Vehicle classes: the vehicle categories exist in the EU / Germany

Recently updated on September 21, 2021 at 08:21 am

There are three termsthat are of great importance when categorizing vehicles. This is the vehicle type, the type class and the EC vehicle class. The vehicle type describes a certain vehicle of a car brand or series more precisely. The vehicle is thus named exactly. For example: You don't “only” drive a BMW, you drive z. B. a BMW 2 Series and from the 2 Series it is the Cabriolet. So the vehicle type would be: BMW 2 Series Cabriolet! the type class however, is mainly for actuarial matters important as they are, so to speak, the Vulnerability to damage of the vehicle. The general association of the German insurance industry (GDV) calculates this annually on the basis of the accidents that have occurred and the repairs required that were recorded for individual vehicles of the type in the relevant year.

It is therefore a matter of assessing how susceptible the vehicle types are to damage. The respective Car insurance premium calculated. Finally there is the EC vehicle classesthat deal with the composition of the vehicle, i.e. its structure and purpose, and thus its approval for road traffic. These EC vehicle classes emerged from the EC Directive 70/156 / EEC and are particularly important for vehicle manufacturers in order to obtain type approval.

What do you need the classification for?

On the one hand, you have to classify vehicles in order to be able to determine certain things such as the insurance premium or the key that is relevant for the emissions level; on the other hand, you need guidelines with which you can make it clear what a car is and what is not. Legislators, manufacturers and drivers therefore need vehicles to be categorized. This is particularly important nowadays, when more and more different car classes are involved in road traffic. But also because you have a driver's license not can automatically drive all vehicles is a classification essential.

EC vehicle classes - general purpose

This type of categorization of vehicles deals with the Construction type and the Usage of the vehicle. Due to the EC vehicle classes, a class B car driver's license is allowed, for example no Drive a truck. Because while the car is used to transport people, a truck is used to transport goods.

EC vehicle classes in Germany and the EU

There are eight larger EC vehicle classes, but each still in subcategories can be divided. The classification of the vehicles is often linked to important data such as the gross vehicle weight or the number of axles or wheels. Motor vehicles are divided into EC vehicle classes as follows:

• To Class L include light, two- to four-wheeled motor vehicles such as mopeds or motorcycles.
• The Class M are assigned to vehicles that are used to transport people, such as cars or buses with at least four wheels.
• Under the Class N one understands motor vehicles with which goods, including goods for shops, are transported. This includes trucks.
• Trailers such as semi-trailers that are coupled to a tractor unit such as a truck are used with the Vehicle class O categorized.
• Other trailers used in agriculture and forestry are in the Class R a DAK Bungalow.
• During the class S Trailed machines from agriculture and forestry are included.
• Class T describes tractors such as tractors.
• Finally, there is class C, which refers to tractors from agriculture and forestry that run on caterpillars, e.g. excavators.

The corresponding vehicle classes can still be found in Broken down into sub-categories become (e.g. M1): And often the classification also depends on the permissible total mass from the number of axles or wheels and others factors. For example, a heavy tractor must be constructed in such a way that it has a prescribed maximum speed not can exceed. which tractor that is what the EC vehicle class directive defines exactly.

summarizing the differences:

• vehicle type: names a specific vehicle and names the manufacturer / brand, the series or the model within the series.
• type class: informs about the susceptibility of the vehicle types to damage and is therefore relevant for the insurance company.
• EC vehicle class: divides the vehicle types precisely in their composition so that they can also be assigned to the specific legal provisions and regulations (Type of construction / purpose of the vehicle).

And also for them The key that is relevant to the emission level is the vehicle class addicted. which Emission key number the vehicle has, you can do that in the registration certificate part 1 ...

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