Kraftfahrzeug

Kraftfahrzeug is a German term that denotes a motor vehicle—any vehicle that is propelled by an engine or motor and designed for use on public roads. The category covers vehicles built to carry people or goods, including passenger cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles. It excludes non-motorized transport and vehicles intended for other domains, such as trains, ships, aircraft, or bicycles without propulsion.

In German traffic law, Kraftfahrzeug is a defined category used in classifications, licensing, and road safety. The term appears in laws such as the Straßenverkehrsgesetz (StVG) and the Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) to distinguish motorized road vehicles. It underpins administrative processes such as vehicle registration, taxation (Kraftfahrtsteuer), and mandatory liability insurance (Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung), administered by the federal authority Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA).

Common subcategories include PKW (Personenkraftwagen, passenger car), LKW (Lastkraftwagen, truck), Bus, and Motorrad (motorcycle). The abbreviation Kfz is widely used in manuals, forms, and license plates as a shorthand for Kraftfahrzeug.

Origin of the term lies in the early era of motorized transport, combining Kraft (power) with Fahrzeug (vehicle). Today it remains a standard legal and technical category across German-speaking countries, as well as in international contexts influenced by German terminology.