Draft request prepared by the EU proposing a Phase 3 covering:

1. Expansion of protection scope of thermal propagation test;
2. Post-crash REESS safety assessment, stabilization procedures and nonoccupant and surroundings safety;
3. Maintaining the EV battery safety during the in-use phase;
4. Safety of swappable batteries;
5. Micromobility, light-category vehicles, e-trailers safety;
6. Quantitative criteria on flammability, toxicity and corrosiveness of vented gases and smoke; and
7. Bottom protection.

Proposal as amended during the 4th EDO SIG session.

Proposal to require the electric side windows of the front seat row to function for at least ² minutes from the time of a vehicle entering water (EDO-03-08) as amended by the EDO SIG during its 4th session.

The EqOP Task Force 4 held its first meeting with 28 participants to discuss frontal impact and restraint system requirements. Key priorities include addressing submarining and abdominal injury risks across diverse body types and crash scenarios. The group discussed robust evaluation procedures, seat position variability, and multi-scenario testing. Participants agreed to conduct further accident analysis, collect robustness evaluation ideas, and establish topic priorities before the next meeting on January 28, 2026.

Proposal to establish a Task Force on Swappable Batteries (TFSB) under GRPE. The task force will review WP.29 regulations and international standards to identify technical requirements for swappable-battery vehicles, focusing on commercial vehicles. It will define vehicle types, clarify vehicle type approval processes, and develop guidance documents. The task force will coordinate with other working groups including GRSP and GRVA, with deliverables expected by October 2027.

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

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 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 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.

This document specifies testing procedures to verify door-opening systems remain functional after complete power loss. Interior testing requires unlocking, unlatching, and opening doors from inside the vehicle five times after a 60-minute wait following power disconnection. Exterior testing requires unlocking, unlatching, and opening doors from outside five times under identical conditions. All operations use only permanently installed components without tools.

Five documents propose amendments to UN R46 series 02-07 to align requirements with UN R26 and UN R61, particularly regarding soft parts of camera monitoring systems and mirrors based on Shore A hardness. The 05 series introduced alignment requirements; harmonization is proposed for earlier series with existing approvals.

CLIV is developing a new UN Regulation for vehicle categories M1, M2, M3, and N1 in Phase 2. The draft regulation requires visual and audible external warnings upon detection of a child left in a vehicle. Visual warnings use direction indicator lamps flashing in SOS morse code pattern for at least 15 seconds, then off for no more than 30 seconds, repeating for at least 10 minutes. Audible warnings must exceed 60dB(A) following the same timing pattern. The IWG requests guidance on potential amendments to UN R48, UN R28, and UN R165.

The group will receive comments on the draft UN Regulation for buses and coaches, covering definition order, operation isolation of the physical inspection system, vehicle master control switch definition, transitional provisions, type approval tests, and paragraph 5.4.4.6.2. The agenda includes feedback on a proposal made to GRSG and discussion of the September meeting location.

The task force discussed assessment of Human Body Model (HBM) readiness timelines, adding skull fractures, lumbar spine, and general kinematics to evaluation criteria. The group identified injury metrics and data gaps for each body region. TU Graz will gather additional stakeholder feedback. The next meeting is scheduled for 13 April 2026.

Two presentations were delivered to the task force: one on abdominal injury assessment using human body models in frontal sled simulations, examining seatbelt trauma and submarining effects; and another proposing a real-world frontal crash assessment matrix based on field data, advocating for morphed human body models to represent diverse occupant sizes and ages. Continued discussion on priorities and workshop planning were postponed to the next meeting on April 14, 2026.

A design is intuitive when users understand and use it correctly and efficiently without needing instructions or prior training. Key signs include matching user expectations, requiring little explanation, giving clear feedback, minimizing thinking, maintaining consistency, and building on familiar patterns. For emergency door opening, intuitive design requires interior release control to unlock doors and unlatch without separate controls. Alternative actions for power loss must be fully intuitive, integrated or in close vicinity, within reach, and properly marked. Exterior door handles need a proper force application area for at least four fingers of an adult hand.

The agenda for the 14th session of Task Force Virtual Crash Testing covers approval of agenda and minutes, review of a progress dashboard, and a proposal for virtual testing introduced by France. Discussion items include assessment of Human Model readiness at various timeframes and feedback from HBM4VT network stakeholders. The session concludes with next steps and scheduling.

Comments address proposals EDO-05-03e and EDO-05-04e. On intuitiveness, the definition was agreed upon but concerns remain regarding ambiguity under self-certification system. Specific examples may be included such as door handle with gripping space, and mark/label/symbol on latch control. On power loss test, overall test procedures were agreed upon. Clarifications needed include normal riding position in 2.2.3., and whether interior test testers proceed with opening procedure after 60 minutes for all doors with 4 times repetition per door within 60 minutes proposed.