What is a European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA)?

An ECWVTA is the proof, or certification, that the conversion complies with European legislation. The process of obtaining an ECWVTA involves the testing of vital parts, such as tensile strength and load tests, to determine whether the vehicle is safe. The results are verified by an independent public authority, such as the RDW in the Netherlands or the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt in Germany.

Modifications must be approved for each vehicle model in order to obtain an ECWVTA. For example, the conversion kits for a Mercedes-Benz Vito and Volkswagen Caddy both have to be tested separately.   

The advantage of an ECWVTA is that it is an approval for a complete product range, such as a B-Active conversion package for the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi. Thereafter, there is no need for an individual inspection of each vehicle, which is a huge time saver for the conversion company. Once a conversion kit has been installed in accordance with our guidelines and all the paperwork has been properly completed, the vehicle is ready to be registered.

The ECWVTA number consists of several elements:

e4*2007/46*xxxx*xx

• e4 (the Netherlands)
• 2007/46 (directive number, which contains all the requirements that each vehicle must meet and can be found on the European Union's website)
• Serial number (assigned by RDW or other national independent approval body, such as TÜV)
• Extension (revision number, indicating which version of the directive was used)

What is a Certificate of Conformity (CoC)?

A Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is a document that the manufacturer provides with each new vehicle and is tied to the chassis number, so the document is always unique. This document makes reference to the European Type Approval numbers. The manufacturer uses this to indicate the extension in accordance with which the vehicle was manufactured. This document is necessary to register the vehicle.

The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is the manufacturer who makes the vehicle, such as Volkswagen or Mercedes, and provides the first CoC. This is also called the ‘first phase’ CoC.

If the second phase manufacturer has an agreement with the first phase manufacturer, in conformity with 2007/46, and has an ECWVTA number, the former can draw up a second phase CoC. This is also a unique document, just like the first phase CoC. The second phase CoC is always a supplement to the first phase CoC, so they both continue to apply and both are required for acceptance in a European member state. The second phase CoC is valid throughout Europe and can be used to register a modified vehicle, but there are some member states that impose additional requirements on a vehicle.

Some vehicles may even have third and fourth phase CoC documents, if additional conversions are carried out after the B-Style conversion, such as the installation of a hydraulic door for example.