The division of cars by type and type is due to the ever-increasing number and variety of manufactured models. The systematization and cataloging of old and new brands allowed car enthusiasts to form a more complete picture of the car of interest. A whole system of classification was developed. According to it, motor vehicles are divided into several types according to such categories as purpose, size, body types, engine volumes, etc. In this article, we will answer the question of what cars are classified as passenger cars.
What cars belong to passenger cars: classification by class
Passenger cars belong to the wheeled class of motor vehicles according to the generally accepted classification, but within the same class the division is very relative. This is due to the design features of cars. There are models, whose features turn them into “transitional” models, some modifications can be attributed to two or more classes at once.
The classes themselves also affect what passenger cars will be in terms of weight, dimensions, interior design, etc. This can best be seen in the growth of physical parameters within a single model line.
The national legislation also affects which vehicles are considered cars and which are considered trucks. For example, in the Russian Federation, a car with a gross weight of not more than 3.5 tons is considered a passenger car. In the U.S., the weight of a passenger car should not exceed 3,904 tons (8600 pounds). In Germany, when converting the body “hatchback” or “station wagon” the car can be transferred to the category of trucks, if you remove the rear seats, remove the straps and paint the rear side windows.
In the U.S. for a long time, any off-road vehicle was treated as a truck. Russian customs laws clearly regulate the rules for registration of imported vehicles with a maximum allowable weight of 3.5 tons: the car referred to the documents as a cargo if the payload of mass exceeds the total weight of passengers and driver (75 kg per seat), to a passenger – if the mass of the goods is less, etc.
Every state has its own specific classification, according to which a car belongs to this or that type. Our country is closer to European standards, which is understandable because of our geographical location. Historically, the Russian market was filled primarily with European models. This influenced the subsequent formation of consumer taste.
The classification itself has no strict outlines. It undergoes changes every time a new car model is developed and released for sale.
How to determine which group a passenger car belongs to
When buying a passenger car for an organization, the accountant has a difficult task: to choose a depreciation group number. How to determine it? It depends on the type, class (for passenger cars), general cargo lifting capacity and purpose (transportation of disabled people, special municipal vehicles, wreckers, etc.) of the transport.
You can find out which vehicles belong to passenger cars and which do not in the technical passport. This document indicates the main characteristics of the transport and without it the car will not be allowed to move.
More often accountants classify the car as a type based on its category, specified in the fourth column of the technical passport (PTS). If it says “B” there, the accountant enters the car as a car, “C” – as a cargo, “D” – as a passenger bus. However, in reality, despite the widespread misconception, it is not the fourth column in the technical passport that determines the type of the car.
For instance, a truck is classified as “B” category if its weight is less than 3,5 tons, but if one exceeds this threshold a bit – it will be classified as “C”.
Buses are categorized as “B” (for transportation of 1-8 passengers) and “D” (for transportation of more than 8 persons at a time).
To determine what type the vehicle belongs to, you need to look in the third column of the passport under the name “Name, Type of Vehicle”. The constructive differences of the vehicle are specified there.
Most often this graph allows figuring out how to write the vehicle: to refer it to cars, trucks or buses for passenger transportation.
Also, in addition to the type, the third column contains information about the purpose of transport: cargo/passenger transportation, collection, cement carrier, crane, sanitary or “universal”.
