Vehicle Approval Schemes

Full Volume

A full volume manufacturer is one that holds approval to place identification plates on new vehicles supplied to the Australian market in unlimited numbers.

Compliance tests are done on a representative vehicle or batch of vehicles. The results of these tests are used to demonstrate that all vehicles of that type meet the ADRs. As some of the tests require that a vehicle be crashed, it is only cost effective to obtain approval to fit plates to vehicle models that have sizeable markets.

New Low Volume Vehicles

The Low Volume Scheme for new vehicles allows for the supply to the market of up to 25 or 100 vehicles per year (numbers may vary depending on the vehicle category). The Scheme provides a major concession in that it allows alternative forms of evidence to be submitted against some of the ADRs. In the main this applies to ADRs where destructive or expensive testing is required.

The Low Volume Scheme for new vehicles is limited to vehicle make/models that are on the Register of Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles (the Register). The eligibility requirements for entry on the Register are set out in Regulation 24 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Regulations 1989, and in the Administrator of Vehicle Standards Circular 0-2-12.