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Sunday, 22 November 2009

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Motoring

What is the Single Vehicle Approval scheme?

The Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) scheme is a pre-registration inspection for light goods vehicles that haven't been type approved to British or European standards. The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that these vehicles are designed and constructed to suitable safety standards before they are used on public roads.

The vehicles that need an SVA test

Your vehicle will be subject to the SVA scheme if it is one of the following:

Commercial Import
Personal Import
Amateur Built Vehicle
Very Low Volume (VLV) Vehicles
A vehicle manufactured using parts from a previously registered vehicle
Hearse
Armoured Vehicle
Rebuilt Vehicle
Left Hand Drive Vehicle (imported)

SVA is also available for motor caravans and ambulances.

Enhanced Single Vehicle Approval Scheme (ESVA)

Enhanced SVA requires additional evidence of compliance with EC type approval standards (or certain other equivalents) for ten key areas of the vehicle. Vehicles built from the date stated are subject to the Enhanced requirement.

Key Areas

Seat Belt Anchorage's (1/7/1991 - Passenger)
Protective Steering (1/7/1991 - Passenger)
Noise and Silencers (1/7/1991 - Passenger and Goods)
Exhaust Emissions (1/1/1993 - Passenger and Goods)
Brakes (1/4/1995 - Passenger and Goods)
Seat Belt Installations (1/7/1997 - Passenger)
CO2/Fuel Consumption (1/1/1997 - Passenger)
Anti-Theft Device (1/10/1998 - Passenger)
Frontal Impact Protection (1/10/2003 - Passenger)
Side Impact Protection (1/10/2003 - Passenger)

Demonstrating compliance

There are five basic ways of demonstrating compliance:

Showing that European approval standards are met - by, for example, a type approval number on the VIN plate or documentary evidence from the manufacturer.
Showing that comparable non-European standards are met - Comparable Standards.
A comparison check with a known type approved vehicle - Comparison Test.
Physically having a test conducted to the appropriate Directive standard - Directive Test.
The use of a Model Report which is used to check that vehicle is of the same specification as one that is known to meet the standards - Model Report.

Model reports and the SVA scheme

A model report is used for Enhanced SVA when an applicant wants to demonstrate compliance on a subsequent vehicle on the basis of a single, or number of, Directive or comparison tests originally conducted on a master vehicle.

While the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) produce the model report, it uses data produced by a test laboratory that has been paid for by the owner of the model report, who also supplied the master vehicle to the laboratory. Most owners of model reports will rent the use of them to applicants not wanting to go to the expense of having their own laboratory tests carried out.

Model reports available to the public Opens new window

Find an SVA or MSVA test station

Finding an approved ESVA testing laboratory Opens new window

Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval Scheme (MSVA)

Motorcycles, three-wheeled and light four-wheeled vehicles have to comply with European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA). Without this approval, vehicles can't be registered for use in Great Britain.

If a Certificate of Conformity to ECWVTA can't be produced then the vehicle will be subject to an MSVA examination before the first licence can be issued. If MSVA is not available the only route to registration in Britain would be full type approval. This is an expensive and time consuming process and would effectively bring a halt to the registration of non-ECWVTA vehicles like custom / bespoke vehicles, amateur builds and non-EEA imports.