Government consults on updates to GB vehicle type approval

The Department for Transport has opened a consultation on proposed updates to the GB type approval scheme, which sets the safety and environmental standards vehicles must meet before they can be sold in Great Britain. The consultation applies to England, Scotland and Wales. The latest consultation follows a previous consultation in November 2024 on incorporating international rules into the GB type approval scheme (NCC submitted a response to this).

Government says it is committed to maintaining alignment with the EU scheme to protect the UK internal market, reduce business burdens and support growth, and this consultation sets out proposed regulatory updates to reflect recent developments in EU and international (UNECE) vehicle standards. The changes would be introduced through one or more statutory instruments following the consultation.

Proposals of particular relevance to manufacturer members include:

• Acceptance of EU component approvals - for four subject areas not yet covered by harmonised UN regulations (washer and wiper systems, spray suppression devices, aerodynamic devices, and hydrogen fuel systems), the government proposes allowing EU component approvals to be accepted as an alternative to separate GB approval, to reduce duplicate certification and administrative burden. Vehicle manufacturers would still need to obtain GB whole-vehicle approval regardless of this change
• UN regulation updates: proposals to add new UNECE regulations covering vehicle lighting and anti-theft systems to the GB scheme as alternatives to existing requirements, add a clarifying reference to the tyre pressure monitoring regulation, and update five existing UNECE regulations (covering head restraints, fire risk prevention, steering equipment, electric power trains, and tyre noise/wet grip/rolling resistance) to more recent levels already applied in the EU
• Maximum towing mass. There is a proposal to reinstate a provision removed after Brexit, that allows manufacturers to declare in owner's manuals that a vehicle's permitted laden mass may be exceeded by up to 10% or 100kg (whichever is lower) when towing at speeds of 100km/h or below, in order to restore clarity for manufacturers and align with the equivalent EU requirement
• Repair and maintenance information: proposal to update the GB scheme's requirements on manufacturers providing vehicle repair and diagnostic information to independent repairers, aligning with recent EU amendments relating to cybersecurity access controls.

How to respond to the consultation

Members can respond to the consultation online from here or email ivs.consult@dft.gov.uk. The NCC will also be submitting a response so please copy any responses to policy@thencc.org.uk. Consultation deadline: 29 September 2026