EU: Dual Track of Safety and Environmental Protection
1. Mandatory Safety Technology Upgrades
- Direct Visibility Regulation (UN R167): Starting from June 2023, all newly registered M2/M3 buses and N2/N3 trucks must comply with the direct visibility standards. This involves optimizing the cab design or installing camera systems to eliminate blind spots within a 5.5-meter radius around the vehicle, with particular emphasis on enhancing protection for pedestrians and cyclists.
-Event Data Recorder (EDR): Starting from January 2026, all heavy trucks must be equipped with an EDR that complies with UN R169 standards, which can record real-time data such as vehicle speed, braking, steering, etc. The data storage period should not be less than 10 years, and it should be used for accident investigation and safety improvement.
-Driver Assistance Systems (DCAS): The UN R171 regulation, which will take effect in September 2024, requires L2 level assisted driving systems (such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping) to have driver monitoring capabilities. If distraction or fatigue is detected, the system will trigger multi-level warnings and gradually limit vehicle control.
2. Carbon emission targets and flexible mechanisms
-Reduce emissions by 15% by 2025: Newly sold heavy-duty trucks need to reduce emissions by 15% compared to the average emissions in 2019. Car companies can achieve compliance through point trading (such as points accumulated for low emission models) or data sharing among brands within the group. Leading companies such as Scania and Volvo have already met the standards ahead of schedule, while Daimler and Iveco still need to improve the energy efficiency of traditional models or expand the proportion of zero emission models.
-Zero emission truck weight relaxation: To encourage the application of electric and hydrogen fuel trucks, the EU plans to increase their total weight limit from 40 tons to 44 tons to compensate for the additional weight of batteries or hydrogen storage systems.
