Electronic products and vehicles used in automotive may need some updates like design changes. How UNECE Regulation 10 responds to such updates? Will your existing type approval or E marking be affected? Do you need to renew ECE R10 tests and apply for a new type approval? UNECE R10 has a specific article about these update issues. Article 12 of UNECE R10 Revision 6 is ‘Modification and extension of type approval of a vehicle or ESA’ and this article lists the requirements and informs what to do. 

Modification and extension of type approval of a vehicle or ESA

As given on Regulation 10 (Revison 6):

1) Every modification of the vehicle or ESA type shall be notified to the Type Approval Authority which granted approval of the vehicle type. This Authority may then either: 

  • Consider that the modifications made are unlikely to have an appreciable adverse effect and that in any case the vehicle or ESA still meets the requirements; or 
  • Require a further test report from the Technical Service responsible for conducting the tests. 

2) Notice of conformation of approval or of refusal of approval, accompanied by particulars of the modifications, shall be communicated by the procedure indicated in paragraph 4. of this Regulation above to the Parties to the Agreement applying this Regulation. 

3) The Type Approval Authority granting the approval extension shall assign a serial number to the extension and so notify the other Parties to the 1958 Agreement applying this Regulation by means of a communication form conforming to the models in Annexes 3A and 3B to this Regulation. 

As seen above, if you already have an E marked product according to Regulation 10, for product updates, you have have to notify type approval authority. Type approval authority will make a decision: Testing Not Required / Testing Required. Regardless of the decision, type approval authority will issue a new certificate showing the extension or modification. Then you will be able to use this updated certificate.

What will you do if testing is required on modified product?

* Prepare a new sample and send it to the laboratory recognized by type approval authority

* Pass the ECE R10 tests

* Apply for type approval update and get your updated certificate (E mark)

What will you do if testing is not required on modified product?

* Apply for type approval update and get your updated certificate (E mark)

ECE R10 Certification Guide

If you want to learn more about ECE R10 Certification of ESAs and vehicles, we published a free guide for you. Click on Download Now button and enter your email address to download it.