RAV Changes Reflect Safer, More Fuel Efficient Vehicles

The Department of Infrastructure is planning changes to the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) to take account of the Safer Freight Vehicles initiative, the increasing numbers of low- and zero-emission vehicles on the market, and New Vehicle Efficiency Standards.

Effective July 1, 2025, the key changes include formalising the requirement to include the Safer Freight Identification Code on the RAV for relevant vehicles.

This functionality has already been built into the RAV, however, it is currently an optional field. The change will make it a legal requirement to include the code for any vehicle that has an approval indicating it meets the definition of a Safer Freight Vehicle.

Another change will replace the definition of maximum engine power with a new definition of power (kW) that takes account of vehicles with more than one propulsion unit and references United Nations Regulation No. 85.

Additionally, the RAV will be amended to reflect it is no longer hosted by the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System (NEVDIS), and remove the requirement to enter gross vehicle mass for light vehicle categories.

Finally, the addition of a new Motive Power Field will identify different motive power types such as internal combustion engine, electric, fuel cell and hybrid motive power.

Members with IT systems that interface with the RAV should begin planning for changes to their IT systems to accommodate these changes.