• ECOdrive enhances your company's sustainability track record through safe and responsible driving
  • Sustainable fuel consumption: helps support you and our environment
  • Corporate social responsibility from sustainable fleet management with ECOdrive
  • With ECOdrive, I can drive greener today, using the technology of tomorrow
  • Let ECOdrive help you to reduce damage, damage claims and maintenance
  • Getting started with "The new driving"? ECOdrive makes it easy
  • ECOdrive makes efficiency, cost reduction and sustainability in one package possible
Product

RDW type approval (E4)

The RDW is the Dutch assessment body which ensures that the procedures of framework directive 2007/46/EC and Agreement 1958 of the ECE (Economic Commission Europe) are implemented as per the regulations. This type approval is a requirement for a vehicle-related after-market product to gain approval for use on the Dutch and European road networks. Manufacturers are required to demonstrate that they control all processes in terms of the legal aspects of the products they supply. The objective of this approval is: safety, sustainability and legal compliance.

If manufacturers place a product on the market, then this is associated with responsibilities. In general, manufacturers must ensure that the end user can use the products safely and that the environment is not impacted unnecessarily. To make sure that all manufacturers comply with the same rules, legislation is developed and implemented. The European Union sets out all rules within EU guidelines and directives. The United Nations publishes its rules in ECE regulations. All stakeholders are required to comply with the law.

European or global approval
EC approvals are mandatory for all member states of the European Union for systems, special technical equipment or components. These are indicated by a lower case ‘e’. The approvals are issued based on the EC guidelines. Outside the EU, manufacturers must have this approval for all countries which are signatories to the ECE regulations. In the legislation this is indicated by a capital ‘E’. The globally applicable ECE regulations form the basis. E = global. e = european.

Conformity of Production (CoP)
Before manufacturers are able to achieve type approval for a vehicle or component, they must demonstrate that the production process matches the type approval.

RDW identifies whether the manufacturer has taken sufficient measures to guarantee that the vehicles, systems, components or technical equipment comply with the type approval. Type approval can only be requested once the Conformity of Production (CoP) has been accepted. CoP covers the measures to be taken by the manufacturer to guarantee that the production complies with the type approval and the requirements from the legislation. The objective is as follows: safety, sustainability and legal compliance. Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate, at all times, that the CoP requirements are being met, as set out in the applicable legislation. We have incorporated our CoP processes within our ISO 9001:2015 quality management system.

EMC approval
EMC is part of the E4-e4 approval. EMC means that measurements are conducted to check whether the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the ECOdrive remains within the set parameters. The emissions within the ECOdrive product must not rise above the set limit, to make sure that the product is sufficiently resistant to ensure safe operation. Because the ECOdrive is connected to the (electronic) accelerator pedal, the RDW E-approval is therefore very important.

RDW type approval ECOdrive products
If an electrical system such as ECOdrive is installed within a vehicle, the manufacturer is able to ask for this approval (E4, e4). Auxiliary equipment (after-market products) must comply with the same high standards as those which apply to vehicle manufacturers. This prevents problems occurring afterwards, such as warranty invalidation and possible faults. In particular, it is very important that the product installed in vehicles also complies with all safety requirements which apply to the vehicle. The RDW type approval applies to all the different products supplied by ECOdrive, meaning that the responsibility for the vehicle and product liability are guaranteed for all customers.

Product liability, responsibility and consequences
Unfortunately there are a number of systems, separate technical units or components which are sold and installed in vehicles within the Netherlands and the EU without the E approval mark. These products are not tested according to the required standards and must therefore not be used on vehicles which drive on the public road. According to the inspection body (RDW) this official approval mark also contributes to fair competition, since all manufacturers must comply with the same quality requirements. In order to prevent possible problems with product liability and responsibility in the case of future emergencies it is therefore always advisable to select a product with an official product approval via the RDW type approval.

ISO 9001 - quality management system
Manufacturers must ensure that the products they supply comply with the type approval and the legislation through maintaining an appropriate ISO 9001 quality management system. The ISO 9001:2015 certificate from DEKRA confirms that ECOdrive has an accredited quality management system. The objective of ECOdrive is to ensure and continually improve its effectiveness internally and externally. The scope of the quality management system relates to: the design, manufacture, assembly, sales and after-sales support of electronic products which are mainly used in the automotive sector, and ensuring that installer-dealers are trained. The RDW verifies the effectiveness of this quality system based on ISO 9001:2015. A positive result leads to a declaration of conformity. See certificate RDW E4 and e4.

CE or E approval (mark)
The ECOdrive products are approved both in Europe and globally. An E4 approval is substantially different to a CE mark. E stands for Automotive and 4 relates to the country where the approval was granted, in this case the Netherlands. A CE mark has nothing to do with the automotive sector and literally means Conformité Européenne. CE is also not an official approval marking but instead is a type indication for consumer products. 

Safety, sustainability and legal compliance
With the RDW approval and the annual inspection of the E4 and e4 type approval together with the Conformity of Production (CoP), ECOdrive ensures consistent performance, compliance with the guidelines, sustainability, safety and legal compliance for all products supplied by ECOdrive.  Our products are manufactured as sustainably as possible. The quality level of our products is always at a very high level of quality, which can also be seen by the long service life of the products, and the ability to move and reuse the products. This is also beneficial for long-term sustainability.

If you have questions, or require more information regarding our product approvals, then please contact our sales advisers.