Component type approvals

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What is a road vehicle component?

Section 7 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) defines a road vehicle component as:

  • a component used in the manufacture of a road vehicle, including an assembly

Components that are road vehicle components under the RVSA are intended to cover:

  • a component that is capable of being assessed for compliance with a national road vehicle standard (Australian Design Rule (ADR)) or an equivalent standard, or
  • an assembly of one or more components that is capable of being assessed for compliance with the applicable national road vehicle standards or equivalent standards

What is a component type approval?

A component type approval is one of the options that may be used to demonstrate compliance with applicable national road vehicle standards by applicants for a road vehicle type approval or approval of a Model Report.

What is the role of component type approvals?

The regulation of component type approvals under the RVS legislation is key to the Australian Government's ability to ensure Australians are provided with safe, secure and environmentally-friendly road vehicles.

Manufacturers and suppliers may seek a component type approval for components used in the manufacture of a road vehicle, including an assembly.

Importantly, the regulation of component type approvals will take a new approach to the treatment of Component Registration Numbers (CRNs) and Sub-Assembly Registration Numbers (SARNs) registered in the Road Vehicle Certification System (RVCS).

Compared to a CRN or SARN registration in the RVCS under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA), there are greater levels of responsibility and obligations for component type approval holders.

Applicants for a component type approval must have supporting documentation to satisfy the eligibility criteria, for example, an appropriate Quality Management System (QMS) to demonstrate full control of the design, componentry and manufacturing process. More information on QMS is available in Appendices 2 and 3 in the Guide to component type approvals.

Who can apply for a component type approval?

The Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019 allow a person* to seek approval for a road vehicle component of a particular type that is intended for use in the manufacture:

  • of a road vehicle to which a road vehicle type approval applies
  • or modification of a road vehicle in accordance with an approved Model Report.

*A person includes an individual or company.

An agent or company representative can apply on behalf of a person (another individual or a company). The agent or company representative must be given authority to act from the applicant.

In all cases, it is the person identified in the application as the 'applicant', not the agent or representative, who will be the holder of the component type approval, and who remains responsible for meeting all of the conditions of the approval, if granted.

The agent or company representative role is an administrative one only.

What if I have an existing CRN and/or SARN for a component?

If you currently have a CRN and/or SARN for your vehicle component under the MVSA, you may need to apply for a component type approval if you wish to continue to provide components that can be used in support of applications for other approvals under the RVS legislation. However, there will be circumstances where CRNs and SARNs can continue to be used for some RVS legislation approvals. Please refer to the Guide to component type approvals for detailed information about your options.

What are the benefits of becoming a component type approval holder?

There are a variety of benefits to becoming a component type approval holder:

  • manufacturers can streamline their vehicle type approval application processes if they use components that already have a component type approval
  • being able to confirm that your component/s comply with applicable national road vehicle standards, which is a positive selling point
  • being able to provide products to the Australian market that are high quality, safe and environmentally sound

How do I apply for a component type approval?

To apply for a component type approval, you must first create an account in ROVER, the department's IT system that supports applications made under the RVS legislation.

Once you have created an account, you then need to complete the online application form in ROVER for a component type approval and pay the application fee.

Further details on how to apply for a component type approval are contained in the Guide to component type approvals and the Guide to using ROVER to apply for an approval; see Resources below.

Are there eligibility criteria for a component type approval?

When applying for a component type approval under the RVS legislation, you will need to meet the eligibility criteria under section 177 of the Rules. As part of the application process for a component type approval you will be need to declare that you meet the applicable eligibility criteria and provide supporting documentation relating to your claim.

Detailed information on the eligibility criteria relating to component type approvals is available in the Guide to component type approvals.

Is there an application fee for a component type approval?

Yes, the Australian Government will continue to recover the costs of activities relating to the administration of the RVS legislation from industry participants, consistent with the Australian Government Charging Framework.

The application fee for a component type approval is $35.

It is important to note that your application for a component type approval will not be considered until your payment of the application fee has been received.

Is applying for a component type approval mandatory?

A component type approval is not mandatory and is something that a manufacturer or supplier may choose to apply for.

However, having a component type approval demonstrates compliance with the applicable national road vehicle standards (ADRs) for vehicle components used in the manufacture or modification of a road vehicle.

What if my component has a test report that is not from an approved testing facility?

If you are not able to provide results of testing from an RVS approved testing facility, the applicant must make a declaration in ROVER at the time of application. More details about the declaration you need to make when your component is not from an approved testing facility can be found in the Guide to component type approvals.

If you wish to apply for a component type approval which is based on a test report that is not from an approved facility, you will be prompted to add an exemption code in the relevant compliance information form(s) within ROVER. For more information, and to get the exemption code, please refer to the Position Paper—Component Type Approval—test reports not completed by an RVS approved testing facility; see Resources below.

Resources