From 1,800 kg
MEP Karima Delli has come up with a plan to harmonize the driving license rules in the various European member states. Of course, this will not be possible without a proposal for new rules, such as a B+ driving license that is intended to make driving an SUV less attractive.
According to good European custom the proposal, brought to our attention by De Telegraaf and Politico, very long and difficult to fathom. However, one thing is clear: according to Delli, there should be a driving license category ‘B+’. This already exists formally, but is given a different interpretation in the proposal. The new ‘B+’ has nothing to do with trailers, but everything to do with the weight of the car itself. Anyone wishing to drive a vehicle weighing more than 1,800 but less than 3,500 kg (the current limit for the B license) would need to obtain ‘B+’. Moreover, this is not possible immediately, but is only permitted if the driver in question is at least 21 years old. Delli indicates that SUVs take up more space, are less efficient, emit more and, due to their high weight, also cause serious accidents more often, although the latter seems to remain a matter of assumptions. The 1,800kg weight limit would be enough for ‘the vast majority’ of passenger cars currently on sale, ‘even electric ones’. So do not count on an exception for EVs, as currently applies to commercial vehicles.
This can pose quite a few limitations, because cars such as the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and even a Cupra Born with the largest battery pack already weigh more than 1,800 kg. Even if we limit ourselves to SUVs, it is certainly not only the enormous beasts that would be affected by this measure. For example, a plug-in hybrid Alfa Romeo Tonale already weighs more than 1,800 kg, just like the twin-engine version of the new Volvo EX30 that many Dutch people are eagerly looking forward to.
Furthermore, the rule obviously makes no distinction between body styles. The aforementioned vans are also affected by this, although they are actually always driven out of necessity. However, this is taken into account in the proposal, in the form of an exception that should apply to people who actually need the ‘heavy’ driving license.
Delli’s proposal includes more than just the B+ driving license, such as stricter and more frequent inspections for older drivers and an absolute maximum speed of 130 km/h throughout the EU. It probably goes without saying that this will lead to a lot of resistance, especially in Germany, and the rest of the proposal has not yet been approved.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl