Vehicle Type Approval Certificate Processes: #1 EU 2018/858

There are fundamental regulations concerning the type approval certificate processes of motor vehicles and their trailers. According to these regulations, vehicle manufacturers can proceed with production once they obtain a type approval certificate.

Let’s quickly review the basic regulation of vehicle production in the automotive industry.

Conditions for Approved Production in the Automotive Sector: EU 2018/858

The EU 2018/858 regulation sets the requirements for the type approval of M category cars and buses, N category vans and trucks, and O category trailers. This regulation also establishes the conditions for multi-stage type approval, as well as certain administrative and technical requirements for systems and components.

It defines the responsibilities and authorities of key players in the sector such as manufacturers, approval authorities, technical services, and importers. It also specifies the conditions related to market surveillance, registration, and other administrative obligations.

Which Regulation is Mandatory for Vehicle Registration and What Should Be Done?

The first thing you need to know when manufacturing a bus, caravan, or car is that the vehicle must have a type approval certificate to be registered and legally driven on the road.

This article covers very basic and general topics, and we will discuss the details in the Academy.

For instance, let’s assume we are working on the registration of a caravan. The responsibilities of the manufacturer come to the forefront first. A caravan manufacturer must primarily be aware of their responsibilities.

In the example of the caravan manufacturer, they must comply with the administrative and technical requirements from the design stage of the vehicle. There are obligations such as conducting the necessary tests for the caravan, meeting the quality management system requirements, and being accountable to the authorities regarding potential risks.

In the production of the caravan, the manufacturer must conduct the approval process in accordance with the regulations and directives indicated by the EU 2018/858 regulation. While doing this, they should possess technical documentation and operate procedures related to production compliance.

They must complete the testing and reporting processes with accredited technical services for each regulation they are responsible for, along with the application files.

After the approval, they can register each vehicle they produce by proving that it was manufactured according to the certification scope. Following these procedures, the vehicle can be driven on the road.

This is how the entire process is operated in the most basic sense. In our upcoming articles, we will examine the details step by step.

Always Be Open to Inspection!

One of the conditions set by the EU 2018/858 regulation is market surveillance. Approval authorities ensure that a certified manufacturer is producing correctly through inspections.

These inspections are carried out directly by the approval authority experts or through authorization. Inspections primarily examine quality management system processes and vehicle production processes.

Here, the manufacturer must avoid major errors in both documentation and physical vehicles.

In short, always demonstrate that you are open to inspection.

National and EU Type Approval

Each of the European Union member states and other countries recognizing this regulation have national regulations alongside the framework regulation.

The main aim of national regulations is to ease procedures, especially to protect small-scale manufacturers or individuals.

However, this is not explicitly stated. Generally, the conditions related to vehicles in national regulations are subject to basic controls.

For instance, if you are obtaining EU-type approval for a caravan’s lighting set, aspects such as visibility angles and positions are examined in detail by accredited bodies.

However, if you are obtaining national type approval, the controls are somewhat more flexible, and basic inspections are carried out by units working under the approval authorities rather than accredited bodies.

This should not be misunderstood. Detailed controls are always required for mass production. National approval mainly involves lighter procedures for individual vehicle approvals. We will examine this in detail as well.

Multi-Stage Type Approval Processes

Another aspect addressed by this regulation is multi-stage type approval. Multi-stage manufacturing can be described as completing a vehicle in multiple stages before it becomes roadworthy.

Taking the caravan example, the chassis of a motor caravan is approved to a certain stage by a vehicle manufacturer. Later, the company manufacturing the caravan completes the vehicle by fulfilling the relevant conditions for the caravan. Here, responsibility is distributed between the two manufacturers at specific points.

The company preparing the chassis, meaning producing the vehicle as a panel van, is responsible for their section, while the company completing the vehicle is responsible for the caravan specifications and, if applicable, the base vehicle specifications.

Let’s give an example regarding windows. The company producing the vehicle as a panel van ensures the front and front side windows are covered by their approval. The caravan manufacturer, in turn, is responsible for the windows they install according to the relevant regulations.

In conclusion, we can say that superstructure manufacturing is carried out through multi-stage type approval.

Conclusion for Vehicle Type Approval Certificate Processes

If you are manufacturing a motor vehicle, the regulation you are responsible for is the EU 2018/858 regulation. For tractors and motorcycles, different regulations apply. Whether you are a manufacturer, importer, authority, or technical service, you can clearly see what needs to be done in this regulation.

Of course, it is necessary to know not only this regulation but also other regulations indicated by this regulation and countries.

You can state your questions or comments in the comments section. Stay tuned for more detailed reviews and sample studies.