APK (MOT) for an electric or hybrid car: what does the inspector check?

An electric car follows the same APK schedule as a petrol car. The RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, groups passenger cars by fuel. One group is “petrol, alcohol and/or electric”. The other group is “diesel, gas or other”, possibly in combination with electric. For a hybrid, the fuel of the combustion engine is what counts. On its English pages, the RDW calls the APK the PTI (periodic technical inspection).

Source: RDW, When and how often should a PTI inspection be performed. Counted from the date of first registration, passenger cars up to 3,500 kg.

You can find the expiry date for your own car in the RDW’s registration number check (Kentekencheck). According to the RDW, you can have the car tested up to 2 months before the expiry date without losing any time. The new expiry date is then the old date plus 1 or 2 years. More on the intervals is in our article on when your car needs an APK.

The inspector examines the parts of the electric drivetrain with the car on the lift. This is set out in article 5.2.12a of the APK rules, published by the RDW in its inspection manual (APK-handboek, in Dutch). It is a visual check: the car is on a vehicle lift or above an inspection pit and the inspector looks, without opening anything up. The requirements apply to electric cars and to hybrids. According to the RDW, the parts must:

You can recognise the high-voltage cables by their orange colour. Manufacturers sometimes give them an extra protective sleeve. According to the RDW, if only that extra sleeve is damaged and the insulation directly around the wires is still intact, the car does not fail on that point. If the inspector sees copper wire or damaged insulation, the car does fail.

In most electric cars the battery pack sits flat under the floor. It can be damaged there by a high kerb, a speed bump or debris on the motorway. That is why the inspector also takes a close look at the underside of the battery pack and at its mounting points.

A hybrid has a combustion engine and therefore does get an environmental check. A fully electric car has no exhaust and does not get this check. With a hybrid, the inspector looks at both systems: the electric drivetrain and the combustion engine with its exhaust.

On a passenger car up to 3,500 kg first registered after 31 December 2005 that runs on petrol only, has a hybrid drive (not a series hybrid) or has a diesel engine without a particulate filter, the inspector may check the emissions through the on-board computer. This does not apply to a car running on LPG or CNG. This is called the EOBD procedure. The inspector connects a diagnostic reader and checks whether any engine fault codes are stored and whether the self-test of the emissions system has been completed. If that is not possible, or if there are emissions faults, the inspector measures the exhaust gases with a gas analyser. According to the APK rules, the engine must be at operating temperature for that measurement.

A diesel hybrid with a factory-fitted DPF (diesel particulate filter) gets a particle counter test, like other diesels with a factory-fitted DPF. What this test involves is explained in our article on the particle counter test at the APK.

On an electric car and a hybrid, the brakes and the tyres deserve extra attention. This is down to regenerative braking and the weight of the car.

Brakes. With regenerative braking, the electric motor slows the car down and charges the battery at the same time. The brake pads and brake discs are used less as a result. They wear more slowly, but according to the ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, the mechanical brakes can suffer from rust. A rusty brake disc gives less braking force and can brake unevenly. At the APK, the inspector tests how well the brakes work. A brake that works less well because of rust or a sticking brake calliper shows up then.

Tyres. According to the ANWB, the tyres of an electric car wear faster because of the high weight, the high power and a lot of quick acceleration and braking. The ANWB advises swapping the front and rear tyres every 10,000 km for even wear. This is only possible if the front and rear tyres are the same size. At the APK, every tyre must have at least 1.6 mm of tread. You can read more in our article on tread depth and the APK.

Warning lights. On a car first registered after 31 December 2017, the tyre pressure monitoring system must not show a fault at the APK. A warning from that system after the engine has started is then a reason for the car to fail. This is set out in article 5.2.27, paragraph 10 of the APK rules.

No. At the APK, the inspector only checks the electric drivetrain visually. The inspector does not measure how much capacity the battery has left. A car that passes the APK therefore tells you nothing about its range or the health of the battery pack.

If you would like to know what maintenance an electric car still needs, such as brake fluid, the cabin filter and the air conditioning, read our guide to servicing an electric car.

With us, the APK costs € 50 for an electric car and for a petrol hybrid. For a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF, including a hybrid, you pay € 60 including the particle counter test. For any other diesel hybrid or a hybrid running on LPG, we tell you the price in advance. Registering the result with the RDW is included. We carry out the APK Monday to Friday, by appointment.

Autobedrijf Willemsbrug is an RDW-approved APK station. Our mechanics hold the GMTO certificate (the Dutch qualification for working on high-voltage systems) for hybrid and electric cars. They know how to work safely around high voltage. If something needs repairing after the test, you receive a quote in advance and we only carry out repairs once you have agreed. For maintenance on hybrid technology, see our page on hybrid car service and repair.

The APK is free with a major service, except for Tesla and Polestar. Everything about the test itself is on our page about the APK for your car in Rotterdam.

Yes. A Tesla is a fully electric car and follows the APK schedule for petrol and electric cars. The first APK is after 4 years, then at 6 and 8 years, and every year after that. With us the test costs € 50. See also our page on the Tesla APK in Rotterdam.

No. With us, the APK for an electric car costs € 50, the same as for a petrol car and a petrol hybrid. There is no emissions test, but the inspector does check the electric drivetrain.

No. A fully electric car has no combustion engine and no exhaust. The environmental check of the APK therefore does not apply. A hybrid does get this check, because it has a combustion engine.

Yes. You choose which RDW-approved APK station carries out your APK. It does not have to be a main dealer. We are an RDW-approved APK station and our mechanics hold the GMTO certificate for hybrid and electric cars.

That depends on the fuel of the combustion engine. A petrol plug-in hybrid has its first APK after 4 years, then at 6 and 8 years, and every year after that. A diesel plug-in hybrid has its first APK after 3 years and then every year.

That depends on the damage. According to the RDW, if only the extra protective sleeve is damaged and the insulation around the wires is still intact, the car does not fail on that point. If the insulation itself is damaged, it does.

• RDW: When and how often should a PTI inspection be performed
• RDW: APK-handboek personenauto’s: Onderdelen elektrische aandrijflijn, article 5.2.12a (in Dutch)
• RDW: APK-handboek personenauto’s: Geluid en milieu (in Dutch)
• RDW: APK-handboek personenauto’s: Banden, article 5.2.27 (in Dutch)
• ANWB: Welk onderhoud heeft een elektrische auto nodig? (in Dutch)