Introduction of the full Great Britain (GB) Type Approval for incomplete vehicle types – Webinar registration now open.

It has been brought to our attention that there is some uncertainty around the first, mandatory application of the GB type approval scheme for ‘Incomplete’ vehicle types. We are writing to you today to clarify the scheme requirements in terms of scope as well as the date of application. This should assist with planning ahead of the implementation dates.

When is full GB type approval required for incomplete vehicles?

For vehicle types made up solely of ‘Incomplete’ variants, GB type approval must be in place prior to 01 February 2024 to ensure that vehicles are being placed on the market legally from this date.

Vehicle types made up of both ’Complete’ and ‘Incomplete’ variants should be covered by Provisional GB type approvals already, and as such will transition to the full GB type approval scheme at some point within the two-year validity period since the GB provisional approval was issued. This is dependent on the expiry date or cancellation of their Provisional type approval according to the transition procedure.

Has this timing changed?

No, the 01 February 2024 date has been in place since the GB type approval consultation response was published in September 2022. The dates have been fixed in legislation since the publication of the relevant Statutory Instrument (2022 No.1273) in December 2022.

Is it too late to start an application?

No. There is still sufficient time for manufacturers to apply for and obtain full GB type approval prior to the 01 February 2024 date, given that in the vast majority of cases no additional testing will be needed.  However, we would urge any manufacturers who have not yet started the process to do so as soon as possible to minimise the risk of delays.

If manufacturers still need to complete their Conformity of Production (CoP) initial assessment, please prioritise this application and state that this is required to meet the 1^st of February 2024 deadline for incomplete vehicles.

We have forecast a high volume of approval applications for the end of the 2023 calendar year and planned our resource to deliver accordingly.

Does a multi-stage manufacturer have to wait for stage 1 manufacturers to obtain full GB approvals before they start their own application?

Initially it will be possible for second stage manufacturers to obtain multi-stage approvals prior to base vehicle manufacturers obtaining full GB type approval to provide more flexibility during the transition to full GB approval. This derogation will last until 1st August 2026 for M and N category vehicles, and 1st August 2027 for O category vehicles.

In cases where the same manufacturer holds the incomplete and completed approvals, is full GB approval required for both stages?

Yes, the derogation referenced above does not apply in cases where both stages are approved by the same manufacturer as they are able to coordinate timelines accordingly.

Why can’t ‘Incomplete’ vehicle types only obtain Provisional GB type approval?

This was a decision taken in conjunction with industry ahead of the first implementation of the Provisional GB type approval scheme. As the Provisional GB scheme is intended primarily to facilitate vehicle registration for ’Complete’ or ’Completed’ vehicles, it was agreed that incomplete vehicles would not be subject to this scheme to minimise administrative burden.

I have further questions, who should I contact?

Our website contains lots of information on the requirements, dates and processes relating to the Provisional and full GB type approval schemes, as well as an FAQs page.

Should you not be able to find the answers to your questions on the VCA website, please follow the ‘contact us’ link and your questions will be directed to the appropriate team within VCA for further assistance.

Join our Webinar

VCA are hosting a webinar to clarify the GB scheme requirements for incomplete vehicle types: Click here to register for VCA’s GB type approval webinar for incomplete vehicle types

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