European Commission to launch first EU type-approval regulation for the safety assessment of Automated Vehicles

The ad-hoc group on “automated and connected vehicles” of the European Commission is finalising the first type-approval regulation for the safety assessment of Automated Vehicles that will allow manufacturers to sell limited series of robo-taxis, autonomous shuttles, auto-chauffeur and valet parking.  

The intense regulatory activity started in early 2021, where many of the CLEPA proposals on the safety assessment concept and verification methods were included and aims at adopting the new regulation during the second quarter of the year, in time for its application as from 6 July 2022. 

The “limited series” allows only 1,500 units to be sold every year in the whole European Union and the aim is to continue working to extend the regulation to “unlimited series approval”, meanwhile some further improvements are identified and requested by the industry, notably for avoiding duplication of requirements on cybersecurity, respect intellectual property confidentiality, limit the burdensome of in-service monitoring /reporting requirements and improvement of the definition of “equivalent level of safety” in accordance with the safety concept of the manufacturer.