For decades the tachograph was a heavy-vehicle instrument. Mobility Package I changed that: Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 amended the driving-time rules of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 and the tachograph rules of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, and on 1 July 2026 one of its last milestones arrived. Light commercial vehicles in international transport and cabotage now need a tachograph, and specifically the smart tachograph version 2.
The legal framework at a glance
Which vans are in scope
The new point (aa) in Article 2(1) of Regulation 561/2006 applies, from 1 July 2026, to the carriage of goods in international transport or cabotage where the maximum permissible mass of the vehicle, including any trailer or semi-trailer, exceeds 2.5 tonnes. Regulation 165/2014 then requires a tachograph wherever 561/2006 applies. Purely domestic operations of vans up to 3.5 t are not brought into scope by this change, although national rules can add requirements of their own.
Two exemptions in Article 3 matter most for van fleets:
- Own account, point (ha). Vehicles above 2.5 t and up to 3.5 t carrying goods on the own account of the company or the driver, not for hire or reward, where driving is not the main activity of the person driving.
- Tools and craft goods, point (aa). Vehicles up to 7.5 t carrying materials, equipment or machinery for the driver's own work, or delivering goods produced on a craft basis, within 100 km of the base, not for hire or reward, and where driving is not the driver's main activity.
The threshold counts the trailer
The 2.5 t figure is the combined maximum permissible mass, not the van's alone. A light van with a trailer can cross it, and a heavier combination crosses the 3.5 t threshold that has applied for years.
Why it has to be smart tachograph version 2
Mobility Package I set a sequence of deadlines for vehicles operating outside their Member State of registration. Each one raised the equipment level, and the van rule came last, so vans join at the newest level.
What version 2 adds
- Automatic position records at the start and end of the daily working period, every three hours of accumulated driving, at every border crossing and at loading and unloading operations.
- Border crossings and load or unload operations recorded by the equipment rather than by manual entries.
- Type of operation, recording whether the vehicle carries goods or passengers.
- 56 days of driver activity on the version 2 driver card.
- Remote early detection, a short-range radio link that lets enforcement officers pre-select vehicles at the roadside; Mobility Package I added exceeding the maximum driving time to the data it carries.
- An ITS interface for authorised applications, with driver consent required for personal data.
- Software update capability and stronger anti-tampering measures, including, for adaptor installations in light vehicles, an internal sensor in the tachograph that is independent of the motion sensor signal.
Speed and distance: what the tachograph measures
Every tachograph record about driving starts with motion. Annex IC of Regulation 2016/799 sets the measurement performance; version 2 extended the speed-accuracy requirement down to 2,400 pulses per kilometre.
w, k and l
Annex IC uses three parameters that appear on every installation plaque. The characteristic coefficient w is the number of pulses the vehicle delivers over one kilometre under standard test conditions. The constant of the recording equipment k is the number of pulses the tachograph needs to show and record one kilometre. The effective circumference l is the average distance covered by the driving wheels in one revolution, in millimetres. Calibration digitally adapts k to w, the same principle as the k-constant explained in taximeter speed signals.
w = p × (1 000 000 ÷ l)Worked example for a van on 235/65 R16 C tyres with a measured effective circumference of l = 2,150 mm: 1,000,000 ÷ 2,150 = 465.1 wheel revolutions per km. A vehicle output delivering 8 pulses per wheel revolution gives w ≈ 3,721 pulses/km, inside the version 2 range of 2,400 to 25,000 but below the 4,000 pulses/km lower bound that applied before version 2. An output delivering 4 pulses per revolution gives about 1,860 pulses/km, below the range; an adaptor may then multiply the incoming pulses by a fixed factor, here 2, which only the adaptor manufacturer or the installing approved workshop may program.
Standard test conditions
Errors on installation and in use are measured under standard test conditions, so that a workshop in one country and a control officer in another measure the same thing:
- vehicle unladen, in normal running order;
- tyre pressures in line with the manufacturer's instructions;
- tyre wear within the limits allowed by national law;
- vehicle driven under its own power in a straight line on level ground at 50 ± 5 km/h over at least 1,000 m, or an alternative method of comparable accuracy, such as a suitable test bench.
Tread wear alone can shift a car-sized tyre's circumference by around 2 % between new and the legal minimum, a large share of the ±4 % in-use distance tolerance. That is why the plaque records the date on which w and l were measured, and why any change of w or l triggers an inspection.
Installing in a van: motion sensor or adaptor
In a heavy truck, the motion sensor usually sits in the gearbox, driven mechanically, and talks to the vehicle unit over the interface defined in ISO 16844-3. Many vans offer no such mounting point. For M1 and N1 vehicles, Appendix 16 of Annex IC defines the adaptor: a sealed unit that takes the speed and distance pulses generated by the vehicle's integrated sensors or alternative interfaces and induces them into an embedded, type-approved motion sensor. Seen from the vehicle unit, the adaptor behaves exactly like a motion sensor.
- 1Connection pointAs close as possible to the part of the vehicle that provides the incoming pulses.
- 2SealThe input connection is sealed at both ends.
- 3Input leadKeep the lead to the adaptor short and protected along its route.
- 4TwistKeep both wires twisted right up to the joint.
Power, ignition and standby current
The vehicle unit needs a permanent terminal 30 supply for its clock and memory, and an terminal 15 signal for its operating state. Two details catch out van installations. First, the adaptor's embedded motion sensor is monitored: outside calibration mode, any interruption of its supply longer than 200 ms is recorded as a power supply interruption event, so the supply must ride through cranking and stop-start restarts. Annex IC specifies red for the adaptor's positive supply and black for ground. Second, vans have smaller batteries than trucks and can stand parked for days. Everything that stays awake after shutdown, tachograph and telematics included, adds to the sleep current the vehicle manufacturer budgets for.
Wait until the networks are asleep before reading the quiescent current.
Electric vans add their own power states: the drivetrain is live only in READY, and the 12 V battery may be supported by a DC-DC converter only in some states. See CAN in electric and hybrid vehicles and, for wiring practice, installation best practices.
The workshop's role
Only fitters, workshops and vehicle manufacturers approved by a Member State may install or repair tachographs (Article 22 of Regulation 165/2014). Approval comes with audits: procedure audits at least every two years, focused on security and workshop cards, and unannounced technical audits of at least 10 % of approved workshops each year. Each fitter works with a personal workshop card, protected by a PIN and valid for no more than one year.
Calibration, as Annex IC defines it, updates or confirms the vehicle parameters held in the tachograph: VIN, registration number and registering Member State, w, k, l, tyre size, the speed-limiting device setting where applicable, UTC time, the current odometer value and, in version 2, the default load type. The types and identifiers of all seals in place are stored at the same time.
- 01Confirm the operation
Establish that the van, with any trailer, is above 2.5 t, runs international or cabotage work for hire or reward, and that no exemption applies.
- 02Choose the motion route
Use a mechanical motion sensor where the vehicle allows it; otherwise an adaptor fed from a pulse output designated by the vehicle manufacturer.
- 03Install and power
Mount the vehicle unit, sensor or adaptor and cabling; provide a stable permanent supply, an ignition signal and a solid ground.
- 04Activate and calibrate
With the workshop card, pair the motion sensor, set w, k and l, and enter vehicle identification, UTC time, odometer and default load type.
- 05Measure the errors
Check distance and speed under standard test conditions: unladen, correct tyre pressures, 50 ± 5 km/h over at least 1,000 m, or on a suitable test bench.
- 06Seal and document
Seal components and connections, record the seal identifiers and affix the installation plaque on the unit or, where that is not possible, on the B-pillar.
- 07Hand over
Brief the operator on company card lock-in, download intervals and driver cards before the first international trip.
After installation, the tachograph returns to a workshop at least every two years, and also after any repair, any change of w or l, a change of registration number, or when UTC time is wrong by more than five minutes (the version 2 rule). Removed or broken seals must be replaced by an approved fitter or workshop within seven days at the latest, and workshops keep inspection reports for at least two years.
For operators: what changes on day one
For a van operator, the tachograph is the visible part of a larger change: drivers now work under the EU driving and rest rules.
- Every driver needs a driver card, valid for no more than five years; the company needs a company card to lock in and download its data.
- Download the vehicle unit at least every 90 days and each driver card at least every 28 days.
- Drivers must be able to present records for the current day and the preceding 56 days.
- With version 2 recording border crossings automatically, drivers no longer need to enter the country symbol manually at the first stop after a border.
Beyond the EU: AETR, the United Kingdom and Türkiye
For vehicles registered in the EU or in an AETR country, international journeys that run partly outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland follow the UNECE AETR Agreement for the whole journey. AETR has historically applied to goods vehicles above 3.5 t and has not been aligned with the EU's 2.5 t van threshold in the same way; Türkiye, an AETR contracting party, is among the countries whose position matters for many Europe-bound fleets. The United Kingdom applies equivalent rules under its own legislation, including smart tachograph version 2 from 1 July 2026 for vehicles above 2.5 t operating in the territory of the other party to the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. As these positions can change, verify the current rule with the competent authority before planning van routes outside the EU.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rule apply to vans registered before 1 July 2026?
Yes. The obligation follows the operation, not the registration date: any van above 2.5 t in international transport or cabotage for hire or reward needs smart tachograph version 2 from 1 July 2026, whatever its age.
Can an older digital tachograph be fitted instead?
No. For vehicles operating outside their Member State of registration, the earlier generations were phased out by 31 December 2024 and 18 August 2025. A van entering scope now needs version 2.
Is a van carrying our own goods abroad in scope?
Possibly not. Point (ha) exempts vehicles above 2.5 t and up to 3.5 t used on own account, not for hire or reward, where driving is not the driver's main activity. National authorities apply this exemption, so confirm your case.
Why do vans often use an adaptor instead of a gearbox sensor?
Many M1 and N1 vehicles offer no mechanical mounting for a motion sensor. Annex IC allows an adaptor there: a sealed unit fed by the vehicle's own speed pulses that presents itself to the tachograph as a type-approved motion sensor.
How often must the tachograph be inspected?
At least every two years, and after any repair, any change of w or l, a change of registration number, or when UTC time is more than five minutes out.
