A kick-down is the rapid, complete depressing of the accelerator pedal starting from idle up to the speed limit. With our “Kick-down-NOx” measuring device, the NOx emission of vehicles can be determined quickly and independent of location. All that is required is a warmed up vehicle, attaching the probe to the exhaust and performing three kick-downs at idle. By determining the peak values of the NO concentration and averaging these three values, a reliable statement can be made about the NO concentration, which is at the same level as in the classic, continuous measurement, e.g. on the test bench.