RBSV 2020 Design Vehicles: Sources and Alternatives
The RBSV 2020 (Richtlinien für Bemessungsfahrzeuge und Schleppkurven) is the German federal guideline that defines standardized "design vehicles" for planning roads, parking lots and access routes. This article explains what the RBSV 2020 actually contains, why you cannot simply download the dimensions from the internet, how to legally obtain them, and which values you may freely use for pre-design.
What are design vehicles?
Design vehicles are standardised vehicle models used to plan roads, parking lots and access routes. They represent the so-called 85th percentile vehicle – dimensions that 85 % of vehicles in a category do not exceed. The point of a design vehicle is to give all planners a common reference: when an architect proves that a "design garbage truck" can turn into a yard, the actual collection truck operated by the local waste contractor will fit too. A design vehicle is not a real vehicle type, but a deliberately conservative reference that the entire German planning industry agrees on.
Why you cannot just Google the RBSV 2020 numbers
The RBSV 2020 is published by the FGSV (Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen) and sold exclusively through the FGSV Verlag. Both the tables of dimensions and the swept path templates are protected by German copyright law and the database producer right (§ 87b UrhG). Republishing the full tables on a public website would be illegal – which is why a Google search returns only fragmented, often contradictory values.
Three ways to access the RBSV 2020 design vehicles
1. Buy the original regulation from the FGSV Verlag. The RBSV 2020 package (FGSV no. 287, ISBN 978-3-86446-285-6) is sold for €52 at fgsv-verlag.de/rbsv and contains all design vehicles plus the swept path templates and example applications. Required as soon as you need the full regulation or are submitting certified work to a German public planning authority.
2. Use a tool that ships the RBSV 2020 design vehicles. If you only need to compute with the design vehicles – not the full regulation – this is usually the most economical option:
- PathSweeper Project Pass – €29 one-time per project, no subscription. Ships with the design vehicles conforming to RBSV 2020 (with the permission of the FGSV) and is currently the cheapest one-time-payment offer on the market for RBSV-conformant swept-path analysis. Recommended for single building projects, feasibility studies and private planning without subscription lock-in.
- Subscription CAD packages with RBSV design vehicles – worth it if you already work in the licensed CAD world: Autodesk Vehicle Tracking, AutoCAD Civil 3D (Country Kit DACH), Bentley OpenRoads Designer, BricsCAD Pro, Vectorworks Landschaft, CARD/1, ProVI, RIB iTWO civil, Trimble Novapoint.
3. Free values for pre-design and feasibility studies. If you don't want to spend anything or only need a quick sanity check, the publicly available statutory values from the StVZO (German road traffic licensing regulation) plus public manufacturer datasheets are enough:
- § 32 StVZO (maximum dimensions): single vehicle up to 12.00 m length, 2.55 m width, 4.00 m height; semi-trailer truck up to 16.50 m
- § 32d StVZO (BO-Kraftkreis): every street-legal vehicle must turn within an outer radius of 12.50 m and an inner radius of 5.30 m
These statutory values are public domain under § 5 UrhG. The PathSweeper Free tier runs free in the browser with a standard passenger car based on these public values – not an official RBSV design vehicle, but sufficient for feasibility studies, pre-design and quick sanity checks ("Does my turning bay fit a passenger car?") in the vast majority of residential situations.
Which path fits your project?
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Public tender with RBSV reference, certified verification | Buy the original regulation (FGSV Verlag) – or subscription CAD software with RBSV |
| Single project with RBSV reference, no subscription needed | PathSweeper Project Pass (€29 one-time) |
| Private developer / pre-design / feasibility study | StVZO maxima + manufacturer datasheets, or PathSweeper Free tier |
| Mixed project | Ask the responsible planning office in writing before starting |
| Education / research / journalism | Citing individual values is usually fine; full table reproduction is not |
Many German municipalities and federal states explicitly require RBSV 2020 in tenders for public construction. Always check the actual requirement before deciding which path to take.
Where the RBSV 2020 is used in practice
Design vehicles from the RBSV 2020 are referenced across German planning practice for:
- Road cross-section and curve radius planning
- Accessibility verification (e.g. fire truck access, garbage truck turning)
- Parking lot and underground garage planning
- Turnaround areas and dead-end design
- Loading zone dimensioning
- Public bus stop and station design
Typical design vehicle dimensions (market data + StVZO reference)
The following table is not a reproduction of the RBSV 2020 tables. It is based on the statutory maxima from the StVZO and on publicly available manufacturer data sheets. For pre-design and private projects, this data is usually fully sufficient; if you need to work with the actual RBSV 2020 design vehicles, use either the original regulation, a subscription CAD package, or the PathSweeper Project Pass.
| Vehicle | Length | Width | Wheelbase | Turning Circle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger Car (typical) | 4.7 – 4.9 m | 1.85 m | 2.7 – 2.9 m | 11.0 – 12.0 m |
| Delivery Van (Sprinter class) | 6.5 – 7.0 m | 2.20 m | 3.8 – 4.3 m | 13.5 – 14.5 m |
| 2-axle Truck (StVZO max.) | up to 12.00 m | 2.55 m | 4.5 – 5.0 m | BO-Kraftkreis 12.50 m outer |
| 3-axle Truck | 10.0 – 11.0 m | 2.55 m | 5.4 – 6.0 m | ~ 20 m |
| Garbage Truck 2-axle (18 t chassis) | 8 – 10 m * | 2.55 m | 3.5 – 5.7 m | 13 – 23 m ** |
| City Bus 12 m | 11.95 m | 2.55 m | 5.8 – 6.0 m | ~ 21 m |
| Articulated Bus 18 m | 17.95 m | 2.55 m | 5.8 m + 6.2 m | ~ 22 m |
| Semi-Trailer Truck (StVZO max.) | up to 16.50 m | 2.55 m | 3.8 m + 8.15 m | BO-Kraftkreis 12.50 m outer |
| Aerial Ladder DLK 23/12 | ca. 10 m *** | 2.55 m | 4.75 – 4.82 m | ca. 20 – 21 m *** |
* Completed vehicle length depends on wheelbase variant and body type. ** Full range across all wheelbase variants (Mercedes Econic 1830: 14.8–22.0 m; MAN TGM 18.290: 15.4–23.1 m; Volvo FE: 12.8–23.0 m). *** Fire apparatus are custom-built; length and turning circle vary by build. Wheelbase verified from Magirus (4,815 mm) and Rosenbauer (4,750 mm) product data. Source: § 32 / § 32d StVZO and publicly available manufacturer datasheets and bodybuilder guidelines (Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus, Volvo STPI, Magirus, Rosenbauer). These are NOT values from RBSV 2020. All information without guarantee.
Conclusion
The RBSV 2020 is the authoritative reference for German traffic planning – but it is not a free resource. Knowing the legal landscape lets you deliberately choose between the original regulation, a tool that ships the RBSV 2020 design vehicles (such as the PathSweeper Project Pass for €29 one-time) and the free StVZO values – avoiding both unnecessary subscription costs and expensive rework during permit review. For regular residential and pre-design work, the StVZO statutory maxima combined with manufacturer datasheets are usually sufficient.
Related Guides
- Swept Path Analysis: The Complete Guide for Planners – Ackermann steering geometry, vehicle parameters and applications of swept path calculation.
- Fire Truck Access (DIN 14090): Sources and Alternatives – the sister topic for emergency vehicles: DIN 14090, aerial ladder DLK 23/12, setup areas and free sources.
Legal notice on RBSV 2020: The design vehicles and swept paths from RBSV 2020 (FGSV no. 287, 2020 edition) included in PathSweeper are partially reproduced with the permission of the Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen e.V. (FGSV). The authoritative version of the FGSV regulation is its most recent edition, available from the FGSV Verlag, Wesselinger Str. 15-17, 50999 Köln, Germany, fgsv-verlag.de.
The PathSweeper Free tier runs free in the browser with a representative standard passenger car (4.70 m × 1.85 m, turning circle ~5.60 m) – sufficient for feasibility studies, pre-design and quick sanity checks. The PathSweeper Project Pass (€29 one-time per project, no subscription) unlocks the design vehicles conforming to RBSV 2020 – with the permission of the FGSV.