Soon, Smart Tachograph Version 2's will be mandatory in the EU - but not the UK. How should UK fleets respond to the change? And what are the new features on offer?
What is the Smart Tachograph Version 1?
Smart tachograph V1's have been mandatory on all newly registered vehicles since June 2019, and are the next step up from digital tachographs. Their features include:
- A Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) interface, allowing the authorities to read tachograph data quickly and remotely at short range,
- A satellite positioning system,
- Increased data storage; Smart Tachographs can store 56 days' worth of data compared to their predecessor's 28 days,
- The ability to communicate with other telematics applications (such as smart parking or pay as you drive apps).
What is the Smart Tachograph Version 2?
Expanding on the features of the V1, V2's additional features include:
- The ability to detect border crossings,
- The ability to record vehicle position during loading periods,
- Automatic recording of journey start and end destinations,
- The ability to manually designate the type of cargo (goods or passengers),
- Extra, more sophisticated sensors to ensure that data is recorded as precisely as possible.
What are the dates for the Smart Tachograph Version 2 rollout?
August 2023
All newly registered vehicles with a permissible weight of 3.5 tonnes or more must have a Smart Tachograph V2 fitted.
February 2024
By February 21, 2024, all newly registered, in-scope vehicles must be fitted with a Smart Tachograph V2 regardless of whether they partake in international journeys.
End of December 2024
All vehicles with a permissible weight of 3.5 tonnes or more that take part in international journeys must have a Smart Tachograph V2 fitted. If the vehicle is operating only within the UK, then the vehicle can still use the original digital or analogue tachograph that has been fitted.
August 2025
By August 18th, 2025, all vehicles already fitted with a Smart Tachograph V1 must upgrade to a V2. If the vehicle is operating only within the UK, then the vehicle can continue to use the tachograph that is already fitted.
July 2026
By the 1st of July 2026, all new vehicles with a permissible weight of 2.5 tonnes or more, that are involved in international journeys, must have a Smart Tachograph 2 fitted. (If the vehicle is under 3.5 tonnes, and remains within the UK, there is no requirement for a tachograph to be installed whatsoever.)
There are no other scheduled dates for upgrades, rollouts, or the like scheduled at the time of publishing (January 2024). The table below, sourced from an official EU training & guidance document, shows the dates of mandatory installation for all varieties of tachograph, as well as when a Smart Tachograph 2 (G2V2) is required:
Why are the Smart Tachograph 2's being implemented?
The main reasons the EU is implementing Smart Tachograph V2's, is in order to:
- Monitor competition within the haulage sector between different states,
- Gather more data on about cabotage, helping to enforce cabotage laws,
- Ensure that member states are enforcing/upholding tachograph regulations equally.
As you may have noticed, none of these reasons apply to vehicles that never leave the UK in the course of their work. As a result, Smart Tachograph 2's are not being rolled out / made mandatory in the UK as rapidly as they are in the EU.
This is why there are no internal UK laws dictating when to upgrade from your digital tachographs, (or even analogue tachographs, for that matter).
Smart Tachograph 2 Analysis with TachoMagic
If you're upgrading your fleet's tachographs in the coming months, you'll want to make sure your analysis bureau is geared up for the shift too. Thankfully, at TachoMagic, all our systems are prepared for Smart Tachograph 2 data. What's more, our automatic download devices will be compatible with the V2's as well!
If you don't already use us, we're a veteran tachograph analysis bureau based in Leeds, specialising in quick, simple, and effective analysis. We make sure you can get the reports you need ASAP, rather than digging through data to get what you want.
If you're interested in what we offer, feel free to get in touch with us (we're always happy to take questions), or look through our links below.
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