First regulation on autonomous vehicles published

The Regulation on the Type Approval of Motor Vehicles Regarding Autonomous Driving System of Fully Autonomous Vehicles (“Regulation”), which will be monitored by the Minister of Industry and Technology, entered into force on 1 December 2024, after publication in the Official Gazette No. 32739.

This new Regulation aims to determine the provisions regarding the equipping of M and N category motor vehicles with autonomous driving systems (ADS), the specific test procedures and technical requirements for the type approval of these systems, as well as the details regarding the procedures and principles for their implementation.

Dual Mode Vehicles: As defined in the second article of the Regulation, a dual-mode vehicle is a vehicle that can be operated both by a driver in manual driving mode and by an autonomous driving system, ADS, in fully autonomous driving mode and can switch between these modes.

This Regulation covers the type approval of autonomous driving systems of category M and N fully autonomous vehicles in the use cases listed in Article 1. These cases are;

• Vehicles intended for the transportation of people or goods within the designated area, including bi-modal vehicles,
• Fully autonomous vehicles transportation of passenger and goods in a fixed route, including bimodal vehicles,
• Dual-mode vehicles with fully autonomous driving mode for vehicle parking applications in certain parking facilities with autonomous parking systems. They may use, by providing additional information, technological equipment available in the parking facility to support the functions of autonomous parking systems, which are the external infrastructure of the parking system or may not use such equipment.

Manufacturers’ Right to Apply: Manufacturers are entitled to apply for individual or type approval for autonomous driving systems of vehicles defined in the sixth paragraph of Article 1 of the Regulation on Type Approval and Market Surveillance and Inspection of Motor Vehicles and Trailers and Their Components, Systems and Separate Technical Units (EU/2018/858) published in the Official Gazette dated 19/4/2020 and numbered 31104, if they meet the requirements of this Regulation.

Administrative Provisions and Technical Specifications for Type Approval of Fully Autonomous Vehicles: Autonomous driving systems in fully autonomous vehicles are subject to type approval under the provisions of the Regulation on Type Approval and Market Surveillance and Inspection of Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers and Their Components, Systems and Separate Technical Units (EU/2018/858). Within the scope of the application, an information document providing detailed information on the autonomous driving system applied for in accordance with subparagraph (a) of the first paragraph of Article 24 of the regulation is submitted.

Issuance of the EU Type Approval Certificate: The EU type approval certificate for the type of autonomous driving systems of fully autonomous vehicles is issued in accordance with Article 28 of the Regulation on Type Approval and Market Surveillance and Inspection of Motor Vehicles and Trailers and Their Components, Systems and Separate Technical Units (EU/2018/858).

Compatibility with European Union Legislation: This Regulation is drafted taking into consideration of the European Union Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of November 27, 2019 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 of August 5, 2022. These Regulations set out the administrative and technical requirements for the autonomous driving systems of fully autonomous vehicles. In this context, with the Regulation, the legislation in Turkey is designed to ensure full compliance with EU standards.