The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking views on incorporating developments in international vehicle rules into the type approval scheme for Britain.

The DfT says it’s committed to using international standards wherever possible and adopting a flexible approach

It’s opened a consultation on planned changes to the scheme in England, Scotland and Wales in a move to meet the needs of manufacturers and consumers in the UK.

All motor vehicles must gain type approval before they go on sale. This requires manufacturers for each new mode to test prototypes against a range of safety and environmental standards and obtain approval from a government body before putting it on sale.

When the UK was part of the European Union, the procedures for approving most road vehicles, and their parts before they could be sold or registered, were set out in several EU regulatory frameworks known as type-approval frameworks.

Britain now has its own type approval scheme, which entered into force in January 2023, replacing the existing provisional scheme that was put into place after Brexit and beginning with new models brought to market in February 2024.

The last few years have seen developments in vehicle regulations in the EU and through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulations (UNECE).

The DfT says it’s committed to using international standards wherever possible and adopting a flexible approach to recognising other national standards and testing. To deliver this, it needs to make updates to domestic regulation to recognise or mandate new standards developed internationally within the GB type approval scheme.

The consultation covers two sets of proposals. These include a group of priority proposals, where the DfT intends to make regulations through a statutory instrument as soon as possible after the consultation.

It’s also seeking views on a number of areas with a view to taking them forward within a future statutory instrument on a slower timescale.

The priority proposals include actions on eCall, windscreen wash and demist systems, HGV CO2 calculations, Isofix and automated lane keeping systems.

For the emergency call (eCall) system, the proposed changes would follow the EU’s work to update its standards so that in the future 4G/5G technology will be fitted to EU-approved vehicles. Unless existing GB type approval regulations are also amended, eCall technical requirements will continue to be based solely on 2G/3G network provisions. This would mean vehicle manufacturers would be obliged to fit eCall systems which are not compatible with the 4G/5G services in Britain.

For automated lane keeping systems, the DfT is proposing adopting UN Regulation 157 into the GB type approval scheme. This regulation provides the first internationally agreed technical requirements for an automated driving system that doesn’t require driver supervision on motorways in the form of automated lane keeping systems (ALKS).

Adding UN Regulation 157 into the GB type approval scheme would enable this technology to enter the market as it becomes available.

Areas where the DfT is gathering views and evidence include lighting, vehicle security, conversions and electric safety requirements for wheelchair-accessible vehicles with electric powertrains, and weight of electric vehicle batteries in light goods vehicles to enable CO2 monitoring requirements.

The consultation will run until 2 December 2024. Further details including how to respond are online here.