor, MPRs, SOCR, mutual recognition, FCEVs, highly integrated systems, efficient test methods, OICA comments, MPRs and energy throughput, normal usage indices, Part C virtual distance verification, Annex 2 alternative test method, and battery replacement provisions. UN GTR 25 Amendment 2 must be submitted to March 2027 GRPE by December 2026 deadline.

UN GTR No. 21 Phase 4 will consider fuel-cell electric vehicles, measurement alternatives for highly integrated systems, modifications for more efficient test methods, and alignment with UN Regulation No. 177 based on inputs EVE-87-08e, EVE-87-09e, EVE-87-11e, EVE-88-12, EVE-85-06e, and EVE-74-10e. UN GTR No. 22 Phase 4 will explore conditioning cycles and readiness monitors for official testing, investigate minimum performance requirements for certified range, and consider establishing minimum performance requirement values for additional lifetime of ten years and 200,000 km, drawing on input EVE-96-06e. UN GTR No. 25 Phase 3 will amend Annex 2 provisions, verify reported virtual distance, reconsider minimum performance requirements regarding mileage and lifetime thresholds, and consider energy throughput as a threshold.

The 96th EVE IWG session was held online on April 21, 2026. Discussions covered Alliance des Mobilites’ battery state of health and state of certified energy monitoring findings; UN GTR No. 21 priorities including fuel cell electric vehicles and highly integrated systems; UN GTR No. 22 objectives on state of certified range and minimum performance requirements; and UN GTR No. 25 pilot phase testing and normal usage indices for heavy-duty vehicles. Action items included presentations on battery data, fuel cell vehicle proposals, test method efficiency, and electrified vehicle data from Norway.

The agenda includes presentations on UN GTR 21 covering highly integrated systems, FCEVs, and more efficient test methods; UN GTR 22 addressing MPRs, SOCR, readiness monitor and conditioning cycles, and mutual recognition; and UN GTR 25 with OICA comments and updates on MPRs/Energy throughput, Part C virtual distance verification, Annex 2, alternative test methods, normal usage indices, and battery replacement provisions.

The document outlines work priorities for UN GTR 21, 22, and 25 amendments. UN R21 Phase 4 will address fuel-cell electric vehicles, measurement alternatives for integrated systems, test method efficiency, and alignment with UN R177. UN R22 Phase 4 will explore conditioning cycles, readiness monitors, certified range performance requirements, and alignment with UN R154-04 and UN R83-09. UN R25 Phase 3 will consider Annex 2 amendments, virtual distance verification, minimum performance requirement thresholds by vehicle category, and alternative test methods.

This document is also available with tracked changes.

This document is also available with tracked changes.

This document is also available with tracked changes.

The Electric Vehicles and the Environment informal group reported on amendments to UN Global Technical Regulations 21, 22, and 25 governing electrified vehicle power, battery durability for light-duty vehicles, and battery durability for heavy-duty vehicles. Proposed changes include revised test methods, boundary conditions, definitions, and alignment with UN Regulation transposition efforts. Future work includes investigating fuel-cell vehicles, charging power curves, and alternative test methods.

This document is also available with tracked changes.