Bring on the Hummer: EU wants to allow heavier cars with a B driving license

The European Commission wants to push through a new regulation that will allow heavier cars to be driven with a B license. They also want 18-year-olds to be allowed to drive lorries throughout the EU; in the Netherlands this is now allowed from the age of 21. This is reported by the ADAC, the German equivalent of the ANWB.

In the Netherlands, you can currently drive a car with a maximum permissible mass of 3.5 tonnes with a driving license B.

Driving heavy cars with B license

An exception has already been made to these basic rules. With a driving license B you can already drive an electric van with a maximum weight of 4250 kilograms in the Netherlands. If the European Commission has its way, this maximum weight should also apply to other driving license B vehicles.

Good news for lobsters

This potential deal is good news for many automakers. You can then also sell a large car that is even heavier because of the battery pack to people with a B driver’s license, for example the GMC Hummer EV. The car weighs just over 4,100 kilograms, making it fall under the new regulations. However, the Hummer is not yet delivered to the Netherlands.

Autovisie editor Peter Hilhorst has already driven a GMC Hummer EV in America. You can see in the video below whether the oversized electric car also has a fun factor.

But this is not only good news for the manufacturers of large, heavy Americans, the regulation will also be well received by mobile home enthusiasts. After all, motorhomes are often overloaded when you go on holiday – for a driver with a B driving license.

Concerns about the weight of electric cars

On the other hand, there are also concerns about the weight of electric cars. “I am concerned about the increased risk of serious injury and death to all road users from higher curb weights and increasing size, power and performance of vehicles on our roads, including electric vehicles,” Jennifer Homendy, chief of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said last Week.