Working Out Your German or French Car's Fiscal Horsepower Before You Import It

Germany: the Zulassungsbescheinigung shows kW, not CVF

A German Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I lists the engine's rated power in kW under field P.2 — this is real, measured engine power, the same figure used across the EU for type approval, not a fiscal or tax-oriented number. Germany itself does not use a fiscal-horsepower-based vehicle tax the way Spain does; German road tax (Kfz-Steuer) is based on engine displacement and CO2 emissions instead. To translate a German car's data into the figure Spain will actually use for IVTM, you need the engine's cylinder displacement in cm³ (field P.1) and its number of cylinders — both are on the same document — and the Spanish formula described in this series' article on how IVTM is calculated.

France: the carte grise has a fiscal figure, but it is a different one

A French carte grise (certificat d'immatriculation) does show a field labelled 'P.6' or, on older formats, simply 'puissance fiscale', expressed in French administrative CV. This looks reassuringly similar to what Spain uses, but it is not the same number — the French formula factors in CO2 emissions and is calibrated for the French vehicle tax system, which works differently from Spain's. Do not carry the French CV figure over directly into a Spanish IVTM estimate; use the car's cylinder displacement and cylinder count from the same document and run the Spanish formula independently.

Estimating CVF yourself, step by step

• Find the engine displacement in cm³ (German field P.1, French section on the carte grise engine details).
• Find the number of cylinders, usually listed alongside displacement or inferable from the engine code.
• Apply the four-stroke formula: (displacement ÷ cylinders)^0.6 × 0.08 × cylinders. Almost all modern petrol and diesel passenger cars are four-stroke.
• Round to the nearest whole number and compare it against the Spanish fiscal horsepower brackets to estimate your likely IVTM tier.
• For an electric or plug-in hybrid car, use the official rated power (kW) instead of displacement, since the formula above does not apply to motors without cylinders.

Why this is only an estimate

The number you calculate at home is a planning tool, not the legal figure. Once the car goes through the mandatory Spanish ITV pre-registration inspection, the station calculates the official fiscal horsepower and enters it on the new Spanish ficha técnica — that entry, not your own calculation, is what your town hall will use to bill IVTM every year afterward. Small rounding differences or engine variant details not obvious from the foreign paperwork occasionally shift the final figure by a fraction, though rarely enough to change the bracket.

A worked comparison

A German BMW 320d, four cylinders, 1,995 cm³: (1,995 ÷ 4)^0.6 × 0.08 × 4 works out to roughly 11-12 fiscal horsepower, placing it near the top of the 8-to-12 CVF bracket or just into the 12-to-16 bracket depending on the exact displacement variant. A French Peugeot 308 1.5 BlueHDi, four cylinders, 1,499 cm³, comes out lower, comfortably inside the 8-to-12 bracket. Two similarly sized diesel family cars, different brackets — which is exactly the kind of detail worth checking before, not after, you commit to a specific car.

Frequently asked questions

Does horsepower in the sales listing (kW or PS) tell me my fiscal horsepower?

No, sales listings almost always show real engine power (kW or PS/hp), which is a different measurement from fiscal horsepower. Use the formula above with displacement and cylinder count instead, or ask the seller directly for those two figures if the listing does not include them.

Is there an official online calculator I can trust for a precise figure?

Several unofficial calculators exist online and can give a reasonable estimate using the same public formula, but none of them is the authoritative source — only the figure the Spanish ITV station enters on your ficha técnica is legally binding for IVTM purposes.

Can two examples of the exact same model and engine end up in different fiscal horsepower brackets?

It is uncommon but possible if the model was sold with slightly different engine tunes or displacement variants under the same trim name in different markets. Always check the specific displacement figure on your car's own paperwork rather than assuming from the model name alone.