PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ) today presented the vehicle type approval (VTA) and homologation process of a vehicle to the media for the first time, using the BMW iX xDrive40i.

The media demonstration provided insight into JPJ’s inspection and evaluation procedures before a vehicle can be registered.

The RM420,000  iX is the first fully-electric BMW SUV, which would be introduced in Malaysia alongside other i vehicles in 2022.

VTA is a procedure conducted on all vehicle models before the registration process is done.



According to JPJ, this is done to guard the identity, dimension, weight, build characteristics and the specifications of the vehicle to ensure it is compliant with the stipulations set under the 1987 Road Transport Act and the Road Transport Rules.

To ensure the procedure is conducted smoothly and transparently, a committee known as the National Committee for Type Approval and Homologation assesses each VTA application to make sure the vehicle follows all requirements.

The committee is chaired by the JPJ director-general and comprises various government and private agencies such as Sirim; Miros; Ministry of International Trade and Industry; Ministry of Transport; Malaysian Customs; Puspakom; Department of Environment; Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs; Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation; Standards Malaysia; and Malaysian Automotive Institute.



“As JPJ is the authority to carry out the evaluation, testing and approval of a vehicle in Malaysia, the VTA procedure is a compulsory one that every new vehicle must undergo before it is cleared for road use in the country," said JPJ director-general Datuk Zailani Hashim.

The vetting is to ensure the optimum level of safety for road users in the country, he added.

"The arrival of the new BMW i vehicles is part of our electrification strategy that will complement Malaysia’s electromobility goals for 2022, especially with the announcement of the new tax incentives and policies for EV manufacturers as well as owners in the coming year,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Hans de Visser.

Among those present today were JPJ deputy director-general (planning and operations) Aedy Fadly Ramli, Automotive Engineering Department director Mohd Yusop Mohamad and BMW Group Malaysia corporate communications head Sashi Ambi.


DOWNLOAD:
JPJ presentation (pdf, BM)
VTA Guidelines (pdf, BM)

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