Glossary of Terms

European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA)

New European rules harmonising vehicle construction standards across Europe; require all vehicles to have an approval to enter the market (European or domestic).

National Schemes

It is proposed to introduce National schemes for vehicles that are not mass-produced or are intended for domestic market only. The two proposed schemes are National Small Series Type Approval and Individual Vehicle Approval.

National Small Series Type Approval (NSSTA)

Approval route for finished vehicles produced in small volumes. The number of units of one vehicle type to be registered, sold or put into service per year in one Member State must not exceed the figures shown below for the vehicle category in question:

Category	Units
M2, M3	250
N1	500
N2, N3	250
O1, O2	500
O3, O4	250

 

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)

Approval route for finished vehicles produced individually, or in very low numbers where small series approval is not cost-effective.

Certificate of Conformity (CoC)

A certificate of conformity is a document issued by the manufacturer which certifies that a vehicle belonging to the series of the type approved in accordance with the Directive complied with all the regulatory acts at the time of production.

Conformity of Production (CoP)

Conformity of Production means the ability to produce series products in conformity with the specification, performance and marking requirements in the type approval.

Complete Vehicle

Means any vehicle which has been built in one stage by one manufacturer, for example a panel van.

Incomplete Vehicle

Is a vehicle that must undergo at least one further stage of build in order to be considered a finished vehicle, ready for use. For example, a chassis cab is an incomplete vehicle since a body must be added for it to be finished. After 2014 it will not be possible to register an incomplete vehicle.

Completed Vehicle

Is a vehicle that has been built in more than one stage, normally by two or more different manufacturers. For example, a concrete mixer where a company has added the additional components (ie the mixer itself) to a cab chassis and the vehicle requires no further work before it can be considered finished.

Vehicle Type (taken from definitions in the new European rules)

For categories M2 and M3:

A "type" shall consist of vehicles which do not differ in at least the following essential respects:

• the manufacturer
• the manufacturer's type designation
• category
• essential aspects of construction and design:
  - (chassis/self-supporting body, single-/double deck, rigid/articulated (obvious and fundamental differences);
  
• number of axles
• power plant (internal combustion / electric / hybrid)

"Variant" of a type means vehicles within a type which do not differ in at least the following essential respects:

• class as defined in Directive 2001/85/EC "Buses and coaches" (only for complete vehicles)
• extent of build (e.g. complete/incomplete)
• power plant:
  - working principle
  - number and arrangement of cylinders
  - power differences of more than 50 % (the highest is more than 1.5 times the lowest)
  - capacity differences of more than 50 % (the highest is more than 1.5 times the lowest)
  - location (front, mid, rear)
• technically permissible maximum laden mass differences of more than 20 % (the highest is more than 1.2 times the lowest)
• powered axles (number, position, interconnection)
• steered axles (number and position).

For categories N1, N2 and N3:

A "type" shall consist of vehicles, which do not differ in at least the following essential respects:

• the manufacturer,
• the manufacturer's type designation,
• category
  - essential aspects of construction and design
  - chassis/floor pan (obvious and fundamental differences)
  
• number of axles
• power plant (internal combustion/electric/hybrid))

"Variant" of a type means vehicles within a type which do not differ in at least the following essential respects:

• body structural concept (e.g. platform truck / tipper / tanker / semi-trailer towing vehicle) (only for complete vehicles)
• extent of build (e.g. complete/incomplete)
• power plant:
  - working principle
  - number and arrangement of cylinders
  - power differences of more than 50 % (the highest is more than 1.5 times the lowest)
  - capacity differences of more than 50 % (the highest is more than 1.5 times the lowest)
• technically permissible maximum laden mass differences of more than 20 % (the highest is more than 1.2 times the lowest)
• powered axles (number, position, interconnection)
• steered axles (number and position).

For categories O1, O2, O3 and O4:

A "type" shall consist of vehicles which do not differ in at least the following essential respects:

• the manufacturer,
• the manufacturer's type designation,
• category,
• essential aspects of construction and design:
  - chassis/self supporting body (obvious and fundamental differences);
  - number of axles;
  - drawbar trailer/semi-trailer/centre axle trailer;
  - type of braking system (e.g. unbraked/inertia/power).

"Variant" of a type means vehicles within a type which do not differ in at least the following essential respects:

• extent of build (e.g. complete/incomplete),
• body style (e.g. caravans/platform/tanker) (only for complete/completed vehicles),
• technically permissible maximum laden mass differences of more than 20 % (the highest is more than 1.2 times the lowest),
• steered axles (number and position)