VEHICLE CERTIFICATION FROM AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS

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Contents
Pg
2 Introduction

Why VCA?

What is Type Approval?

Vehicle categories explained

Vehicle Certification - your options

EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA)

EC Small Series Type Approval (ECSSTA)

National Small Series Type Approval (NSSTA)

10

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)

11

Advice for multi-stage builders

12

Type Approval the process

13

Conformity of Production (CoP)

14

Online tools to support you through the process

15

VCA VISTA & LegStat

16

VCA Compliance Management System (CMS)

17

Glossary of frequently used terms

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VCA is the designated UK Approval Authority and a Technical Service for all type approvals to automotive EC Directives and EC or UN Regulations.

INTRODUCTION
Almost since their invention, vehicles have been subject to some sort of safety and environmental certification. Over time, the level and complexity of certification has increased and now the vast majority of countries mandate a set of legal requirements to control the safety, security and environmental impact of vehicles, their systems and components. Understanding the legislation in your chosen market is critical as failure to obtain the correct certification may prevent vehicles from being registered. Within Europe, two systems of type approval have been in existence for over 20 years. One is based around EC Directives and EC Regulations and provides for the approval of whole vehicles, vehicle systems, and separate components. The other is based around United Nations Regulations and provides for approval of vehicle systems and separate components, but not whole vehicles. However, this system already complements the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) system and figures increasingly as time goes on. Type approval is the confirmation that production samples of a design have met specified performance standards and that series production will continue in compliance. The specification of the product is recorded and only that specification is approved. Both the European and United Nations type approval systems require third party approval - testing, certification and production conformity assessment by an independent body. Each Member State (or Contracting Party in the case of UN Regulations) may appoint an Approval Authority to issue the approvals and a Technical Service to carry out the testing to the Directives and Regulations. In the EC an approval issued by one Authority will be accepted in all the Member States. VCA is the designated UK Approval Authority and a Technical Service for all type approvals to automotive EC Directives and EC or UN Regulations. The purpose of this publication is to explain the vehicle type approval process, outlining the various routes to certification for cars, vans, trucks, coaches, buses, trailers and some other special purpose vehicles. It also explains how VCA can support you through the process, what sets us apart from other certification bodies and what tools we have developed to help you get your products to market as quickly and efficiently as possible. Information on the certification of motorcycles and agricultural tractors is available separately or on the VCA website.

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With approaching 40 years experience, VCA supports the automotive industry globally...

WHY VCA?
Choosing the right certification partner is one of the most important elements of the approval process. VCA is an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport and is the UK vehicle type approval authority for new road vehicles, agricultural tractors and off-road vehicles. With approaching 40 years experience,VCA supports the automotive industry globally from a number of strategic locations including North America, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Italy, Korea and Australia. This means that VCA has the ability to quickly respond to your needs wherever you are. Our service is based on the cornerstones of integrity, professionalism, quality and the very best customer service. VCA: Is a combined Approval Authority and Technical Service, which will help you to get your products to market quickly Has developed a range of online tools to help you through the approval process and to maintain ongoing compliance Promotes stable relationships with customers; you wont see a different person every time Scored 95% on a recent independent customer satisfaction survey VCA is also a management system certification body, accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) against ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and Acorn. In addition to this,VCA is recognised by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) for ISO/TS 16949. VCA can also issue certification to the energy management standard, ISO 50001. Our aim is to help you to succeed!

Next Steps:
To find out more contact one of the team or complete the online application form at: www.dft.gov.uk/vca

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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WHAT IS TYPE APPROVAL?

Put simply, type approval is the process of ensuring that production new on and off-road vehicles, their systems and components, have been designed and constructed to meet internationally agreed standards of safety, security and environmental protection. Whole Vehicle Type Approval authorises a manufacturer to: Produce vehicles to a proven specification and, Self-certify these as compliant with relevant legislation Two fundamental requirements are: Meeting the technical and administrative requirements and capturing the design Ensuring that subsequent production vehicles are manufactured in conformance with the approved design Updated Framework Directive: During 2007, the framework Directive covering European Type Approval for cars was extended to cover buses, coaches, vans, trucks, trailers and some other special purpose vehicles. These changes are being phased in from April 2009 by vehicle category and will be fully in place by 2014. If you are involved in the manufacture, conversion, import/export, sale or purchase of such vehicles you are likely to be affected to a greater or lesser extent. The following chart illustrates how the various vehicle categories are described in type approval legislation so you can see which applies to you. If you are uncertain of the relevant type approval application date for your vehicle category you can find this out in Annex XIX to the framework Directive 2007/46/ EC, as amended or on the relevant page of the VCA website.

VCA Customer

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VEHICLE CATEGORIES EXPLAINED

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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VEHICLE CERTIFICATION - YOUR OPTIONS

There are a number of potential routes to the certification you require and the best option for you will depend on your particular circumstances. There are four potential routes to approval, which are: European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) European Small Series Type Approval for cars (ECSSTA) National Small Series Type Approval (NSSTA) Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) Each of the above will have their own merits and you may choose to use one or a VCA Customer combination. Each of the options is outlined in the following:

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EUROPEAN COMMUNITY WHOLE VEHICLE TYPE APPROVAL (ECWVTA)

If you make large numbers of vehicles each year and/or you plan to sell across Europe, ECWVTA is the best approval option. The European approval scheme is based on the concept of type approval and put simply; this process provides a mechanism for ensuring that vehicles meet relevant environmental, safety and security standards. Because it is not practical to test every single vehicle made, samples representative of a production vehicle are tested as being representative of the type. A number of performance requirements will apply to a given vehicle type ranging from tyres through to exhaust emissions and braking systems. To ensure a consistent approach, the test methodology is outlined in the relevant EC Directive / Regulation or UN Regulation and the tests are carried out at an appropriate facility. If you are a vehicle manufacturer, your supply chain will probably have system and component approvals in place already. Once all of the system and component approvals are in place, the vehicle will be considered as a whole by a designated approval body; in the UK this is VCA. This assessment can take place at your facility, providing you have the appropriate equipment and environment. A successful inspection will result in the issue of a European Whole Vehicle Type Approval Certificate. This certification will be accepted throughout the EC without the need for further testing until a standard is updated or your design changes. Once a vehicle is approved, the manufacturer should have processes in place to produce a Certificate of Conformity (CofC) for each vehicle manufactured. This is a declaration by the manufacturer that the particular vehicle has been manufactured in conformity with the approved specification. Conformity of Production (CoP) is an integral part of the approval process. Essentially, this involves the evaluation of your manufacturing processes to ensure that each product is manufactured in accordance with the approved specification. If you have a formal quality system in place, such as ISO 9001 or ISO/TS 16949, the level of CoP inspection may be reduced or even not required. VCA is also a management systems certification body, specialising in the automotive industry.

What is a type?
On the face of it, you may feel that you have many vehicles to approve but in practice, these may boil down to just a few types. But how is a type defined? Essentially, a type can best be viewed as a range of vehicles, which share a set of fundamental characteristics (these are described in Directive 2007/46/EC (as amended) at Part B of Annex II) In multi-stage type approval, where the vehicle is built and approved in more than one stage, such as a manufacturer building a chassis cab and a body builder/converter adding a tipper body, the body builder/converter will need to get a type approval corresponding to each of the base vehicle manufacturers chassis types. However, many areas of a vehicle are not covered by type approval and as such will not have an impact on the type. For example, (generally) the bodywork on a truck will not affect the type, so it is possible to include box vans, curtainsiders, tippers and flatbeds as variantson the same approval and it may not matter if other equipment (such as winches, sheeting equipment, etc.) were fitted.

A successful inspection will result in the issue of a European Whole Vehicle Type Approval Certificate.

Next Steps:
To find out more contact one of the team or complete the online application form at: www.dft.gov.uk/vca

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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EC Small Series Type Approval (ECSSTA) has been created for low volume car (category M1) producers only.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY SMALL SERIES TYPE APPROVAL (ECSSTA)

EC Small Series Type Approval (ECSSTA) has been created for low volume car (category M1) producers only. Like full European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) ECSSTA will allow Europe wide sales but with technical and administrative requirements that are more adapted to smaller businesses. Technical requirements are outlined in the Appendix to Part 1 of Annex IV of the framework directive. However, if you choose this route to approval, you will be limited to the number of vehicles you can manufacture within the year. The limit for cars produced is 1,000 per type each year in the whole of the EU. In multi-stage type approval, where the vehicle is built and approved in more than one stage, each manufacturers chassis type will require a type for the following stage.

Next Steps:
To find out more contact one the team or complete the online application form at: www.dft.gov.uk/vca

What is a type?
On the face of it, you may feel that you have many vehicles to approve but in practice, these may boil down to just a few types. But how is a type defined? Essentially, a type can best be viewed as a range of vehicles, which share a set of fundamental characteristics (these are described in the Directive at Part B of Annex II)

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If you manufacture modest numbers of vehicles then this route to approval may be right for you.

NATIONAL SMALL SERIES TYPE APPROVAL (NSSTA)

If you manufacture modest numbers of vehicles then this route to approval may be right for you. Again, this option is based on the concept of type approval rather than the approval of individual vehicles. The key advantages of this scheme are that some technical requirements may be reduced, which will have an impact on the costs associated with the approval process and the Conformity of Production (CoP) requirements will be appropriate and proportionate to the scale of your operation. However, the key disadvantages revolve around the fact that you will be limited to the number of vehicles you can manufacture in the year and there is a limited requirement for other Member States to accept National approvals. As with ECWVTA the manufacturer will be responsible for the issue of Certificates of Conformity within the limited numbers set out in the relevant legislation.

What is a type?
On the face of it, you may feel that you have many vehicles to approve but in practice, these may boil down to just a few types. But how is a type defined? Essentially, a type can best be viewed as a range of vehicles, which share a set of fundamental characteristics (these are described in the Directive at Part B of Annex II) In multi-stage type approval, where the vehicle is built in more than one stage, such as a manufacturer building a chassis cab and a body builder/converter adding a tipper body, each manufacturers chassis type will require a type for the following stage.

Limits for vehicles produced per type each year

Categories: Units: M1 75 M2/M3 250 N1 500 N2/N3 250 O1/O2 500 O3/O4 250

Next Steps:
To find out more contact one the team or complete the online application form at: www.dft.gov.uk/vca

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE APPROVAL (IVA)

If you are making just a single vehicle or very small numbers of a vehicle type, you may wish to use the IVA scheme. The IVA scheme is the least onerous of the approval routes in terms of compliance but involves an individual inspection of each vehicle. Again, this route to approval gives sales rights only within the UK, not automatically throughout the rest of Europe. Further information on the scheme is available on the Business Link website at: www.businesslink.gov.uk

The IVA scheme is the least onerous of the approval routes in terms of compliance but involves an individual inspection of each vehicle

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ADVICE FOR MULTI-STAGE BUILDERS

The concept of multi-stage approval applies across the certification routes and is outlined in more detail here. Many vehicles are built using a process whereby a base vehicle (normally a chassis or chassis/cab) is produced and then another manufacturer (normally a body builder or converter) subsequently finishes the vehicle. To complement this real life situation a Multi-Stage Approval process is available to enable the chassis manufacturer to approve the chassis (the first stage) as an incomplete vehicle, when a body builder or converter approves the vehicle subsequently (at the final stage) it becomes a completed vehicle. Sometimes complete vehicles will form the base vehicle in a process, for example where a panel van is converted into a minibus. There will always be two or more stages in the MultiStage Approval process and each of the manufacturers is only responsible for the type approval and Conformity of Production (CoP) for the elements of the vehicle construction done at their particular stage of the construction of the vehicle. The flow of information between parties is extremely important in the Multi-Stage Approval process, the manufacturer at any subsequent stage needs to understand the state of build of the vehicle at previous stages and whether any of their additions

or modifications will affect the validity of the approval from previous stages. Body builders and converters will generally require access to the base vehicle manufacturers approval information. The base vehicle will normally retain the make of the first stage manufacturer and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) issued on the original Certificate of Conformity (CoC) to ensure that traceability is maintained. Manufacturers at subsequent stages have to add their own plate with their name, the stage of the approval, the VIN and the approval number plus any revised vehicle weight information. Generally speaking it is possible to approve to an equal or lower standard at subsequent stages in the approval process. For example, if stage 1 has an approval to ECWVTA you can get either an ECWVTA or an approval under the National schemes. However, if stage 1 has a National approval you cannot get an ECWVTA based on that at a subsequent stage.

Next Steps:
To find out more contact one the team or complete the online application form at: www.dft.gov.uk/vca

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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TYPE APPROVAL THE PROCESS

Initial Discussions
Initial assessment and ongoing surveillance (but not repeated for each and every indiividual approval)

Test Facility Review

(one-off for new facility)

Initial Documents Submission

(define specification)

Entry in Facility Register

Conformity of Production Review (COP) Decide vehicles or Components to be tested to cover range
*S&C FEES AGREED *WV Assessment or suitable ISO 9001 certificate and control plans agreed

UNSATISFACTORY

UNSATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

SATISFACTORY

Test overseen by VCA or VCAs Technical Service

*S&C FAIL *WV FAIL

(COP) - Conformity of Production Granted

(New plants added as necessary) REINSPECT

PASS

Amended Documents Submitted

Final Documents Submission

(if any changes from initial documents) *S&C *WV DOCUMENTS SATISFACTORY

DOCUMENTS UNSATISFACTORY

*S&C = System and

Report and Certificate issued by VCA

FEES PAID

Component Approvals *WV = EC or NSSTA Whole Vehicle (can be in parallel with similar flows etc)

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CONFORMITY OF PRODUCTION (COP)

Conformity of Production (CoP) is a fundamental requirement in any type approval.You will need a means of evidencing your ability to produce a series of products that exactly match the specification, performance and marking requirements defined in the type approval documentation. This will be in the form of at least a quality manual, process documents and control plans. Whether you are a manufacturer, or the agent applying for approvals on behalf of a manufacturer, and whatever your product is, suitable CoP arrangements must be made. If you have a formal quality system in place, such as ISO 9001 or ISO/TS 16949, the level of CoP inspection may be reduced or even not required. VCA is also a management systems certification body, specialising in the automotive industry so can help you with this.

Further information is available on the VCA website at www.dft. gov.uk/vca

Next Steps:
To find out more contact one the team or complete the online application form at: www.dft.gov.uk/vca

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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ONLINE TOOLS TO SUPPORT YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS

On the face of it, tackling the vehicle certification process may seem a little daunting. At VCA we understand this so as well as being on hand to provide expert advice and testing services, a number of online tools have been developed to support you still further. The following provides an outline of the tools available and how they might be able to help you, not only with initial certification but with the management of ongoing compliance.

The tools draw on approaching 40 years experience of supporting manufacturers of all sizes through the Type Approval process.

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VCA VISTA AND LEGSTAT

Gaining your initial certification is in many ways the start of a longer journey. Ensuring ongoing compliance means that you need to have processes in please to monitor changes in legislation. Having an effective mechanism in place will ensure that you take account of changes in plenty of time. Clearly monitoring legislation can be a time consuming process. Bearing this in mind,VCA has developed a number of online tools, which could provide real efficiencies for you and your business. Supplied on a subscription basis, the tools not only provide legislation relevant to you, they also provide VCA interpretations. The tools are:

VCA VISTA
VISTA is a searchable collection of all of the automotive EC Directives / Regulations and UN Regulations required for Type Approval contained within three separate electronic libraries. The Car, Truck and Bus libraries contain all of the standards required for cars, goods vehicles, buses and trailers and include standards which deal solely with components or Separate Technical Units (STUs). Separate Tractor and Motorcycle libraries are available for customers whose interest is limited to these areas. Along with the standards,VISTA includes a number of other information assets, including our own UK Interpretations of points raised against the legislation. Customers can choose to subscribe to a full or part library, delivered either by CD-ROM with bi-monthly updates, or by logging on to a web-enabled version of the system. Subscriptions are for a one-year period and will vary according to the level of information required and the number of users wishing to utilise the database.

VCA LegStat
LegStat is an on-line database containing all of the key date information about each of the standards applicable in Type Approval. The key benefit with this particular system is that subscribers have the opportunity to receive e-mail notifications of impending key dates, prior to, or on the day that they come into force. This on-line system can be integrated with the online version of VISTA to provide a total solution to management of Type Approval legislation.

Next Steps:
To find out more about VISTA or LegStat, visit the Legislation section of the VCA website or contact: +44 (0)117 952 4178 / 41436 vista@vca.gov.uk

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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VCA COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)

Managing vehicle type approval programmes and keeping on top of legislation and compliance can be an involved and time consuming process. With that in mind VCA has developed a secure, online Compliance Management System (CMS), which not only helps you to manage the process but also provides access to relevant legislation and many other useful features. Put simply CMS will support you through certification and ongoing compliance, potentially saving you time and money. What is CMS? Key features include: Initial regulatory compliance planning understand what you need to do to bring your product to market and when you need to do it Project management functionality plan, execute and monitor testing and certification activities in a structured and efficient way Secure, online document transfer the secure two way transfer of documentation between yourself and VCA Legislation library access to the legislation relevant to your products Secure storage facility a secure repository for approval documentation, allowing easy access on an ongoing basis Why CMS? The recast framework directive, 2007/46/EC, as amended, meant that many organisations were looking at certification for the first time. This could appear daunting so VCA developed the CMS to help its customers through the initial process and to help manage ongoing compliance going forward. However, the system wasnt just developed to support those new to type approval. It will also be of interest to experienced organisations looking to use valuable resources more efficiently. CMS benefits: Developed by an approval authority with approaching 40 years experience of supporting the global automotive industry through the type approval certification process A structured guide through the certification process Access to relevant legislation, including any appropriate VCA interpretations Exchange documents with VCA online and in a secure way, saving time Manage ongoing compliance to ensure that you comply with amending legislation by the required date Store your approval documentation in one place, allowing easy access going forward

Next Steps:
If you want to find out more about how the VCA CMS can help you, including a free software demonstration, contact: +44 (0)117 952 4235 cms@vca.gov.uk

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GLOSSARY OF FREQUENTLY USED TERMS

Term
EC Type Approval

Explanation
Means the procedure whereby an authority of an EU member state certifies that a type of vehicle, system, component or separate technical unit satisfies relevant technical requirements and administrative provisions listed in the Directive. Means a Type Approval procedure laid down by the national law of an EU member state, which is restricted to that particular country. Refers to the different forms of vehicles affected by the ECWVTA Directive. These are passenger vehicles (M), goods vehicles (N) and trailers (O), and their sub-divisions. Means vehicles of a particular category, which do not differ in certain essential respects set out in Annex II of the framework Directive 2007/46/EC, as amended. When looking at application dates within the legislation there will be a reference to New Types. After this date, vehicles of a New Type will be required to meet the legislation in question. A New Type is a vehicle that differs in certain essential respects to a type previously approved or on sale in any market. As above. An Existing Type is a vehicle of a type already in existence (whether approved or not). Means any vehicle which has been built in one stage by one manufacturer, for example a panel van. 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. Is a vehicle that has been built and finished 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 (i.e. the mixer itself) to a cab chassis and the vehicle requires no further work before it can be considered finished. The procedure whereby one or more EU 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 the Directive. Means a vehicle intended to perform a function which requires special body arrangements and/or equipment, such as an ambulance or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV). Means a document issued to a manufacturer after an assessment, carried out by the approval body, of production processes and systems to certify that they conform to the required quality specification. Means a document which is issued by a manufacturer, certifying that a vehicle has been produced under the same production processes and systems as an example of the type which has achieved Type Approval.

National Type Approval

Vehicle Category

Type

New Type

Existing Type Complete Vehicle Incomplete Vehicle

Completed Vehicle

Multi-Stage Type Approval

Special-purpose Vehicle

Conformity of Production Certificate (COP) Certificate of Conformity or CoC

www.dft.gov.uk/vca

VCA SERVICES

ECWVTA System & Component Approval Test Facility Appraisal Online Management Tools (CMS & FMS) Online Legislation (VISTA) Recreational Craft Approval CEN Certification Non-Road Mobile Machinery Certification Management Systems Certification

Contact Us
+44 (0) 117 952 42 35

enquiries@vca.gov.uk www.dft.gov.uk/vca 1 Eastgate Office Centre Eastgate Road Eastville Bristol BS5 6XX

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/world-map.asp

VCA - Delivering a Safer Environment