UK Government to review bespoke EV MOT

The European Commission (EC) has proposed changes to improve road safety rules concerning the periodic technical inspection (PTI) of vehicles (the equivalent of the UK’s annual MOT test). Current regulations for PTIs have many similarities to the MOT.  The EC have proposed new laws that will consider the growing presence of electric vehicles and adapt to emerging technologies.

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has indicated it will review potential changes to the MOT test following new rules proposed by the European Commission (EC) to improve safety standards for electric vehicles and modern driver assistance systems.

Key aspects that may influence UK policy in the near future include:

• Adapting testing to new vehicles: Periodic technical inspections for electric vehicles and new tests for electronic safety systems.

• ADAS Functionality Testing: As more vehicles come equipped with automated braking, lane assist, and other systems, software-based checks to verify correct and untampered functionality could become a standard part of future MOTs.

• New emission testing: Detecting high-emitting vehicles, including tampered ones, using advanced methods for ultrafine particles and NOx.

While the DfT has only stated it will review the EC’s proposals for now, the alignment in regulatory goals—especially around safety and environmental performance—means it’s likely that similar reforms could be proposed in the UK within the next year or two.

Read the press release here from the EC: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1083