Greening and 6th Gear Automotive have joined forces to assist Chinese components manufacturers in obtaining certification under the European Union's new ECE Regulation 90. The new rule sets the standards for all brake discs to be used in the EU, and it recently went into effect for all commercial vehicles with a registration date later than November 1, 2014. For passenger vehicles, ECE R90 will affect cars registered after November 1, 2016.
Greening and 6th Gear will work in close collaboration with RDW, the Netherlands' road traffic agency, to provide Chinese suppliers with a direct communication channel and face-to-face assistance during the application process. RDW will also supervise the acquisition of E4 certifications.
ECE standards are governed by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations which, since 1998, has expanded beyond Europe to include a handful of African and Asian nations.
"2015 will be an important year for the manufacturers who export to Europe," said Greening Testing Laboratories president Charles Greening. "Our years of experience in testing of automotive spare parts were recognized by the Dutch RDW. 6th Gear Automotive has a strong presence in China, providing Europe with automotive aftermarket products. This synergy led to our cooperation."
6th Gear CEO Richard Boogaard added that the partnership was motivated by the desire to find a cost-effective solution for manufacturers who were concerned about being able to meet the new requirements in time. Beyond helping to guide their partners through the process, the two companies announced that a testing lab for certifying clients in China will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Greening offers manufacturers a variety of friction testing services for new and replacement brakes, and we serve the Asian and European markets through our associates in those regions.
