Fuel and Heavy Vehicle sector EV and towing standards under review

Both the standard reviews are important pieces of work for their respective industries. MTA wants the best outcomes for the respective industries and their workforces. MTA’s Heavy Vehicle Advisory Committee and Service Station Advisory Committee have both contributed industry expertise and their continued insights and support are invaluable.

the tyre well. Return springs on sedan boot lids can also be other points of identification when looking for signs of flooding or rust. All of these can be inspected as a normal process of the inspection, with little to no additional time taken.

Greater review of check lights should also be reviewed, especially around ABS and SRS for their self-check diagnostics. If something doesn’t look right, investigate to the prescribed VIRM regulations allowable

If you are presented with a vehicle for a WoF inspection, vehicle inspectors need to take extra care when carrying out their inspections.

First, Standards New Zealand P5446 Heavy Vehicle Towing Connections - Drawbeams and Drawbars Advisory Committee. This work will be of interest to our members involved in the heavy vehicle sector – including both sales and repair. The objective of the standard is to establish design, manufacture, installation, testing, maintenance, repair and certification criteria necessary to ensure that a secure connection can be maintained between towing vehicles and drawbar trailers. Although primarily covering applications incorporating pin or hook-type couplings, this standard also applies to other types of couplings covering both rigid and hinged drawbars (source: Standard Heavy Vehicle Towing Connections – Drawbeams and Drawbars).

You may recall that a number of significant road safety concerns relating to this specialist area were identified a couple of years ago, and this piece of work springs from the consequence of those problems.

Waka Kotahi approached Standards New Zealand with an interest to review the standard. Changes included revision of the respective wording in the standard to better define the requirements. Previously, towing connections for vertical loadings were over-engineered and lacking in consistency of vehicle design. The towing of heavy loads plays a fundamental part in New Zealand’s transport distribution network. When drawbeams, drawbars and couplings are designed, constructed, and installed to standard they should perform as intended. Should the standard of manufacture and installation be below standard, there could be a genuine risk to life should a load break free during transport (source: Standard Heavy Vehicle Towing Connections – Drawbeams and Drawbars).

The modification and revision of the standard is expected to be completed and published by December 2023.

Secondly, Standards New Zealand P6013 Electric Vehicle (EV) Chargers for On-journey Public Charging PAS revision committee (PAS = publicly available specification).

Smart EV charging is needed to accommodate the predicted increased electricity demand from EV uptake. It’s a focus for multiple

Mat.alderdice@mta.org.nz government agencies and is needed to minimise a potential $50 billion infrastructure investment. New Zealand transport, commercial and electricity sectors are seeking up-to-date EV charging information, to ensure all investment in infrastructure is both fit for purpose and future-proofed. Technology solutions move quickly: transport, commercial and electricity sectors are seeking upto-date EV charging information, to ensure all investment in infrastructure is both fit for purpose and future-proofed.

At a high level, the revision of the EV Chargers for On-journey Public Charging will ensure businesses, technology suppliers and the electricity industry are kept informed of international best practice and are provided with advice and guidance in a local context.

The modification and revision of the standard is expected to be completed and published in October 2023.

If members would like more information on the standard reviews, please contact Mathew Alderdice on 04 381 8843.