CELEX: 51987PC0109
Language: en
Date: 1987-03-27
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE ADAPTING TO TECHNICAL PROGRESS DIRECTIVE 70/156/EEC ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO THE TYPE-APPROVAL OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND THEIR TRAILERS

23.4. 87                                   Official Journal of the European Communities                                    No C 108/9
             Proposal for a Council Directive adapting to technical progress Directive 70/156/EEC on the
             approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles
                                                            and their trailers
                                                           COM(87) 109 final
                                  (Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 3 April 1987)
                                                              (87/C 108/10)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                                   Whereas off-road vehicles are defined differently in each
                                                                           Member State and whereas, in order not to hinder intra-
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                      Community trade, a common definition, within the
Economic Community, and in particular, Article 100                         international categories set out in the Notes to Annex I
thereof,                                                                   to Council Directive 70/156/EEC (2) as last amended by
                                                                           the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal, is necessary,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
                                                                           HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par-
liament,                                                                                              Article 1
                                                                           Annex I to Directive 70/156/EEC is hereby amended as
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and                           set out in the Annex hereto.
Social Committee,
                                                                                                      Article 2
Whereas it is now necessary to define off-road vehicles
at Community level with a view in particular to the                        Member States shall take the measures necessary to
application of Council Directive 84/424/EEC (*),'Article                   comply with this Directive before 1 October 1987 and
1 of which lays down exceptions for these vehicles and                     shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
more generally for the application of any other Directive
in the motor vehicle sector that might need such                                                      Article 3
definition;
                                                                           This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
O OJ No L 238, 6. 9. 1984, p. 31.                                          (2) OJ No L 42, 23. 2. 1970, p. 1.
                                                                  ANNEX
             In the notes, the following is added at the end of (b):
             '4. Vehicles in categories M and N above considered to be off-road vehicles under the load and checking
                 conditions set out in point 4.4 and pursuant to the definitions and sketches of point 4.5.
                 4.1. Motor vehicles in category M t and vehicles in category N t with a maximum mass not exceeding
                      two tonnes are considered to be off-road vehicles if they have:
                      at least one front axle and at least one rear axle designed to be driven simultaneously (for example
                      when the drive to one axle can be disengaged),
                      at least one system for locking the differential or at least one mechanism having a similar effect
                      and
                      if they can climb a 30 % gradient calculated for a solo vehicle.
                      In addition, they must satisfy at least five of the following six requirements:
                      — the front incidence angle must be at least 25°,
                      — the rear incidence angle must be at least 20°,
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 108/10                           Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s                2 3 . 4. 87
                  — the ramp angle must be at least 20°,
                  — the ground clearance under the front axle must be at least 180 mm,
                  — the ground clearance under the rear axle must be at least 180 mm,
                  — the ground clearance between the axles must be at least 200 mm.
             4.2. Motor vehicles in category N } with a maximum mass exceeding two tonnes or in category N 2 , M 2
                  or M 3 with a maximum mass not exceeding 12 tonnes are considered to be off-road vehicles if all
                  their wheels are designed to be driven, if the drive to one axle can be disengaged, or if the
                  following three requirements are satisfied:
                  — at least one front axle and at least one rear axle is designed to be driven simultaneously, and
                      the drive to one axle can be disengaged,
                  — there is at least one system for locking the differential or at least one mechanism having a
                      similar effect,
                  — they can climb a 25 % gradient calculated for a solo vehicle.
             4.3. Motor vehicles in category M 3 with a maximum mass exceeding 12 tonnes or in category N 3 are
                  considered to be off-road vehicles if all the wheels are designed to be driven, if the drive to one
                  axle can be disengaged, or if the following requirements are satisfied:
                  — at least half the wheels are driven,
                  — there is at least one system for locking the differential or at least one mechanism having a
                      similar effect,
                  — they can climb a 25 % gradient calculated for a solo vehicle,
                  — at least four of the following six requirements are satisfied:
                      — the front incidence angle must be at least 25°;
                      — the rear incidence angle must be at least 25°;
                      — the ramp angle must be at least 25°;
                      — the ground clearance under the front axle must be at least 250 mm;
                      — the ground clearance between the axles must be at least 300 mm;
                      — the ground clearance under the rear axle must be at least 250 mm.
             4.4. Load and checking conditions
                  4.4.1. Motor vehicles in categories Mj and Nj with a maximum mass not exceeding 2 tonnes must
                         be in running order, namely with coolant fluid, lubricants, fuel, tools, spare-wheel and a
                         driver considered to weigh a standard 75 kg.
                  4.4.2. Motor vehicles not in categories Mj or Nj with a maximum mass not exceeding two tonnes
                         must be loaded to the technically permissible maximum mass stated by the manufacturer.
                  4.4.3. The ability to climb the required gradients (25 % and 30 %) is verified by simple calcu-
                         lation. In exceptional cases, however, the technical department may ask for a vehicle of the
                         type concerned to be submitted to it for an actual test.
                  4.4.4. When measuring front and rear incidence angles and ramp angles, no account is taken of
                         underrun protective devices.
             4.5. Definitions and sketches of front and rear incidence angles, ramp angle and ground clearance
                  4.5.1. "Front incidence angle" means the maximum angle between the ground plane and planes
                         tangential to the tyres of the front wheels, under a static load, such that no point of the
                         vehicle ahead of the front axle is situated below these planes and no rigid part of the vehicle,
                         with the exception of any steps, is situated below these planes.
 ---pagebreak--- 23.4.87                       Official J o u r n a l of the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s           N o C 108/11
        4.5.2. "Rear incidence angle" means the maximum angle between the ground plane and planes
               tangential to the tyres of the rear wheels, under a static load, such that no point of the
               vehicle behind the rearmost axle is situated below these planes and no rigid part of the
               vehicle is situated below these planes.
                  )
                   q^^i
        4.5.3. "Ramp angle" means the minimum acute angle between two planes, perpendicular to the
               median longitudinal plane of the vehicle, tangential to the tyres of the front wheels and to
               the tyres of the rear wheels respectively, under a static load, the intersection of which
               touches the underside of the vehicle apart from the wheels. This angle defines the steepest
               ramp over which the vehicle can pass.
        4.5.4. "Ground clearance between the axles" means the shortest distance between the ground
               plane and the lowest fixed point of the vehicle.
               Multi-axle bodies are considered to be a single axle.
                   "Ground clearance beneath one axle" means the distance beneath the highest point of
                  the arc of a circle passing through the centre of the tyre footprint of the wheels on one
                  axle (the inner wheels in the case of twin tyres) and touching the lowest point of the
                  vehicle between the wheels. No part of the vehicle may project into the shaded area of
                  the diagram. Where appropriate, the ground clearance of several axles is indicated in
                   accordance with their arrangement, for example 280/250/250.'