Everyday motoring
Electric cars and novice drivers: which power figure should you check?
For category B obtained from 14 December 2024, electric M1 cars face 75 kW/t and a 105 kW maximum for three years.
An electric car is not exempt from novice-driver restrictions. For category B obtained on or after 14 December 2024, the first three years are subject to 75 kW/t and, for M1 vehicles, a 105 kW maximum. Use the type-approved figures in the registration document and the Ministry’s plate checker; a short peak-power figure in an advert is not enough.
Electric drive does not create an exemption
Article 117 expressly includes electric and plug-in hybrid M1 vehicles. If you obtained category B from 14 December 2024 onwards, you must stay within both 75 kW per tonne and the 105 kW M1 ceiling during the first three years. A vehicle can meet one limit and exceed the other, so check both. For earlier licences, the former one-year regime applied: 55 kW/t for combustion vehicles and 65 kW/t including battery mass for electric or plug-in cars, plus a 70 kW maximum for M1.
Electric cars may be advertised with several power figures: continuous maximum, short-term peak, or a figure used to describe acceleration. Do not choose whichever number appears most favourable. The legal check uses the vehicle’s type-approved and registered data, not a model name or a commercial comparison.
Use the official service and registration document
Enter the registration plate in the Ministry’s service and compare the result with the vehicle document. Check whether the vehicle is M1, then locate the relevant power and tare-mass data. If the online result and the document appear to conflict, do not rely on a dealer’s specification sheet: ask the Motor Vehicle Office which approved value applies.
This check matters in particular for electric and plug-in vehicles, whose multiple motors or power modes can make marketing figures hard to interpret. An advert may show a brief peak, while the registration document records the legally relevant data. The Automobile Portal warns that some plug-in hybrid checks may be imprecise, making document-based confirmation especially important.
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Frequently asked questions
Are electric cars exempt from the restrictions?
No. Article 117 includes electric and plug-in hybrid M1 vehicles in the power ceiling, alongside the power-to-tare ratio.
Should I use the peak figure shown in an advert?
Do not rely on an advert. Check the vehicle’s approved data in the registration document and the Ministry’s result. Ask the competent office if the figures are unclear.