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1 MR I dI PA Whole vehicle type approval
Page 59
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The European Whole Vehicle Type Approval Directive has finally been agreed; voluntary approvals to comply with the Directive start in May 2009.
The Department for Transport is consulting with the industry and there is a questionnaire at www.dft.gov.uk/typeapproval/ questionnaire to help it gauge what help the industry will need to comply.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says the change is a milestone that will affect chassis makers, bodybuilders, converters, dealers and operators, including finance and leasing operations. "We expect that increasing numbers of operators and buyers will add a !me about type approval to tender documents as soon as they can and well before the legal deadline," says Allan Mckenzie, the SMMT's senior manager for vehicle legislation. Chassis manufacturers seem fairly relaxed about the Directive, with some viewing it as an opportunity to extend their ready-bodied ranges. They already issue detailed advice to bodybuilders on body-mounting procedures.
"Whole vehicle type approval should not stifle innovation," according to Brian Smith, technical manager at Volvo GB.
"But having a good body design will be just the start. Bodybuilders will have to pay attention to quality control during the manufacturing and put in place processes to monitor quality."
Smith says some bodybuilders face a greater challenge than others: "Some have a bit of a cavalier attitude to moving chassis equipment around that will not be permitted under the new regulations. Moving lights, for example, could invalidate the EC lighting approval for that vehicle."