Low volume vehicle certification review (phase 2)

The NZ Transport Agency is proposing some changes to the existing Low Volume Vehicle (LVV) certification process, in order to streamline the process for lower-risk modifications. The proposed changes focus on vehicles that are currently required to undergo LVV certification, but are lower risk because:

• they’ve been produced in a commercial, production-based setting with quality controls in place, or
• they’ve already met appropriate overseas standards.

The proposed changes include:

• providing an alternative way for commercial modifiers to achieve LVV certification for production-based vehicle modifications (sometimes referred to as ‘type certification’), and
• allowing some imported modified vehicles to be excluded from LVV certification in New Zealand, if they’ve already met appropriate standards overseas.

We’d appreciate your feedback on the proposed changes. This document addresses the proposed changes for vehicles that have already met appropriate overseas standards; we’ll be seeking feedback separately on the type certification proposal.

Our intention is that, once implemented, the proposed changes will make it quicker and easier to get lower-risk modifications certified, creating benefits for commercial modifiers and importers of modified vehicles.