ISO 2958:2024

Road vehicles - Exterior protection for passenger cars

This document specifies the requirements and test methods for exterior protection for passenger cars. This document applies to passenger cars. The aim is to provide protection at the front and rear of the vehicle, of certain mechanical elements and, above all, for lighting, signals, charging ports and sensors (arranged at the front and rear of the vehicle and including but not limited to those used for automatic driving system, e.g. LiDAR, radar, camera) in cases of collision at low speed. Exterior protection is assured by protective devices, which are elements located at the front and rear ends of vehicles and designed in such a way as to allow contacts and small shocks to occur without causing any serious damage.

Véhicules routiers — Protection extérieure des voitures particulières

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 21-Jul-2024
• ICS: 43.040.80 - Crash protection and restraint systems
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 22 - Road vehicles
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 22 - Road vehicles
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 22-Jul-2024
• Due Date: 21-Feb-2025
• Completion Date: 22-Jul-2024

Relations

• Revises: ISO 2958:1973 - Road vehicles - Exterior protection for passenger cars
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022

Overview

ISO 2958:2024 specifies international standards for exterior protection on passenger cars, focusing on minimizing damage to key components during low-speed collisions. This standard covers test methods and performance requirements for protective devices located on the front and rear ends of vehicles. These devices-such as bumpers, beams, and mounting elements-are designed to safeguard critical mechanical elements, lighting, signals, charging ports, and sensor systems including LiDAR, radar, and cameras used in advanced driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies.

Developed by ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC 22 (Road vehicles), this second edition updates the original 1973 standard to address modern vehicle structures and emerging technologies. It ensures that exterior protective devices prevent significant damage from minor impacts while maintaining vehicle functionality.

Key Topics

• Protective Device Definition
  Components positioned at front and rear ends of passenger cars, designed to absorb impacts without causing serious damage. This includes bumper covers, foam parts, beams, energy absorbers, and associated mountings.

• Test Conditions and Methods

  • Tests are conducted on vehicles both at unladen and laden weights to simulate realistic loading conditions.
  • The impactor, constructed of hardened steel and matching vehicle weight, simulates low-speed collisions.
  • Two test types: longitudinal impact (front/rear impact at 4 km/h) and corner impact (impacts at 25 km/h at a 60° angle).
  • Vehicles must meet specific conditions such as tire inflation, suspension adjustment, and neutral gearbox status during testing.

• Functional Requirements Post-Impact

  • Lighting, signals, and retro-reflective devices (excluding registration plate lights) must remain operational after impact.
  • The engine hood, trunk lid, and doors must open and close properly; doors must not open spontaneously post-impact.
  • Fuel, cooling, charging (for hybrid/electric), and exhaust systems must remain leak-free and functional.
  • Propulsion, suspension, steering, and braking systems must maintain proper adjustment and operation.
  • Structural integrity of bumper beams, crossmembers, and body components must be preserved.

• Repair and Replacement Guidelines
  Repairs or replacement of protective devices and attachments are allowed between tests. Automatic restoration materials may require manufacturer-specified recovery times. Testing on previously used vehicles is permitted if approved.

Applications

ISO 2958:2024 is essential for automotive manufacturers, suppliers, and testing organizations aiming to ensure exterior protection compliance for passenger cars. Practical applications include:

• Design and Development
  Helps engineers design bumpers, housings, and attachment systems that reduce damage to lighting, sensors, and mechanical components during minor collisions.

• Quality Assurance and Certification
  Provides standardized test methods to validate vehicle compliance with exterior protection requirements, mitigating repair costs and enhancing safety.

• Sensor and ADAS Integration
  Ensures critical sensors and cameras essential for automatic driving systems remain protected and functional after impacts, supporting advanced safety technologies.

• Repair and Maintenance Protocols
  Establishes conditions for repairs and replacements of protective devices post-collision, ensuring continued compliance without compromising protection.

Related Standards

• ISO 1176 - Road vehicles - Masses - Vocabulary and codes: Provides terms and definitions referenced in ISO 2958:2024.
• ISO/IEC Directives Part 1 & 2 - Guidance on preparation and editorial rules relevant to international standards development.
• ISO 26262 - Road vehicles - Functional safety: Relevant for ensuring that sensor and system integrity are maintained to prevent failures in safety-critical systems during impacts.

Keywords

Exterior protection, passenger cars, automotive bumpers, low-speed collision, impact testing, protective devices, vehicle sensors, LiDAR protection, radar protection, camera protection, ADAS, automatic driving systems, vehicle safety standards, ISO 2958, automotive impact requirements.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 2958
Second edition
Road vehicles — Exterior protection
2024-07
for passenger cars
Véhicules routiers — Protection extérieure des voitures
particulières
Reference number
© ISO 2024
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Test condition . 3
4.1 Test site .3
4.2 Vehicle status .3
4.3 Impactor .4
4.4 Propulsion of the impactor .4
4.5 Special provisions applicable where a pendulum used .4
4.6 Special provisions applicable where a moving barrier used .4
5 Test method . 4
5.1 Longitudinal-impact test .4
5.2 Corner-impact test .5
6 Conditions of repair and replacement . 5
7 Requirements . 5

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 22, Road vehicles.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 2958:1973), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— added the definition of protective devices;
— modified the definition of the vehicle corner and added Figure 2;
— added requirements for front and rear protective devices and their covered structures;
— added requirements for cameras and sensors installed on the front and rear protective device.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
This document was developed to define a general test for exterior protection for passenger cars. This
document mainly revises ISO 2958:1973. With the advancement of technology, emerging components
such as sensors, radars and cameras have been equipped with front- and rear-end protection devices for
automobiles, which have caused significant changes in the car body structure and have put forward higher
technical requirements for the front- and rear-end protection devices. At present, the concept and structure
of the bumper device is significantly different to 1973. Therefore, this document extends the definition of
the bumper and related technical requirements.

v
International Standard ISO 2958:2024(en)
Road vehicles — Exterior protection for passenger cars
1 Scope
This document specifies the requirements and test methods for exterior protection for passenger cars. This
document applies to passenger cars.
The aim is to provide protection at the front and rear of the vehicle, of certain mechanical elements and,
above all, for lighting, signals, charging ports and sensors (arranged at the front and rear of the vehicle and
including but not limited to those used for automatic driving system, e.g. LiDAR, radar, camera) in cases of
collision at low speed.
Exterior protection is assured by protective devices, which are elements located at the front and rear ends
of vehicles and designed in such a way as to allow contacts and small shocks to occur without causing any
serious damage.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 1176, Road vehicles — Masses — Vocabulary and codes
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 1176 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
protective device
element located at the front or rear end of vehicles and designed to allow collision at low speed where the
vehicle is not heavily damaged
EXAMPLE
...