MOT special notice 01-26: zero emission goods vehicles between 3,501kg and 4,250kg becoming class 7 vehicles
Published 13 May 2026
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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1. What’s changing
From 1 June 2026, zero emission goods vehicles with a design gross weight (DGW) between 3,501kg and 4,250kg will be classed as a class 7 vehicle and need to have a class 7 MOT test.
These vehicles will have their first class 7 MOT test 3 years after they are registered.
2. Background
In 2023, we conducted a survey of all class 7 testing stations to identify what equipment they had.
80% of respondents said they had a hoist. Of those:
- 18% had a safe working load (SWL) of 3,500 to 4,000kg
- 3% had a SWL of 4,001 to 4,250kg
- 79% had a SWL greater than 4,250kg
20% of respondents said they had a pit.
The findings supported a change in the law to allow zero emission goods vehicles between 3,501kg and 4,250kg to be tested as class 7 vehicles.
3. Why this is changing
This change will:
- mean HGV testing stations have more capacity
- support the adoption of zero emission vehicles in haulage fleets
These vehicles are the same size as current class 7 vehicles. The only difference is the additional weight of the battery.
4. Definition of a zero emission vehicle
A zero emission vehicle is defined as one without an internal combustion engine, or with an internal combustion engine that emits zero grams of CO2 per kilometre.
This does not include hybrid vehicles of any kind including range extenders which use diesel, petrol or LPG internal combustion engines that provide some drive or for charging the batteries.
5. Who this applies to
Class 7 testing stations must accept zero emission goods vehicles between 3,500kg and 4,250kg DGW.
All current test standards apply with the addition of speed limiters as detailed in section 7.10 of the inspection manual. This means the minimum tread depth requirements will change for these vehicles from 1mm to 1.6mm in line with current class 7 vehicles.
Testers must familiarise themselves with the manual before conducting MOT tests.
If a vehicle is presented fully or partially laden and its weight is uncertain, you can either:
- request evidence of its weight from the presenter
- measure the weight using an ATL brake tester
If the vehicle’s presented weight means that it cannot safely be tested, you should decline the test. The presenter can unload the vehicle so that you can test it safely.