The EC type-approval number is an important part of vehicle documentation in the European Union, indicating that a vehicle type meets the relevant EU directives and regulations. This number is awarded as part of the homologation process, which ensures that vehicle types comply with the EU's current standards for safety, environmental protection, and other important criteria.
The letters and numbers at the beginning of the EC type-approval number, such as e1*, e2*, or e9*, have specific meanings. They indicate the country in which the type approval was granted. Each country in the European Union has its own numerical code assigned as follows:
- e1 - Germany
- e2 - France
- e3 - Italy
- e4 - Netherlands
- e5 - Sweden
- e6 - Belgium
- e7 - Hungary
- e8 - Czech Republic
- e9 - Spain
- e11 - United Kingdom (Note: Although the United Kingdom is no longer a part of the EU, it was a member at the time this numbering was introduced.)
- e12 - Austria
- e13 - Luxembourg
- e17 - Finland
- e18 - Denmark
- e19 - Romania
- e20 - Poland
- e21 - Portugal
- e23 - Greece
- e24 - Ireland
- e26 - Slovenia
- e27 - Slovakia
- e29 - Estonia
- e31 - Bulgaria
- e32 - Latvia
- e34 - Lithuania
- e36 - Croatia
- e37 - Malta
- e39 - Cyprus
... and the list continues to include other EU member states and some countries outside the EU that have joined the system.
The EC type-approval number consists of several parts that not only indicate the country of approval but also specific approval information, the directives under which the vehicle was approved, and an individual number assigned to the vehicle type. This number is important for identifying and verifying a vehicle's compliance with EU standards and is indicated in the vehicle documents.