Proposal for amendments to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2026/24

Proposal to finalize a status report on Amendment 1 to UN Global Technical Regulation No. 20 on electric vehicle safety. The IWG-EVS conducted Phase 2 work addressing topics including water immersion tests, fire resistance, battery rotation and vibration, thermal propagation, and charging safety. The group maintained existing regulatory text except for thermal propagation provisions. Two compliance paths were developed: a physical test method with five initiation options and a risk management approach. Phase 3 will address thermal propagation scope expansion, post-crash safety, in-use battery maintenance, swappable batteries, light vehicles, gas emissions criteria, and bottom protection.

Proposal to amend UN Regulation No. 129 to remove rebound head contact from the head acceleration requirement for all Child Restraint Systems. The regulation currently lacks consistency regarding whether rebound head movement is considered in testing. Variations in test bench design cause booster seats to pass in some laboratories but fail in others based solely on rebound contact. The proposal ensures consistency between different CRS types and reproducibility across laboratories with different test bench designs, and aligns with the approach in UN Regulations 94 and 137.

Proposal to amend UN Global Technical Regulation No. 20 on electric vehicle safety, focusing on thermal propagation triggered by single-cell thermal runaway. The amendment introduces two compliance paths: a physical test approach with five initiation methods (external heater, internal heaters, nail penetration, laser-based initiation) performed at vehicle or component level; and a risk management approach requiring manufacturers to document known risks and mitigation strategies. Vehicles must provide advance warning 5 minutes before hazardous conditions (fire, explosion, smoke) occur in the passenger compartment. Phase 2 discussions concluded that water immersion tests, long-term fire resistance tests, REESS rotation tests, vibration profile modifications, AC/DC charging protections, and heavy-duty overcurrent tests do not require regulatory inclusion based on available field evidence and safety analysis.

Proposal to introduce a new paragraph 0.4 clarifying that second-level warnings apply when one seat-belt is unfastened during normal driving, excluding situations of higher priority warnings such as door opening or thermal propagation, to amend the definition of “normal operation” to specify forward motion above 10 km/h without other safety warnings triggered, and modify paragraph 5.2.4.3 to allow discontinuation of second-level warnings when other audible safety warnings are triggered in circumstances of imminent danger.

Outcomes pursuant to Day 1 of the CLIV IWG session.

Outcomes pursuant to Day 2 of the CLIV IWG session.

Draft text pursuant to the third day of the CLIV informal group 15th session.

Draft text after Day 4 of the informal group session.

Proposal to establish UN Regulation on Category Y vehicle crash safety covering frontal, rear-end, and lateral collision protection. The regulation specifies requirements for fuel system integrity, electrical shock protection, and crash compatibility for vehicles without occupants. Requirements address liquid fuel leakage limits, hydrogen storage system integrity, rechargeable energy storage system protection, and electrical safety post-impact. Testing procedures reference existing UN Regulations 94, 95, 137, and 153. Approval processes, conformity procedures, and technical specifications are detailed, including test methods for frontal, lateral, and rear-end impacts with measurement requirements and alternative procedure provisions.

Proposal to amend UN R17 Supplement 1 to the 12 series of amendments. The Regulation is amended to account for vehicles of category X. Vehicles of category Y are not in the scope of this Regulation. The Regulation is extended to vehicles without driver and manual driving controls. Multiple amendments are made to definitions, test procedures, and technical requirements for seats, anchorages, and head restraints, including changes to measurement planes, test parameters, and displacement specifications across various annexes and paragraphs.

Proposal to establish uniform provisions for approval of vehicles of categories M₂ or M₃ designed or equipped primarily for carriage of children, requiring physical inspection systems to prevent child occupants being left inside buses and coaches after journey completion. Physical inspection systems shall be engaged when vehicle master control switch is turned off and disarmed via inspection confirmation device located behind rearmost seat. Systems must generate external visual and audible warnings within specified timeframes if not disarmed, with warnings cycling for at least 10 minutes at greater than 60 dB(A) unless system is disarmed or vehicle master control switch is turned on.