Why do we need E-Mark approved lights?
First, what is E-Mark?
E-Mark is the certification of the Economic Commission for Europe (referred to as ECE, United Nations agency). According to the European Economic Commission regulations and the provisions of EU directives, in order to enter the European market, vehicles and various vehicle components and systems must be certified to meet the basic requirements of traffic safety and environmental protection.
E-Mark is issued by the transport department, indicating that the product complies with ECE regulations. Vehicles and related products require E-Mark certification to be legally sold in Europe.
Products certified by E-Mark will be recognized by all EU member states and some other countries under UNECE Regulation 10. Each EU member state has its own number of E-Mark certificates:
E1 – Germany
E2 – France
E3 – Italy
E4 – Netherlands
E5 – Sweden
E6 – Belgium
E7 – Hungary
E8 – Czech Republic
E9 – Spain
E10 – Yugoslavia
E11 – United Kingdom
E12 – Austria
E13 – Luxembourg
E14 – Switzerland
E16 – Norway
E17 – Finland
E18 – Denmark
E19 – Romania
E20 – Poland
E21 – Portugal
E22 – Russian Federation
E23 – Greece
E24 – Ireland
E25 – Croatia
E26 – Slovenia
E27 – Slovakia
E28 – Belarus
E29 – Estonia
E31 – Bosnia and Herzegovina
E32 – Latvia
E34 – Bulgaria
E37 – Turkey
E40 – Macedonia
E42 – European Community
E43 – Japan
E45 – Australia
E46 – Ukraine
E47 – South Africa
The E-Mark logo is a circular frame. If a product passes ECE testing in the United Kingdom, it will receive an “E11” marking with a number next to it.
Which ECE regulations are related to vehicle lights?
Before 2019, the ECE regulations had many different subdivision regulations for different automotive lamps and reflectors. For example, in the signal lamps category, there are license plate lamps (R4) Direction indicator lamps (R6), reverse lamps (R23), parking lamps (R77), etc. It's undeniable that there are certain advantages in subdividing regulations, but this complicates the application process for the E-mark certification. A product equipped with multiple functions has to apply for multiple tests & certificates under different regulations. Take OGA 46 series 20-inch driving + fog + strobe light all-in-one light bar as an example, 3 functions mean that it requires a maximum of 3 certificates and 3 corresponding markings on the item.
The good news is that UNECE has decided to formally incorporate ECE R148, R149, and R150 into the UN 1958 agreement from 15 November 2019. The three new standards are mainly to increase the clarity, consolidate and streamline the complexity of requirements for vehicle lighting, light signal devices, and reflective devices, improve clarity and reduce the number of regulatory standards but do not reduce the detailed technical requirements in the regulations.
