There will be specific technical requirements for test vehicles.

Must attach test vehicle license plate

According to the draft Circular, vehicles subject to research and development that need to participate in road traffic (referred to as research and development vehicles) are vehicles that have not been certified for technical safety and environmental protection (ATKT & BVMT) but need to participate in road traffic for the purpose of evaluating the durability and adaptability of the vehicle to weather, environmental factors, and traffic conditions in Vietnam or for the purpose of improving the ATKT & BVMT quality of the product.

The Ministry of Transport has proposed a regulation that allows test vehicles to have camouflage stickers or paint on the outside of the vehicle, but must ensure that it does not affect the driver's visibility (illustrative photo).

When this vehicle participates in traffic, it must meet 13 general technical requirements such as: Outer dimensions; total mass and total mass distributed on the axle when tested on the road must not exceed the regulations according to QCVN issued by the Ministry of Transport for the corresponding vehicle type;

The vehicle must have design documents; must be manufactured and assembled from unused spare parts or must be an improved or modified vehicle from an unused vehicle;

The provisions of this Circular do not apply to motor vehicles and specialized motorbikes designed only for use in amusement parks, entertainment areas, construction sites, mines and not participating in public transport; Smart means of transport.

Motor vehicle spare parts including: lithium batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles; mirrors; lights; glass; tires; alloy rims must be of a type certified in Vietnam or abroad;

Vehicles must be inspected for factory quality. It is not required to attach symbols, characters identifying the manufacturer, brand, or trade name of the vehicle to the vehicle;

Vehicles are allowed to have camouflage stickers or paint on the outside of the vehicle, but must ensure that it does not affect the driver's visibility, the function of the lights, signals, and emergency exits;

Must be tested on internal roads for at least 20 km to evaluate vehicle assembly quality according to manufacturer's regulations;

The "Test Vehicle" sign must be affixed to the front and rear of the vehicle. In the case of trailers and semi-trailers pulled by cars or tractors, the "Test Vehicle" sign must be affixed to the front of the towing vehicle and to the rear of the towed vehicle;

Vehicles must be periodically maintained according to the cycle announced by the manufacturer, but the time between maintenance cycles must not be longer than the time between maintenance cycles for vehicles of the same type. When performing periodic maintenance, the manufacturer must check and ensure the condition of the following systems: Engine, steering, brakes, suspension, rims, tires, lights, and signals are operating normally;

It is not allowed to transport goods except for transporting equipment and pages used to record information and technical status of the vehicle during operation (these equipment and pages must be fixed to the vehicle);

Finally, the vehicle must be inspected for safety and environmental protection according to the law.

The test car has a maximum allowed number of people to carry no more than 2 people, including the driver (illustrative photo).

Must be equipped with equipment and dash cam

The draft Circular also stipulates specific technical requirements for each type of vehicle. For cars, the maximum number of people allowed to be carried during a road test is no more than 2 people, including the driver.

The test vehicle must run at a speed at least 20 km/h lower than the maximum permitted speed of that vehicle type when outside urban areas, at least 10 km/h lower when in urban areas and must not obstruct other vehicles participating in traffic.

For trailers, semi-trailers, and cars used to pull these vehicles must meet the same regulations as cars, and at the same time, they are not allowed to carry goods.

When testing on the road, the total mass of the tractor-trailer combination and the unibody vehicle pulling the trailer must not be greater than the total mass limit of the convoy as prescribed by the Ministry of Transport.

For four-wheeled motor vehicles and four-wheeled motor vehicles, the requirements for automobiles must also be met. In addition, they are only allowed to test drive on the road within the scope prescribed by the Provincial People's Committee.

For motorbikes and mopeds, the maximum number of people allowed to be carried when participating in road traffic is not more than 1 person, including the driver. The test vehicle on the road must run at a speed at least 10km/h lower than the maximum speed allowed for that type of vehicle and must not obstruct other vehicles participating in traffic.

For specialized motorbikes (except trailers and semi-trailers pulled by tractors), the overall length of the vehicle must not be greater than 12.2m; the overall width of the vehicle must not be greater than 2.5m; the overall height of the vehicle must not be greater than 4.0m. The total mass of the vehicle must not be greater than the maximum allowable mass on the axle and the maximum allowable total mass of the vehicle specified in QCVN 09:2015/BGTVT;

The maximum number of people allowed to be carried when participating in road traffic is not more than 1 person, including the driver of a specialized motorbike.

Test vehicles on the road must run at a speed at least 20km/h lower than the maximum speed allowed for that type of vehicle when outside urban areas, at least 10km/h lower when in urban areas and must not obstruct other vehicles participating in traffic.

For trailers and semi-trailers pulled by tractors, the tractor used to pull the trailers and semi-trailers must, in addition to meeting the requirements as for specialized motorbikes above, also meet the requirements for length, width, height, and total vehicle weight as prescribed for trailers and semi-trailers pulled by cars. At the same time, it is not allowed to carry goods on the tractor.

Notably, the draft Circular stipulates that automobiles, four-wheeled motor vehicles, four-wheeled motor vehicles, and specialized motorbikes (except trailers and semi-trailers pulled by tractors) must be equipped with a journey tracking device to ensure that the vehicle's journey and speed are recorded.

At the same time, a dash cam must be equipped to ensure that it records images in front and behind the vehicle when driving on the road (except in the case of motorbikes and scooters, where the dash cam can be mounted on the vehicle or the driver must ensure that images in front of the vehicle are recorded when driving on the road).

These devices must be operational throughout the entire road test period and data must be retained for at least 6 months from the date of completion of the road test.

The driver of a research and development vehicle for road testing must have a motor vehicle driving license, a license or certificate for driving a specialized motorbike suitable for the type of vehicle being tested, and the time from the month of issuance of the above documents to the month of road testing must be at least 36 months.

According to the Vietnam Register, according to the provisions of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (effective from January 1, 2025), the Ministry of Transport is responsible for issuing a Circular stipulating technical requirements for motor vehicles and specialized motorbikes subject to research and development that need to participate in road traffic.

Before the Law on Road Traffic Safety was issued, technical requirements for this type of vehicle were stipulated in many different sub-law documents, leading to inconsistent content and causing difficulties in application.

Therefore, the drafting of the above Circular is necessary to ensure consistency and legal basis for implementation in accordance with legal provisions.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/se-co-yeu-cau-ky-thuat-rieng-doi-voi-xe-chay-thu-192240902105102602.htm