YOTO Most arguments about whether a vehicle is legal in Europe are really arguments about one question: which sub-category is it in? The answer is not a matter of opinion. Reg. (EU) 168/2013 sets four variables, and they are all declared on the certificate. If you can read four numbers, you can place the vehicle.
The four variables #
- Number of wheels. Three or four. This is the first split and the easiest to confirm — look at the vehicle, not the brochure.
- Maximum speed. 45 km/h is the line. At or below it, the light categories; above it, the heavy ones.
- Rated continuous power. 4 kW for L2e, 6 kW for L6e, 15 kW for L7e. L5e has no power ceiling at all.
- Unladen mass. 270 kg for L2e, 425 kg for L6e, 450 kg for L7e passenger, 600 kg for L7e utility — and for the electric categories the battery is excluded from the comparison.
The decision, in order #
| Wheels | Speed | Then check | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ≤ 45 km/h | Power ≤ 4 kW, mass ≤ 270 kg | L2e-U (goods) or L2e-P (passengers) |
| 3 | > 45 km/h | Seats and body: passengers or goods | L5e-A (passengers) or L5e-B (goods, 2 seats max) |
| 4 | ≤ 45 km/h | Power ≤ 6 kW, mass ≤ 425 kg | L6e-BP (passengers) or L6e-BU (goods) |
| 4 | > 45 km/h | Power ≤ 15 kW; mass 450 or 600 kg | L7e-CP (passengers) or L7e-CU (goods) |
Where the numbers go wrong #
In our own review of thirteen supplier specification sheets, the same three errors appeared repeatedly. They are worth knowing because they are not exotic — they are the normal state of a trade listing.
- Speed quoted as "45 km/h" on a vehicle that is clearly above it. A GPS-limited 45 on a vehicle whose certificate says 48 is L5e, not L2e. The limiter is not the approval.
- Power quoted as peak. A 15 kW peak motor with 7.5 kW continuous is a 7.5 kW vehicle for category purposes. Peak figures look better in a listing and answer the wrong question.
- Mass quoted including the battery. For L2e the ceiling is 270 kg excluding the battery. A 314 kg tricycle can be compliant once the pack is taken out — or not, depending on the pack. This one has to be checked, not assumed.
Why it matters commercially, not just legally #
The category decides the licence. In most member states an L2e or L6e vehicle sits on an AM licence from 16; an L5e-A on an A1 from 16 up to 15 kW; an L7e on a B1 from 16 or a full B from 18. Two vehicles that look identical on a showroom floor can require different licences, and therefore sell to different customers at different prices.
So when a supplier tells you a vehicle is "EU approved", that is not an answer. The answer is the category and the certificate field it comes from. Ask for both, in writing, before you quote a customer a licence class.