Cologne/Wiesbaden. A year ago, the digital registration portal i-Kfz Level 4 was launched with lots of praise. “Germany goes digital,” said the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The authority spoke of a milestone for digital administration in Germany. The aim of the project: to make the approval processes simpler, more convenient and more efficient and to relieve the burden on citizens, companies and public administration. After a year, not everything is going well with i-Kfz level 4. But things are going better and better. We spoke to Florian Cichon, CEO of PremiumZulasser eG, about the current situation. The cooperative is a cooperation partner of the Hesse motor vehicle trade.
Interview

“i-Kfz Level 4 is better than its reputation.”

Cologne/Wiesbaden. A year ago, the digital registration portal i-Kfz Level 4 was launched with lots of praise. “Germany goes digital,” said the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The authority spoke of a milestone for digital administration in Germany. The aim of the project: to make the approval processes simpler, more convenient and more efficient and to relieve the burden on citizens, companies and public administration. After a year, not everything is going well with i-Kfz level 4. But things are going better and better. We spoke to Florian Cichon, CEO of PremiumZulasser eG, about the current situation. The cooperative is a cooperation partner of the Hesse motor vehicle trade.

What experiences have premium registrants had so far with i-Kfz Level 4?

Cichon: Since September last year, car dealers and registration service providers have been able to carry out registrations for themselves and their customers directly online. At least on paper. It will take a few more months until the system is implemented by everyone involved and works properly. The municipal licensing offices are having a hard time implementing it. Ultimately, i-Kfz level 4 will lead to noticeable relief. In this respect, the tool is better than its reputation.

How are the car dealerships reacting to the teething problems?

Cichon: You are very cautious and act accordingly cautiously. Not every car dealership is yet connected to i-Kfz level 4 via the major customer interface (GKS) of the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).

Can you understand the reluctance of retailers?

Cichon: Absolutely. Too complicated, too expensive and only functional to a limited extent. These are often mentioned reservations. However, they are only partially correct. This is proven by the premium licensees and their cooperative partners. They have developed safe, fast and inexpensive solutions that allow large and small car dealerships to benefit from digital approval without significant personnel and financial expenditure.

Does that mean specifically?

Cichon: With our registration software premium-zulasser.online, we offer legal entities such as manufacturers, importers, fleet operators, but above all car dealers and registration service providers easy access to i-Kfz Level 4. Because our system is connected to the major customer interface of the Federal Motor Transport Authority. This eliminates the need for users to make high investments in connecting their own IT infrastructure to the GKS. With the right partner at your side, retailers and other users can easily use i-Kfz Level 4.

For free?

Cichon: Not for free, but almost for free. Jokes aside. Customers pay a usage fee for each order they process with our software. The amount depends on the volume and is negotiated with our local cooperative partners.

What other advantages does your software offer?

Cichon: As part of our networking strategy, we have linked our tool not only to the GKS, but also to proven IT systems via interfaces that retailers use. These include GeNesys, easy-car-sales, Catch, Toca and BWSolution. More will follow as needed. This is important because there is no one system that can do everything. Michael Kraft, President of the Hesse Motor Vehicle Association, summed it up: “The manual transfer of owner and vehicle data into various documents, which is still widely practiced, is inefficient and error-prone. Given limited human resources and high operational costs, the automation of complex and time-consuming standard processes is an important component in strengthening the competitiveness of our companies.” Another advantage of our system is the embedding of vehicle owner identification. i-Kfz requires a qualified electronic signature (QES), which must be issued by a trusted service provider and confirms the identity of the future owner. For example, the PostIdent or Video-Ident procedures are well known. However, the QES is not part of the GKS, but must be carried out in advance. The authentication process is an integral part of our software. This saves time and costs.

Can every car dealership work with i-Kfz level 4?

Cichon: i-Kfz Level 4 is reserved for car dealerships that process at least 500 registration processes per year. This threshold is too high for many small retailers. The solution: You commission a PZeG member company to handle the approvals. In this case, you do not have to pay any registration fees to the Federal Motor Transport Authority.

Why are you talking about a hybrid process?

Cichon: If the digital approval process is not available due to user errors, incorrect or incomplete data or the unavailability of official systems, our software automatically switches to analogue operation. This means the process can still be completed and delivered promptly. For the sake of completeness: If requested, we can scan vehicle documents, forward them to the customers’ digital vehicle files and archive them in our online document management. We offer solutions for the entire online vehicle sales process. In addition, our system constantly updates itself automatically in the background without incurring update, conversion or other development costs. Of course, we also offer all services relating to the registration of motor vehicles as full services.

So just register digitally, get in and drive off?

Cichon: With us, yes.