HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

New South Wales Class 3 Zero Emission Vehicle Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1)

1. Purpose

This notice grants exemptions from mass and dimension requirements for class 3 heavy vehicles that are battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that meet specified Australian Design Rules requirements.

2.       Authorising provision

1)      This notice is made under the following provision of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL):

a)      section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.

3.       Title

This notice may be cited as the New South Wales Class 3 Zero Emission Vehicle Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

4.       Commencement date

This notice commences on 14 June 2024.

5.       Expiry date

This notice expires on 26 May 2026.

6.       Definitions

1)      Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this notice have the same meanings as those in the HVNL and its regulations.

2)      In this notice:

Guide means the New South Wales Class 3 Zero Emission Vehicle Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice Operator’s Guide published by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and as amended from time to time.

7.       Application

1. This notice applies to a class 3 vehicle that is:

a)      a ‘battery electric vehicle’ as defined in section 4 of Australian Design Rule ADR80/04; or

b)      a ‘hydrogen fuel cell vehicle’ as defined in section 4 of Australian Design Rule ADR80/04.

2.       This notice applies to a vehicle or combination consisting of one or the following:

a)      rigid truck or prime mover without a trailer; or

b)      prime mover towing a semitrailer; or

c)       a B-double.

3.       This notice applies in New South Wales.

4.       A heavy vehicle to which this section applies and that complies with the conditions of this notice is an eligible vehicle.

8.       Exemption – Prescribed mass requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following mass requirements under Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):

a)      section 2 – Mass limits for a single vehicle or combination

b)      section 4 – Mass limits for a single axle or axle group

c)       section 5 – Mass limits relating to axle spacing generally.

2)      An exemption in 1) applies to an eligible vehicle only to the extent that specific conditional mass limits are provided in sections 3) and 10 of this notice.

3)      Regardless of any conditional masses prescribed in this notice, an eligible vehicle must not exceed manufacturer’s mass limits as defined in section 8(8) of the MDL Regulation.

9.       Conditions – Mass (mass limits for rigid trucks and prime movers)

1)      A rigid truck or prime mover that forms part of an eligible vehicle that is listed in column 1 of Table 1, and that has a drive axle group described in column 2, must not exceed the following mass limits:

a)      the maximum vehicle mass stated in column 3;

b)      steer axle mass – 8.0t; and

c)       the maximum mass on the drive axle or axle group as stated in column 4.

Table 1: Maximum masses for rigid trucks and prime mover’s axles and axle groups.

10.   Conditions – Mass (maximum axle masses for trailers)

An axle group on a trailer that forms part of an eligible vehicle described in column 1 of Table 2 must not exceed the mass limit specified in column 2.

Table 2: Trailer axle group mass limits

11.   Conditions – Axle spacings

1)      For all eligible vehicles, the minimum distance between the centreline of the axles of any given axle group:

a)      1.2m

2)      For the specified units of an eligible vehicle, the minimum distance between the centrelines of the steer axle and the first axle of the drive axle group of an eligible vehicle:

a)      For a prime mover:  3.0m

b)      For a rigid truck:  3.3m

3)      For an eligible vehicle consisting of a prime mover towing a semi-trailer, the minimum distance between the centrelines of the rear axle of the drive axle group and the first axle of the first axle of the front trailer:

a)      4.4 metres.

4)      For an eligible vehicle that is a B-Double:

a)      The distance between the axle pairs specified in column 1 of Table 3 must fall within the range provided in columns 2 and 3:

Table 3: Axle spacing from trailers in a B-Double

12.   Conditions – Minimum contact width for steer axles

Tyres on the steer axle of an eligible vehicle must be at least 385mm in width.

13.   Condition – Tri-axle requirements for trailers on B-Doubles

For an eligible vehicle that is a B-double, all trailers must be fitted with tri-axle groups.

14.   Conditions – Dual tyres on drive axles

An eligible vehicle must be fitted with dual tyres on the drive axle or drive axle group.

15.   Conditions – Intelligent access program conditions (IAP conditions)

1)      An eligible vehicle must be enrolled in and comply with the following approved intelligent transport systems approved by Transport Certification Australia:

a)      For vehicles fitted with a single drive axle group with up to 10.5 tonnes; or tandem drive axle group with up to 18 tonnes, or fitted with a tri-axle drive axle group with up to 21 tonnes —

Road Infrastructure Management (RIM):

b)      For vehicles fitted with a single drive axle group with up to 10.5 tonnes; or tandem drive axle group up to 18 tonnes; and

1. Trailers fitted with tandem axle groups (8 tyres) operating at 17 tonnes fitted with road friend suspension systems;
2. Trailers fitted with tri-axle groups (12 tyres) operating at 22.5 tonnes fitted with road-friendly suspension and the operator holds mass management accreditation —

Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA)

c)       For vehicles fitted with a tandem drive axle group above 18 tonnes up to 18.5 tonnes —

Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) and Smart On-Board Mass Monitoring (OBM)

16.   Condition – Stated areas or routes

1)      An eligible vehicle complying with the conditions of this notice is authorised to operate on areas and routes stated in this section.

2)      For the purposes of section 119 (1)(a) of the HVNL, an area or route stated in this section is a stated area or route to which this notice applies.

3)      In this notice a reference to a network is a reference to a map or stated route pursuant to section 119(2) of the HVNL.

4)      An eligible vehicle that is a rigid truck can access the following network:

ZEHV Rigid Trucks (M1 and M2)

5)      An eligible vehicle that is a combination listed in column 1 of Table 4 not exceeding the axle mass limits stated in columns 2 to 4 may access the networks listed in column 5:

Table 4: Networks for eligible vehicles based on trailer axle masses

6)      Regardless of Table 4 an eligible vehicle that is a prime mover towing a semi trailer where the trailer has a tandem axle group and road friendly suspension but is not enrolled in mass management accreditation, that vehicle is limited to ZEHV Short Combination (M3).

7)      Regardless of any access granted under this section, an eligible vehicle must comply with any conditions or restrictions applied to a given area or route by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

8)      In this section:

Network means a map or stated route, including a list or database, presented electronically or otherwise, that represents the stated areas and stated routes authorised under this notice.

9)      An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in a schedule must comply with any of the conditions prescribed for that area or route in accordance with:

a)      Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and

b)      Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and

c)       Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

Peter Austin

Director Policy Implementation

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator