EV brake maintenance: wear, rust and what the APK (MOT) requires

An electric car does most of its braking with the electric motor. The brake pads and discs therefore do less work, but they also get fewer chances to brake themselves clean. Below you can read how that works, what Tesla and Volkswagen prescribe, what the Dutch APK (MOT), the compulsory periodic vehicle inspection, requires and what we look at in our workshop in Rotterdam.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 8 November 2026

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The short answer

The brakes of an electric car wear less than those of a petrol or diesel car, because the electric motor does a large part of the slowing down. According to measurements by Green NCAP, published by the ADAC in 2024, an electric car recovers up to 22 percent of the energy it takes from the battery. The downside is rust: brake discs and calipers that are used little rust sooner and can seize. The ADAC and Tesla therefore advise braking firmly now and then. Tesla has the calipers cleaned and lubricated every year in areas where roads are salted. At the APK, an electric car has to meet the same brake requirements as any other passenger car.

Brake service at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug: brake pads, discs, fluid, calipers, hoses and the handbrake or electric parking brake, for all makes, including hybrid and electric cars, vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg. We first measure what is worn, replace only that and show you the old parts. We tell you the price in advance based on your registration number, and we only do extra work with your approval. Call +31 10 479 00 00 or drop by. You bring the car and we call you when it is ready. A loan bike is free while one is available. Saturdays too. Our team speaks English. More about our brake service

How does an electric car brake?

An electric car brakes in two ways: with the electric motor and with the mechanical brakes. When you lift off the accelerator or press the brake pedal lightly, the electric motor works as a generator. It slows the car down and sends the energy back to the battery. This is called regenerative braking or recuperation. When you press harder, the brake pads and discs join in: the friction brakes, the mechanical brake system that every car has.

How much energy comes back depends on the car and the journey. In March 2024 the ADAC, the German motoring organisation, published measurements by Green NCAP: electric cars recover up to 22 percent of the energy they take from the battery. In town, with a lot of slowing down and pulling away, some models recovered more than 40 percent. On the motorway the share is smaller, because you brake little there.

The friction brakes are still needed: in an emergency stop, with a full battery or at low speed, the mechanical brake system does the work. That is why the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, sets the same requirements for an electric car as for any other passenger car. Many electric cars let you set the strength of the recuperation. The stronger that setting, the less you use the friction brakes.

Why do EV brakes wear less but rust sooner?

The brake pads and discs wear less because the electric motor takes over a large part of the braking work. The ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, writes that the brakes of an electric car wear more slowly because you can brake on the electric motor. The ADAC adds that the brakes therefore last longer as a rule than on a car with a combustion engine. Tesla writes that the brake pads on its cars last much longer. There is no fixed figure for how much longer: it depends on your driving style, the recuperation setting and the weight of the car.

The downside is rust. A brake disc is made of cast iron and gets a thin layer of surface rust after rain, a car wash or a night outdoors. On a car with a combustion engine, the pads brake that layer off at the first stop. On an electric car that happens less often. The ADAC writes that there is a risk of rust because the mechanical brake comes into action less often. The German inspection body TÜV sees problems with brake parts as typical for electric cars, because those brakes are used far less and therefore corrode more often. Brake manufacturer Brembo makes brake discs with a protective coating for electric cars for that reason.

Rust is not only on the braking surface. The slide pins and the piston of the caliper can also seize when they do not move for a long time and road salt gets to them. More in rusty brake discs: when is it normal and when is it not.

What do you notice of rust or a seized caliper on an EV?

The first signs are noise and a different feel when braking. These are the complaints we hear most often with electric and hybrid cars:

  • Grinding or squealing after standing or rain: surface rust on the disc. If it disappears after a few firm stops, it was only that thin layer.
  • Grinding that stays: the disc is more deeply affected, or a brake pad on one side is worn down to the metal.
  • The car pulls to one side when braking: a caliper or slide pin is seized on one side.
  • A wheel is hot after driving or you smell burning: the caliper no longer releases and the pad drags on the disc.
  • Less range for no clear reason: a dragging brake costs energy.
Can I still drive? A light squeal in wet weather or after a night standing still: drive on carefully and have the brakes checked at the next service. Does it grind at every stop, does the car pull to one side, is a wheel hot or do you smell burning? Then do not drive any further. Call your breakdown service and have the car brought to us. If in doubt, call +31 10 479 00 00. A seized caliper only gets hotter while you drive. Also read seized brake caliper: signs, causes and solution.

What do Tesla and Volkswagen prescribe?

Manufacturers of electric cars have adapted their maintenance schedules to the lower brake use. Tesla and Volkswagen are the clearest examples. Check the maintenance schedule or the owner’s manual for your own car.

Manufacturer What Interval according to the manufacturer
Tesla Brake fluid Have it tested for contamination every 4 years and replaced if needed. More often with heavy brake use (towing, mountain descents)
Tesla Brake calipers In areas where roads are salted: have them cleaned and lubricated every year or every 20,000 km. Model Y built after February 2025: not needed according to Tesla
Tesla Brake pads No fixed interval. Thanks to regenerative braking the pads last much longer
Volkswagen (ID.3) Brake pads Check once every two years instead of every year
Volkswagen (ID.3) Brake system Enclosed drum brakes at the rear, which according to Volkswagen protect against cold and wet

Source: Tesla, Car maintenance (support pages) and Volkswagen UK, Brake energy recuperation. Both consulted on 6 November 2026.

Tesla’s advice on the calipers is relevant for Rotterdam: roads here are salted in winter, and salt speeds up the seizing of slide pins and pistons. During a service of your Tesla we include cleaning and lubricating the calipers when the schedule says it is due.

What can you do yourself against rust on the brakes of your EV?

The most important advice is straightforward: use the mechanical brakes firmly now and then. The ADAC advises braking harder on a regular basis to free up the mechanical brakes, when traffic safely allows it. Tesla gives the same advice: press the brake pedal regularly so that the mechanical brakes engage and the pads and discs dry.

  • Brake deliberately with the pedal on a regular basis, on a quiet road and without putting the traffic behind you at risk. This brakes the rust layer off the discs.
  • After a long period standing still, for example a holiday: check whether the car brakes in a straight line and whether a wheel gets hot. More in car left standing for a long time: what should you check.
  • Have the brakes checked at every service. The ANWB advises having the garage check carefully for rust when you bring your EV in for a service.

What does the inspector look at during the APK on an electric car?

At the APK, an electric car has to meet the same brake requirements as any passenger car. They are in the RDW’s APK manual (article 5.2.31 and following of the Regeling voertuigen, the Dutch vehicle regulations). Three points are related to rust and little use:

  • Brake disc, effective surface (article 5.2.31, additional requirement article 54): on each side, the smooth, rust-free part of the disc must be at least 50 percent of the width of the brake pad over the full circumference. A disc that is too badly affected by rust is a rejection point. Small heat cracks are not. In case of doubt, the inspector notes an advisory point.
  • Braking force and difference left/right (article 5.2.38): a car registered after 31 December 2011 must reach a deceleration of at least 5.8 m/s² on the brake tester. The difference between left and right on one axle may not be more than 30 percent of the highest value. A seized caliper fails here.
  • Parking brake (article 5.2.39): on cars registered after 31 December 2017 the parking brake must reach at least 1.6 m/s². If the electric parking brake cannot be measured on the tester, the requirement counts as met when the wheels lock while the car is lifted off the ground.

The inspector does not measure brake pad thickness and only looks at the level and the cap of the brake fluid (article 5.2.32). More in APK for an electric or hybrid car.

What do we do about the brakes of your electric or hybrid car?

Our mechanics hold the GMTO certificate, the Dutch qualification for working on hybrid and electric cars with a high-voltage system. On the brakes of an EV we look not only at wear, but above all at rust and free movement. This is how it goes:

  1. Measuring: we measure the thickness of the brake pads and discs and compare it with the manufacturer’s minimum. On an EV the pads are often still thick, but the inside of the disc can be affected. That is why we look at both sides of the disc.
  2. Calipers and slide pins: we check whether the piston and slide pins move freely and whether the dust boots are intact. If the schedule says it is due, we clean and lubricate the calipers.
  3. Brake fluid: we check the brake fluid and replace it according to the manufacturer’s schedule, usually every two years.
  4. Electric parking brake: for the rear brake pads we put the parking brake into service mode with the diagnostic tool. That is possible on most makes.
  5. Testing: after the work we test on the brake tester and take a short test drive.
  6. We replace only what is worn: if the discs are still thick enough and not pitted, they stay on. We show you the old parts and we tell you one price for your registration number in advance.

Not sure? Call us and we will schedule a short brake check. If nothing needs doing, we tell you that too. We check the brakes at every service and APK. More in servicing an electric car and on brake replacement in Rotterdam.

Frequently asked questions

Do the brake pads of an electric car last longer?

Yes. The electric motor does a large part of the slowing down, so the brake pads wear less. The ADAC, the ANWB and Tesla all write this. There is no fixed figure: it depends on your driving style, the recuperation setting and the weight of the car. Rust can mean that the discs need replacing sooner than the pads after all.

Does the brake fluid on an electric car need changing too?

Yes. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air, even if you brake little, and that lowers the boiling point. Most manufacturers use two years, Tesla has the fluid tested every four years. Check the maintenance schedule of your car. More in brake fluid change: how often and why.

Why do the brakes of my EV grind after a night standing still?

That is usually surface rust on the brake discs. After rain or a damp night a thin layer of rust forms, and on an electric car you brake it off less quickly. If the noise disappears after a few firm stops, there is nothing wrong. If the grinding stays, have the brakes checked.

Is rust on the brake discs of an electric car dangerous?

No, a thin layer of surface rust is not. You brake that off. It becomes a problem when the rust eats into the braking surface or when a caliper seizes. The car then brakes unevenly or a brake keeps dragging. At the APK, a disc with less than 50 percent effective braking surface per side is a rejection point.

Do hybrid cars have the same problem with rust on the brakes?

Yes. A hybrid and a plug-in hybrid also brake on the electric motor and use the friction brakes less. The effect is usually smaller than on a fully electric car, but we see rust and seized calipers on hybrids too. The same advice applies.

Do I have to go to Tesla for cleaning and lubricating the calipers?

No. You can also go to an independent garage for maintenance. We carry out the cleaning and lubricating of the calipers according to Tesla’s schedule. Our mechanics hold the GMTO certificate for hybrid and electric cars. Read the terms of your manufacturer if you want to know what applies to your warranty.

How do I notice that a caliper on my electric car has seized?

The car pulls to one side when braking, a wheel is hot after driving, you smell burning or the range drops for no reason. Then do not drive any further and call us. We assess whether the caliper can be freed up or needs replacing. We tell you the cost in advance.

Want the brakes of your electric car checked?

Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number. We first measure what is worn or seized and we tell you the cost in advance.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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