That is why the TÜV 2023 will be more difficult for some cars

2023 is just around the corner. In addition to new tax regulations, it will be more difficult for some cars to get the MOT. We explain how this works in this article.

APK stands for General Main Inspection and deals with the road safety of your car and the environmental regulations. This last aspect becomes stricter.

TÜV stricter for diesel cars from 2023

At least for cars that run on diesel. The TÜV is currently checking whether a diesel car has a particle filter. If your diesel has one, this should not be rejected on this point.

This will change on January 1, 2023. At the TÜV, a diesel-powered car will be checked more thoroughly. A so-called “particle counter” is used to measure whether a diesel car has a defective soot filter. According to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, such a filter ensures that almost all diesel particles are retained.

While a stricter MOT procedure appears to be a disadvantage, especially for owners of diesel vehicles who are subject to inspection, it is a disadvantage for another group: the inspectors. You have to buy a tester which costs a few thousand euros.

The particle counter for diesel

Testing companies are free to decide whether to order a particle counter. However, if you do not order the device, you are no longer allowed to test diesel.

“In total, there are around 9,769 TÜV companies with approval for diesel car testing. A survey by the RAI association shows that 7318 MOT companies have ordered particle counters and that 4292 particle counters are expected to be delivered on time. According to the RDW, as of June 10, 2022, only 2,238 particle counters were registered in the APK meter registration system,” State Secretary Heijnen wrote in a letter last year. The new procedure was supposed to be introduced on July 1, 2022, but was delayed by six months for the reason mentioned above.