Too Many Acronyms?

The automotive industry has so many acornyms it's hard to keep up

Search through out list of acronyms

4WD

four-wheel drive

ABS

Anti-lock Braking System. A safety aid that prevents the wheels from locking up and skidding under hard braking.

AC

Air Conditioning. Can be manual or automatic.

AEB

Adaptive Cruise Control. Keeps your car automatically at a predetermined distance from the car in front. Also stands for Accessory – the first position of your ignition key which powers up non-essentials like the radio. Also, automatic climate control.

AFV

alternative fuelled vehicle (non-fossil fuelled)

APR

Annual Percentage Rate the annualised interest rate charged for borrowing money.

A/T

Automatic transmission. A gearbox that shifts automatically.

AWD

All-wheel-drive. Power is fed to all four wheels of the car. Can be permanent AWD (power is always fed to all four wheels) or switchable (power is fed to two wheels unless it detects slip, then it pushes drive to the other two). Also known as 4x4 or 4WD. Manufacturers have various names for their AWD systems.

BEV

Battery electric vehicle - BEVs are only powered by a battery. There are no other ways of making them go.

BHP

Brake horsepower. The standard measure of the power an engine puts out. Generally speaking, it affects top speed and acceleration.

BHP

Brake horsepower. The standard measure of the power an engine puts out. Generally speaking, it affects top speed and acceleration.

BIK

Benefit-in-Kind. Another name for company car tax, paid by business users who use a company car for private affairs.

CH

Contract Hire – a leasing option commonly used by businesses for new vehicles

CC

Cruise control or climate control. Also cubic capacity – the size of the engine, measured in cubic centimetres or litres in the UK e.g. 999cc or 1.0-litres.

CO

Carbon monoxide. A harmful engine exhaust emission.

CO₂

Carbon dioxide. One of the main gasses emitted from a car’s exhaust and one of the principal causes of global warming. Usually given in grams per kilometre (e.g. 120g/km).

CVT

Continuously Variable Transmission. A form of automatic gearbox characterised by having one automatically varying gear ratio, rather than a number of fixed ones.

DAB

Digital Audio Broadcasting. Also called Digital Radio, it’s a modern alternative to analogue AM and FM transmissions for car radio.

DOHC

Double (or dual) overhead cam. An engine type with a separate camshaft each for the intake and exhaust valves.

DPF

Diesel particulate filter. A device in a diesel-engine car’s exhaust which traps polluting particulates and burns them off at high temperatures. Can get clogged without regular high-speed driving.

DRL

Daytime running lights. Also called driving lights, these front lights operate whenever the engine is on. Manufacturers often use them to create a stylish front to the car.

DVLA

The organisation of the UK government responsible for maintaining a database of drivers in Great Britain and a database of vehicles for the entire United Kingdom.

DVSA

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The Government body responsible for driving tests, licenses, MOT tests and suchlike..

EBC

Electronic brake control.

ECU

Electronic Control Unit or Engine Control Unit. Takes readings from a variety of sensors within the engine and adjusts the likes of air-fuel mixture, ignition timing and idle speed to ensure optimum running

ESC

Electronic stability control. Automatically applies the brakes when it detects a loss of traction to prevent a skid. Also called ESP (electronic stability program).

EV

Electric vehicle. A vehicle which is powered primarily by an electric motor; unlike a BEV an EV may also be powered/occasionally powered by a petrol or diesel engine.

FCA

Financial Conduct Authority – body responsible for regulating financial services.

FCV

Fuel cell vehicle. A car that uses a fuel cell to run off hydrogen such as the Toyota Mirai.

FSH

Full service history. When buying a used car, this refers to the record of completed services, which must have been performed at manufacturer-specified periods.

FMSH

Full manufacturer service history – a car that has been maintained and serviced by a manufacturer approved (franchised) dealer.

FWD

Front-wheel drive.

GFV

a term used in motor finance within a PCP agreement meaning Guaranteed Future Value, this is the value at which a customer could purchase the vehicle at the end of their agreement subject to fair wear and tear terms being respected

GPS

Global positioning system. The standard used for most in-car navigation systems.

GPS

Global positioning system. The standard used for most in-car navigation systems.

GVW

Gross vehicle weight. Usually given in kilograms (kg) in the UK and refers to the weight of the entire vehicle, including passengers and luggage.

HEV

Hybrid Electric Vehicle a hybrid vehicle that cannot be plugged in and recharged. Being a hybrid, it has both a petrol / diesel engine and a battery.

HGV

Heavy goods vehicle. A vehicle with a weight of over 3,500kg.

HP

Hire Purchase. A way of financing a new or used car, usually with an initial deposit and then fixed monthly payments covering the rest of the balance.

HPI

Hire Purchase Inspection. An organisation which looks into the history of a used car and provide information such as write-off status, mileage, and any issues with the registration or VIN number.

Hybrid

a vehicle that is powered by both a petrol engine and battery-powered electric motors.

ISOFIX

Isofix is a standard anchoring system for child seats in cars. It usually takes the form of clips in the car's seatback and a tether behind the seat and enables child restraints to be fitted more easily than with a seatbelt.

LCV

Light commercial vehicle. Refers to vans and trucks with a weight of under 3,500kg.

LDAS

Lane departure avoidance system. A safety measure which prevents the driver from drifting out of lane, either by means of a warning light and buzzer or by taking control of the steering.

LED

Light emitting diode. A lighting technology which is steadily phasing out halogen and filament bulbs due to a superior lifespan and improved light.

LP

Lease Purchase a form of finance available to businesses (confusingly it is not a lease, it is purchase option)

LPG

Liquefied petroleum gas. Sometimes referred to as autogas, it’s an alternative fuel which requires an engine conversion to use.

LSD

Limited slip differential. Prevents excessive power from going to one of the driven wheels to avoid pointless wheelspin.

LSD

Limited slip differential. Prevents excessive power from going to one of the driven wheels to avoid pointless wheelspin.

LSD

Long wheelbase. A version of a car with a stretched wheelbase, normally reserved for luxury models.

MOT

Long wheelbase. A version of a car with a stretched wheelbase, normally reserved for luxury models.

MPG

Miles per gallon. The standard measure of fuel consumption in the UK.

MPH

Miles per hour.

MPV

Multi-purpose-vehicle. It’s usually used to refer to a vehicle on a passenger car chassis with a one-box design intended to provide maximum space and versatility. Also called people-carriers.

NEDC

New European Driving Cycle. The old EU testing procedure for fuel economy and emissions now superceded by WTLP.

NO_x

Nitrogen oxide. A harmful gas emitted from vehicle exhausts.

ODO

Odometer. The device which measures your car’s overall mileage.

OEM

Odometer. The device which measures your car’s overall mileage.

OTR

On The Road. This refers to the price of a new or used car with all additional fees factored in – delivery, road tax, and registration

PARC

an industry term for the total number of vehicles in a specific geographic area.

PAS

Power-assisted steering. Fitted to nearly every new car on sale today in either electric or hydraulic forms.

PCH

Personal Contract Hire – a way of leasing a new of used car with an initial payments followed by fixed monthly payments. There is no option to buy the car at the end of the contract

PCP

Personal Contract Purchase. A way of financing a new or used car, with an initial deposit, followed by fixed monthly payments and then the options of a final payment if you want to buy the car, handing the car back with no further payments or using the car as a part-exchange on a future car.

PHEV

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

PHEV

With reference to an electric vehicle (EV), the distance you can travel on pure electric power before the battery requires a charge.

PHEV

Alongside the WLTP test (see below) there is also an accompanying emissions test known as the Real Driving Emissions to make sure cars meet emissions limits in a range of driving conditions. An RDE test lasts between 90 and 120 minutes and take in a mix of 'normal' urban, rural and motorway driving.

PHEV

Road Fund Licence.

RV

Residual Value – the estimated future value of a car at the end of a given period. It is a term commonly used in motor finance; not the value is not guaranteed.

RWD

Rear-wheel drive.

SORN

Statutory off-road notification. A no-cost alternative to road tax or VED for cars which don't venture onto public roads e.g. track cars or project cars.

SMR

Statutory off-road notification. A no-cost alternative to road tax or VED for cars which don't venture onto public roads e.g. track cars or project cars.

SRS

Supplemental restraint system. The correct name for the airbag in your car.

SUV

Supplemental restraint system. The correct name for the airbag in your car.

TCS

Traction control system. Aids control and grip by cutting engine power or applying the brakes when it detects a wheel slipping.

VED

Vehicle excise duty. Also called road tax. A yearly fee which must be paid before you're entitled to use your car on the road. Prices are based on carbon dioxide emissions or, for older cars, engine size.

VIN

Vehicle Identification Number. Also called the chassis number, this is an identifying number used when checking a car’s history. Can be found on a plate on the chassis and at the base of the windscreen.

VRM

Vehicle Registration Mark – the number plate.

VRM

Vehicle Registration Mark – the number plate.

WTLP

Under conditions defined by EU law, the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) laboratory test is used to measure fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions from passenger cars, as well as their pollutant emissions; it replaced the NEDC.

ZEV

Zero Emission Vehicle.

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