Motor vehicle type approval
Encyclopedia
The new Framework Directive
(Directive 2007/46/EC establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicle
s and their trailer
s, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles) rules approval schemes of the new motor vehicle
s and their trailer
s in the European Union
:
The European Commission
shall adopt amendments to this Directive which are necessary to lay down technical requirements for small series vehicles, vehicles approved under the individual approval procedure and 'special purpose vehicles'.
UNECE Regulations to which the Community has acceded and which are listed in Part I of Annex IV and in Annex XI of the frame Directive are part of the EC type-approval of a vehicle in the same way as the separate directives or regulations. They shall apply to the categories of vehicles listed in this Annexes. When the Community has decided to apply on a compulsory basis a UNECE Regulation for the purpose of EC vehicle type-approval in accordance with Article 4(4) of Decision 97/836/EC, the annexes to the Frame Directive shall be amended as appropriate in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 40(2) .The UNECE Regulations listed in Part II of Annex IV are recognised as being equivalent to the corresponding separate directives or regulations in as much as they share the same scope
and subject matter
. Where the Community has decided to applya new UNECE Regulation or a UNECE Regulation as amended, Part II of Annex IV shall be amended as appropriate.
Automotive EC Directives and ECE Regulations require third party approval - testing, certification and production conformity assessment by an independent body. Each Member State is required to appoint an Approval Authority to issue the approvals, and a Technical Service to carry out the testing to the Directives and Regulations.
An approval issued by one Authority will be accepted in all the Member States. If a vehicle is produced in a very small quantity (e.g. M1 maximum 75 per year), single EU Member States can grant
exception on a discretionary basis, however the validity of the Type Approval is limited to the boundaries of those Nations which concede to it.
Cornerstones of the Type Approval process are:
Theare are multiple methods of type-approval:
EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (also called Pan European Type Approval) is to prevent trade barrier
s, and at the same time guarantee the level of safety and restricted environmental influence of a vehicle. Thanks to that, the car can be registered in each European member state without additional national tests or approval. This harmonisation
results in reduced costs and lead time for the manufacturer, importer as well as the consumer. Mandatory compliance date for ECWVTA for M1 vehicles was 2009-04-29.
In the United Kingdom
, this function is performed by the Vehicle Certification Agency
(VCA). This body has the power to issue International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) certifications.
Uniform provisions concerning the approval of battery electric vehicles with regard to specific requirements for the construction, functional safety and hydrogen emission
Framework Directive
A Framework Directive establishes a framework or template for subsequent legislation in an area. "The" Framework Directive may refer to a number of European Union directives that put in place legislative frameworks, including -...
(Directive 2007/46/EC establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s and their trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
s, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles) rules approval schemes of the new motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s and their trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
s in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
:
- European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), that applies to passenger carsAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. Over the next few years, ECWVTA will be extended to cover all new road vehicles and trailers. - United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeThe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
(UNECE) regulations. - National Small Series Type Approval (NSSTA) - the key advantages of this scheme are that some technical requirements may be reduced in comparison with ECWVTA; however, the number of vehicles that can be manufactured are limited.
- Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)
The European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
shall adopt amendments to this Directive which are necessary to lay down technical requirements for small series vehicles, vehicles approved under the individual approval procedure and 'special purpose vehicles'.
UNECE Regulations to which the Community has acceded and which are listed in Part I of Annex IV and in Annex XI of the frame Directive are part of the EC type-approval of a vehicle in the same way as the separate directives or regulations. They shall apply to the categories of vehicles listed in this Annexes. When the Community has decided to apply on a compulsory basis a UNECE Regulation for the purpose of EC vehicle type-approval in accordance with Article 4(4) of Decision 97/836/EC, the annexes to the Frame Directive shall be amended as appropriate in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 40(2) .The UNECE Regulations listed in Part II of Annex IV are recognised as being equivalent to the corresponding separate directives or regulations in as much as they share the same scope
Scope
The word scope may refer to many different devices or viewing instruments, constructed for many different purposes. It may refer to a telescopic sight, an optical device commonly used on firearms. Other uses of scope or Scopes may refer to:...
and subject matter
Subject matter
Subject matter, in general, is anything which can be content for some theory.Subject matter may refer to:* Patentable subject matter , defining whether patent protection is available...
. Where the Community has decided to applya new UNECE Regulation or a UNECE Regulation as amended, Part II of Annex IV shall be amended as appropriate.
Automotive EC Directives and ECE Regulations require third party approval - testing, certification and production conformity assessment by an independent body. Each Member State is required to appoint an Approval Authority to issue the approvals, and a Technical Service to carry out the testing to the Directives and Regulations.
An approval issued by one Authority will be accepted in all the Member States. If a vehicle is produced in a very small quantity (e.g. M1 maximum 75 per year), single EU Member States can grant
exception on a discretionary basis, however the validity of the Type Approval is limited to the boundaries of those Nations which concede to it.
Cornerstones of the Type Approval process are:
- Application by the vehicle or component manufacturer
- Testing by a technical service
- Granting of the approval by an Approval Authority
- Conformity of Production by the manufacturer in agreement with the Approval Authority
- Certificate of Conformity by the manufacturer for the end-user
Theare are multiple methods of type-approval:
- multi-stage Type Approval: a the procedure whereby one or more Member States certify that, depending on the state of completion, an incomplete or completed type of vehicle satisfies the relevant administrative provisions and technical requirements of this Directive
- step-by-step Type Approval: a vehicle approval procedure consisting in the step-by-step collection of the whole set of EC type-approval certificates for the systems, components and separate technical units relating to the vehicle, and which leads, at the final stage, to the approval of the whole vehicle
- mixed Type Approval: means a step-by-step Type Approval procedure for which one or more system approvals are achieved during the final stage of the approval of the whole vehicle, without it being necessary to issue the EC Type Approval certificates for those systems
- single-step Type Approval: a procedure consisting in the approval of a vehicle as a whole by means of a single operation
EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (also called Pan European Type Approval) is to prevent trade barrier
Trade barrier
Trade barriers are government-induced restrictions on international trade. The barriers can take many forms, including the following:* Tariffs* Non-tariff barriers to trade** Import licenses** Export licenses** Import quotas** Subsidies...
s, and at the same time guarantee the level of safety and restricted environmental influence of a vehicle. Thanks to that, the car can be registered in each European member state without additional national tests or approval. This harmonisation
Harmonisation
Harmonisation may refer to:* In music, the implementation of harmony, usually by using chords, including harmonized scales* Harmonisation of law, the process of establishing common laws and standards across the European Union...
results in reduced costs and lead time for the manufacturer, importer as well as the consumer. Mandatory compliance date for ECWVTA for M1 vehicles was 2009-04-29.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, this function is performed by the Vehicle Certification Agency
Vehicle Certification Agency
The Vehicle Certification Agency is an executive agency of the United Kingdom Department for Transport, and is the UKs Type Approval authority, and a leading certification body...
(VCA). This body has the power to issue International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
(ISO) certifications.
Electric vehicles
Electric vehicles are rules by Regulation No 100 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE) —Uniform provisions concerning the approval of battery electric vehicles with regard to specific requirements for the construction, functional safety and hydrogen emission
External links
- Importation and Certification FAQ’s (United States National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
) - Vehicle type-approval in the European Union. Other Commission pages on motor vehicles:
- Technical harmonisation for motor vehicles (European Union legislation)
- Type Approval for road going vehicles in the European Community
- Vehicle Certification in Australia, Road Vehicle Certification System (RVCS). (Japan U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
- Vehicle Import