Driving license limit for motorhomes increases to 4.25 tons

Good news for motorhome drivers: The weight limit for camper and motorhomes is raised in the EU. Housewear drivers with a class B driver’s license that was acquired after 1999 may in future drive vehicles up to 4.25 tons of permitted total weight. The limit is currently 3.5 tons.

If you want to drive a larger, i.e. heavier vehicle, you have to buy an additional driver’s license so far – such as that of class C1. This allows vehicles to keep up to 7.5 tons of permitted total weight, not only motorhomes, but also trucks. For many camper, however, this is not a practical option, since the C1 driving license is time-consuming and costly. This change has been discussed for a long time, but in the past few days the process is concretized: On March 25, 2025, the EU Parliament and the Council temporarily agree on the revision of the 4th EU driving license directive.

The change does not yet come into force; The countries have four years to implement them. Depending on the political will, this can happen faster or slower. In Germany, the implementation is expected that the implementation will take place rather quickly, since the demand for more flexible regulations for motorhomes is high.

Why is the change necessary? There are two different motives. One is the wish of politics to make electric vehicles more attractive. With a motorhome – the basis is usually a van like the Fiat Ducato or the Mercedes Sprinter – it is practically impossible to construct a model with an electric drive model that complies with the weight limit of 3.5 tons. The reason is the weight of the battery pack. By definition, a motorhome is a travel vehicle that requires a high range. In addition, there is the high weight and the less wind-slip shape-so a mini battery makes little sense. However, a travelable battery leads to around 500 to 700 kilograms of additional weight, too much to stay below 3.5 tons.

A complex training with a subsequent examination is necessary for the C1 driver’s license-with the corresponding costs. You should expect around 3000 euros, for a couple, twice the way if both want to drive. If the old regulation continued, e-models would hardly have a chance on the camper market.

In addition, motorhomes that are larger than a medium length panel car often exceed 3.5 tons or only adhere to this limit on paper. If the vehicle is then packed and more than two people are on board, the 3.5 tons are not sufficient. In the holiday season, this leads to unpleasant situations during controls. Families with a frequently loaned camper weigh too much. You didn’t think anything bad, and suddenly it doesn’t go on on vacation on the highway.

The new regulation provides for training or examination in the event of conventional drive; In the case of alternative drives such as electro, this requirement is no longer available for an accident -free driving license possession of two years. Such training is far less complex than the C1 driver’s license. For example, it could only take a few hours and cost around 100 to 200 euros. This unequal treatment is politically wanted, but it does not really make sense. The guideline still has to be confirmed and published in the Official Journal, but since there is no dissent here, this is only a formality.

For camper, the new regulation is in any case a practical solution. With an electric drive, the limit of 3.5 tons only works for cars; It gets tight with other vehicles. In fact, it is inadequate. This is where the camper faction prevails, but the same dilemma is also available for commercial commercial vehicles. A diesel transporter with an empty weight of 2000 kilograms offers about 1500 kilograms of payload, while an electric transporter with 2.5 to 2.7 tons and a battery of 300 to 700 kilos only 800-1000 kilograms-a restriction of 20 to 40 percent. And only the battery weight is taken into account here.

With an additional 700 kilogram of empty weight, you should actually use a heavier “heavy duty” version of the chassis. This is a big problem for companies. A considerable part of the young employees does not have a driver’s license, let alone permission for trucks. Especially small companies that rely on light transporters could benefit from a similar regulation, but this has not yet been discussed.