European Type Approval

Introduction

NSAI is the Irish Approval Authority for both the EC and UN-ECE Motor Vehicle Type Approval Schemes.

European (EC) Type Approval

Technical harmonisation in the EU is based on the Whole Vehicle Type-Approval System (WVTA). Under the WVTA, a manufacturer can obtain certification for a vehicle type in one EU country and then market it EU-wide without the need for further tests. This system significantly contributes to the completion of single market in automotive products.

Emission Approvals

In-service Conformity (ISC)

EU Regulation (EU) 2017/1151 in it's most recent form (EU) 2018/1832 introduced the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) into the EU motor vehicle type-approval process for Light Duty Vehicles (LDV). It also introduced new and additional requirements called In-Service Conformity (ISC) testing for the Granting Type-Approval Authorities (GTAA) to preform on a selection of vehicles for which it has granted emissions approvals. The GTAA must select vehicles in service with a minimum of 15,000km on the odometer (See Annex II of this legislation for the full list of vehicle selection criteria), and carry out the ISC tests designed to establish that the vehicles continue to comply with the emission limits from when they were first approved. The GTAA is obliged to publish an annual report with the results of their in-service conformity checks.

In-service Verification (ISV)

In 2023, the European Commission published the EU Regulations* for the In-Service Verification (ISV) of CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. These EU regulations introduced requirements for the Granting Type Approval Authority (GTAA) to perform ISV tests on a minimum number of vehicles for which it has granted emissions approvals to (EC) 715/2007 or where applicable (EC) 595/2009.

Vehicles selected for ISV must comply with the criteria of article 5 of (EU) 2023/2866. The GTAA must perform the tests (article 4 of (EU) 2023/2866) designed to verify that the CO₂ emission and fuel consumption values recorded in the Certificates of Conformity correspond to the CO₂ emissions and the fuel consumption of vehicles in-service.

The GTAA must perform tests for verifying the presence of any strategies that artificially improve the vehicle’s performance in the tests performed for the purpose of emission type-approval. The GTAA is obliged to publish an overview of the in-service verifications performed in the previous calendar year and its conclusions issued in that year.

Annual report(s) 2024

* EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2866 and EU Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2867

 

UN-ECE Type Approval

An International Type-Approval scheme exists, known as UN-ECE approval. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) is one of four regional economic commissions set up by the United Nations and not limited to the EU. In 1958, various ECE countries signed an agreement in Geneva, which set out the framework for the adoption of uniform conditions of approval and for reciprocal recognition of approval in respect of motor vehicle equipment and parts. Signatories to this agreement are known as ECE Contracting Parties. ECE Contracting Parties include all European States and the Agreement remains open for additional signatures. Ireland has signed up to this agreement and NSAI can offer ECE type-approvals.