TÜV and Dekra: general inspection of electric cars incomplete

Munich Around 21 million cars in Germany are inspected by experts for any defects every year. The legislature wants to ensure the “road safety, environmental compatibility and compliance” of all vehicles on domestic roads. In fact, the inspectors from Tüv, Dekra, GTÜ or KÜS have something to complain about in their 30-minute checks on every third car.

Usually there are only minor problems with the lighting system or other electronic components that can be easily rectified. In order to rule out more serious issues, the exhaust gases are also measured at the exhaust and lambda probes, catalytic converters, particle filters and urea reduction systems are checked. The drivetrain as the heart of every car is examined in great detail – at least that is the case with diesels and gasoline engines.

Electric cars also have to undergo a general inspection three years after their initial registration and then again every two years. But the experts can only superficially examine the batteries of the vehicles, i.e. in the form of a visual inspection.