Automotive

US House Committee Highlights Automotive Safety And Chinese Vehicle Ban In Surface Transportation Reauthorization Package

In May 2026, the US House Energy and Commerce Committee chair outlined a surface transportation reauthorization package that would modernise automotive safety rules, strengthen NHTSA’s tools, and include a bipartisan ban on Chinese vehicles. If advanced, this package could tighten tyre and flammability standards and reshape US market access and compliance planning for automakers, suppliers, and vehicle importers.

23 May 2026, 19:25republicans-energycommerce.house.govUnited States

EU Parliament Adopts Negotiating Position On Roadworthiness Tests And Roadside Inspections

In May 2026 the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the EU roadworthiness package and authorised talks with the Council on revised rules for periodic vehicle checks and roadside inspections. The mandate keeps existing inspection intervals but signals tighter controls on odometer fraud, advanced safety systems and exhaust emissions, so vehicle makers, garages and fleet operators should anticipate more demanding future inspection and data-sharing obligations even though no new legal duties apply yet.

23 May 2026, 09:11europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Japan CAA Publishes Serious Accident Summary Under Consumer Safety Act (21 May 2026)

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has issued its 21 May 2026 summary of 111 notified consumer accidents under the Consumer Safety Act, including 48 serious cases, highlighting frequent fires in vehicles, lithium-battery devices and household appliances alongside incidents in care and childcare services. While the notice does not create new legal duties, it is a timely signal for manufacturers, importers and service providers selling into Japan to reassess product fire safety, lithium-battery risk controls and safety management in care and transport services.

23 May 2026, 08:57caa.go.jpJapan

EEA Joint Committee Decision 56/2026 Adds HDV CO2 Emissions Decision 2025/1786 to Annex XX of the EEA Agreement

EEA Joint Committee Decision 56/2026, published in May 2026, incorporates the EU’s 2023 list of CO2 emissions values and credits for new heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers into Annex XX (Environment) of the EEA Agreement. This aligns Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway with the EU heavy-duty vehicle CO2 performance regime, giving truck OEMs and large fleet operators a consistent set of emissions benchmarks for compliance monitoring and longer-term decarbonisation planning across the wider European market.

23 May 2026, 08:47eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Economic AreaEuropean Union

Australia Proposes NVES Integration Date Amendment for Vehicles Subject to ADR 81/03 and ADR 114/00

Australia has notified a draft New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Amendment (NVES Integration Date) Determination 2026 that would phase currently exempt vehicles into the NVES regime from mid-2027, aligned with new Australian Design Rules on carbon dioxide emissions measurement. Vehicle manufacturers and importers should plan for these vehicles to count toward NVES targets, reassess fleet mix and compliance margins, and consider submitting comments by 20 July 2026 before the transition schedule is finalised.

22 May 2026, 18:57members.wto.orgAustralia

Australia Adopts ADR 114/00 Standard for Vehicle CO₂ Emissions Measurement

Australia has brought into force ADR 114/00, a new national vehicle standard setting how CO₂ emissions must be measured and reported for certain heavier light-duty passenger and goods vehicles, with obligations applying to vehicles supplied from 30 June 2027. This locks in internationally aligned CO₂ test methods for affected vehicles and creates a clear, auditable emissions dataset that can underpin future efficiency targets and market-access conditions for importers and manufacturers.

22 May 2026, 18:57legislation.gov.auAustralia

Nine EU Member States Issue Joint Non-Paper on Greening of Corporate Vehicle Fleets

Nine EU Member States have issued a joint non-paper to the Council on competitiveness and sustainable mobility in the greening of corporate vehicle fleets. This coordinated positioning could influence future EU measures on corporate fleets and road transport decarbonisation, affecting automotive strategy, fleet procurement decisions and supporting infrastructure planning.

22 May 2026, 18:56eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

EU Council Presidency Circulates Compromise Text on Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation Proposal

In May 2026 the Council Presidency tabled a non-public compromise text on the proposed EU Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation (interinstitutional file 2025/0421(COD)), marking a further step in Council negotiations. Although the compromise text itself is inaccessible, its circulation signals that binding EU rules on what counts as a clean corporate vehicle are moving closer, so fleet-owning companies and vehicle suppliers should monitor this file for an eventual agreed text and implementation timelines.

22 May 2026, 18:56consilium.europa.euEuropean Union

Germany BGH Clarifies Diesel Software Update Impact on Difference Damage (VIa ZR 412/24)

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has clarified when diesel software updates extinguish or reduce "difference damage" liability in defeat-device cases, in a May 2026 decision dismissing a non-admission complaint in VIa ZR 412/24. Manufacturers can no longer treat KBA-approved updates as a safe harbour; they must be able to demonstrate that each update removes all unlawful defeat devices and materially dispels the risk of operating bans, or expect continued litigation exposure and damages claims.

22 May 2026, 18:56rechtsprechung-im-internet.deGermany

Hong Kong Government Outlines Subsidy and Fast-Charger Plans for Electric Commercial Vehicles

In May 2026 the Hong Kong Government confirmed funding, infrastructure targets, and a new fast-charger scheme to accelerate uptake of electric buses, taxis, and other commercial vehicles. These commitments signal sustained public investment in charging capacity and incentives, shaping long-term fleet and infrastructure planning for transport operators, OEMs, and charging providers.

22 May 2026, 09:46info.gov.hkHong Kong SAR China

UNECE Publishes Revision 1 of Mutual Resolution No. 3 on Vehicle Interior Air Quality

UNECE’s vehicle regulations forum has published Revision 1 of its global Mutual Resolution No. 3 on vehicle interior air quality under the 1958 and 1998 agreements, consolidating updated technical guidance and test procedures in document ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1143/REV.1. While non-binding, this revised standard will shape how regulators and OEMs approach interior materials, emissions testing and future VIAQ rules worldwide, so automotive compliance teams should track its content as a forward indicator of emerging requirements.

21 May 2026, 08:57docs.un.orgGlobal

EU Council Working Party on the Environment Issues Revised Agenda for 18–21 May 2026 Meeting

The EU Council Working Party on the Environment has issued a revised agenda for its 18–21 May 2026 meeting, confirming discussions on waste exports, vehicle CO2 standards, the ETS market stability reserve, and adding an item on the Dushanbe Water Decade Declaration. This procedural update signals imminent Council negotiations on key circular-economy and climate files, so waste exporters, automotive manufacturers and ETS participants should closely monitor outcomes and be ready for resulting legislative compromises.

21 May 2026, 06:54data.consilium.europa.euEuropean Union

EEA Joint Committee Decision 9/2026 Incorporates Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1455 on L-Category Vehicle Cybersecurity Into Annex II to the EEA Agreement

The EEA Joint Committee has amended Annex II to the EEA Agreement to incorporate EU Delegated Regulation 2025/1455 on technical requirements and testing to protect L-category vehicles against cyberattacks, with the decision entering into force on 7 February 2026. This ensures that manufacturers and importers of L-category vehicles in EEA countries face harmonised cybersecurity expectations with the EU, tightening compliance for vehicle design, testing, and market access planning.

21 May 2026, 06:54eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

Germany Federal Court of Justice Clarifies Diesel Defeat-Device Liability and Remands Mercedes Case (VIa ZR 450/23)

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has remanded a Mercedes diesel defeat-device case (VIa ZR 450/23), confirming that Euro 5 OM 651 vehicles can give rise to differential damages under national type-approval rules and EU emissions law rather than full rescission claims. The ruling tightens the liability model for diesel emissions litigation while sustaining material exposure for manufacturers and importers of similar engine families, signalling continued risk from defeat-device findings in the German courts.

21 May 2026, 06:38rechtsprechung-im-internet.deGermany

Netherlands’ Formule E-Team Advises on Stimulating Second-Hand Electric Vehicle Market

In February 2026 the Dutch multi-stakeholder Formule E-Team advised the government to adopt a structural package of tax, subsidy and charging reforms to stimulate the second-hand market for electric vehicles. If policymakers act on this advice, automotive and charging-sector stakeholders should prepare for possible changes to motor vehicle tax, second-hand purchase incentives and public charging rules that could significantly reshape EV demand, pricing and infrastructure investment in the Netherlands.

20 May 2026, 19:57zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Croatia Publishes Safety Gate (RAPEX) Recalls for MAN, Mercedes and Alfa Romeo Vehicles

Croatia’s State Inspectorate has issued four new Safety Gate (RAPEX) dangerous-product notices for MAN and Mercedes heavy trucks and buses and Alfa Romeo Tonale passenger cars in mid-May 2026. These recalls highlight serious engine, steering and tyre defects, so fleet operators and dealers should identify affected vehicles, schedule repairs, and expect similar checks or campaigns in other EU markets.

20 May 2026, 19:24dirh.gov.hrEuropean UnionCroatia

California SB 1392: Senate Advances Bill to Expand Smog-Check Exemptions for Collector Motor Vehicles

In May 2026 the California Senate advanced SB 1392, a bill that would broaden smog-check exemptions and redefine “collector motor vehicle” to cover more low-use classic cars under the state’s air pollution laws. If enacted, the phased exemptions and new insurance or mileage conditions could lower compliance burdens for collector car owners and related businesses while slightly loosening long-term vehicle emissions controls in California.

20 May 2026, 18:00leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

EU Council: Estonia Comments on Clean Corporate Vehicles Proposal

In January 2026 Estonia submitted a Council working-document setting out strong reservations about the EU Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation proposal, warning that mandatory ZLEV fleet targets could disproportionately impact leasing markets, SMEs and private citizens. The intervention signals political headwinds and practical implementation risks around infrastructure, equity and fiscal flexibility that companies with large vehicle fleets should monitor as negotiations on the file continue.

20 May 2026, 17:51eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

UNECE Adopts UN Regulation No 179 on Laboratory Measurement of Brake Particle Emissions From Light-Duty Vehicles

UN Regulation No 179 establishes harmonised laboratory procedures and PM10 brake particle emission limits for light-duty vehicles under the UNECE 1958 Agreement, with publication in May 2026 and entry into force expected in September 2026. This creates a new, globally aligned compliance baseline for non-exhaust brake emissions, requiring OEMs, brake suppliers, and test laboratories to upgrade equipment, data systems, and product designs so future type approvals and conformity-of-production checks can pass WLTP-Brake based PM10 requirements across electrified and ICE powertrains.

UNECE WP.29 Proposes Supplement 18 to the 02 Series of Amendments to UN Regulation No. 117 on Tyre Rolling Resistance, Noise and Wet Grip

UNECE WP.29 has issued working document ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/167 in May 2026 proposing Supplement 18 to the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 117 on tyres, covering rolling resistance, rolling noise and wet grip. If adopted, this supplement will adjust the technical performance and testing requirements applied to tyres under UN R117, so tyre manufacturers and vehicle OEMs should monitor the proposal closely and prepare to review and update their type-approval and design documentation.