EU 2018/858 introduces the requirement for a Software Update Management System for category O vehicles from July 2024 for new EU type approvals and from July 2026 for new registrations.

UN Regulation R156 complements this framework by defining how software updates must be:

Secure, to prevent unauthorised access or manipulation.
Traceable, with full documentation of update history.
Compliant with type approval and production conformity standards.

Manufacturers are required to:

Control and document all software updates.
Provide evidence to technical authorities for type approval, market surveillance, recalls, and periodic inspections.

R156 ensures that vehicles remain compliant with their initial type approval throughout their lifecycle. The manufacturer must approve any software changes before implementation.

👉 For full regulatory details, visit the official UNECE page: