What is a light goods vehicle?

A light goods vehicle, or LGV, can be defined as a commercial motor vehicle with a total gross weight of 3,500kg or less. Light goods vehicles include commercial vehicles such as vans, pick-up trucks and three-wheelers.

The main purpose of a goods vehicle is to be used for the carriage and transportation of commercial goods.

What is the difference between LGV and HGV?

A vehicle is taxed according to its weight, engine, construction, type of fuel and emissions. Also, the purpose for which it is used comes into consideration. Vehicles designed for the transport of goods can be separated into two categories based on weight:

Light goods vehicles (under 3,500 kg)
Heavy goods vehicles (over 3,500 kg)

What is classed as a private light goods vehicle?

The term private light goods vehicle refers to a specific taxation class. As we mentioned before, vehicles are classified for tax purposes according to the manner in which they were constructed, and the purpose for which they are used. We can find other taxation classes also depending on the year they were registered:

1. The private or light goods (PLG) class is intended for private motor cars and goods vehicles not exceeding 3,500kg that were registered before 1 March 2001. It can also include vehicles used for private (non-trade or business) purposes.
2. The light goods vehicle class is intended for vehicles registered on or after 1 March 2001. Besides not exceeding 3,500kg, they have been type-approved by manufacturers as N1 category vehicles. This means that they have been specifically designed to carry goods. It also includes three wheeled vehicles that weight over 450kg unladen.

Light goods vehicles are also categorised depending on their emission standards, such as:

Euro 4 LGVs. Registered between March 2003 and December 2006 are specifically designed to carry goods and not exceed 3.5 tonnes. It’s important to highlight that the Euro 4 emission standards need to be met.
Euro 5 LGVs. Registered between January 2009 and December 2010, they have the same characteristics as euro 4 LGVS when it comes to weight and purpose. However, they need to meet Euro 5 emission standards.

CO2 emissions also have a lot of influence on road taxation. For example, if your car was registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, and your emissions are lower than 100g/km, you could be road tax-free. However, the rules may differ when it comes to newly registered vehicles. For further details please refer to the gov.uk website.

Nowadays, many fleets are using the applicable CO2 measures to their advantage and have started to switch to electric vehicles, which can potentially decrease your long term running costs.

At Webfleet, helping you to optimise and maximise your fleet efficiency is our main goal. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of electrifying your fleet, get in contact with one of our experts today.