How long is an electric car tax-free?

10 years from the day of first registration, at most until 31 December 2035 – for a first registration up to 31 December 2030.

Does the tax exemption pass to the buyer?

Yes. As far as it has not yet expired on the change of keeper, it is granted to the new keeper.

Does deregistration extend the tax exemption?

No. Periods of deregistration have no effect on the tax exemption.

Registering an electric car: vehicle tax and E plate

In short: Anyone registering an electric car in Germany is exempt from vehicle tax: for a first registration up to 31 December 2030, for 10 years from the day of first registration, at most until 31 December 2035. The exemption applies once per vehicle and passes to the new keeper on a change of keeper. The E plate is assigned on request. With Zevra, registration costs from €10 per case.

When selling an electric vehicle, customers ask about tax and plates. All details come from the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (KraftStG), the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FZV) and the Electric Mobility Act (EmoG).

Zevra is the B2B platform for digital vehicle registration for car dealers, registration services and fleets: cases are entered in the dealer portal and filed nationwide by power of attorney with qualified electronic signature – from €10 per registration, no base fee, no minimum volume.

Last updated: 2026-10-10 · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by Mohamed Gabal, owner

Registering an electric car in Germany: tax exemption and E plate

How long is an electric car exempt from vehicle tax?

Feature	Rule
First registration in the period	18 May 2011 to 31 December 2030
Duration of the exemption	10 years from the day of first registration
Latest end	31 December 2035
Frequency	once for each vehicle

An electric vehicle within the meaning of the Act is a vehicle driven exclusively by electric motors fed from mechanical or electrochemical energy stores or from emission-free energy converters.

What happens on a change of keeper?

If the exemption has not yet expired on a change of keeper, it is granted to the new keeper. For the used-car buyer the date of first registration counts, not the purchase date.

Periods of deregistration and periods outside the operating period of a seasonal plate have no effect on the exemption.

Which vehicles get an E plate?

pure battery electric vehicles
fuel-cell vehicles
externally chargeable hybrid vehicles with no more than 50 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre or at least 40 kilometres of electric range

The E plate is assigned on request; it is not mandatory. Tax exemption and E plate have different requirements: a plug-in hybrid can carry an E plate but is not driven exclusively electrically.

What does the E plate bring?

The Electric Mobility Act allows privileges for parking, for the use of special roads, for access restrictions and for parking fees. Whether and which apply is determined by the local order.

What does this mean for the dealership?

In the Zevra dealer portal you select the E plate directly in the application.

With Zevra, registration costs from €10, deregistration from €2 per case, net and plus official fees.

Sources: Kraftfahrzeugsteuergesetz (KraftStG) § 3d – Steuerbefreiung für Elektrofahrzeuge · Kraftfahrzeugsteuergesetz (KraftStG) § 9 – Steuersatz · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 11 – Kennzeichnung elektrisch betriebener Fahrzeuge · Elektromobilitätsgesetz (EmoG) § 3 – Bevorrechtigungen

Registering an electric car in Germany: tax exemption and E plate