If, like many others, you are considering an electric vehicle for your next car, you probably have a lot of questions. Owning an EV has several benefits, such as saving money and avoiding a gas station, but electric vehicles also require much less maintenance.
But really? It is a common question and comment that appears in the debate between gas cars and electric vehicles. No matter what type of ride you are going to buy, maintenance and repairs must be considered by everyone.
With that in mind, we’ll go over a few things you need to know about EV and maintenance costs.
Is maintenance for EV cheaper?
Electric cars do not have as many mechanical parts or components as a regular internal combustion engine (ICE) car. As a result, EV maintenance is absolutely cheaper. According to Ministry of Energyit is easier to own an electric car, a plug-in hybrid vehicle or even a regular hybrid-electric car than their gas counterparts.
Another message from Ministry of Energy explains that the savings are almost 40% if you buy an EV. Most gas-powered vehicles cost around $ 0.10 per mile, considering maintenance, gas, new tires, etc., over the life of the vehicle. On EV, it’s closer to $ 0.06, if not less.
There are more than 20 commonly serviced parts of a regular car engine that electric cars do not need. We talk about tuning, engine filters, oil changes, spark plugs, drive belts or chains that squeak like crazy, emission system (EVAP) hoses, leaks, O2 sensors, transmission flushes, defective catalytic converters and more.
And these are just the ordinary ones. When you look at the bigger picture, most gas vehicles have hundreds and hundreds of moving parts.
Consumer Reports suggests that people with regular vehicles often spend up to $ 4,600 more on repairs and maintenance over the life of the vehicle. Of course, repairs on EV can be expensive and time consuming, but this is true for every car. Overall, you will have less maintenance, repairs and worries with your electric car.
Here’s why
They don’t call dealers “theft” for nothing. This is because the average repair of a regular gas vehicle often costs more than $ 600 per visit, if not more if you take it to a mechanic or dealer. If you lose the transmission, you will spend several thousand dollars on a bold repair bill.
Interestingly, electric cars do not have gearboxes. A single electric motor does not have to shift and shift gears with increasing speed. As a result, there are no moving parts from the transmission, no transmission fluid and far fewer things that could go wrong. And that’s when we talk about repairs, let alone maintenance.
The battery, motor and all electronics for controlling the entire system in the electric vehicle require minimal to no maintenance. You don’t have to check or change the oil, there aren’t nearly as many fluids or hoses and as we said before, there are simply fewer moving parts.
But what about the brakes? Electric cars are fast and have a lot of power, torque and speed and you don’t spend a lot of money on brake pads and rotors? No way. In fact, the brake wear on the electric car is significantly less due to regenerative braking. And while the system reduces braking, it also recharges the battery, saving you money and giving you more range on a single charge.
Regular EV maintenance
Even if electric vehicles do not have as many moving parts, this does not mean that you will not have to do anything. Electric cars are not completely maintenance free and there are a few common things you will want to do as with any vehicle.
Examples are new tires or occasional tire rotation. Then you should rotate the tires again at a certain frequency on any vehicle. Or, in some situations, adjusting the tire.
In addition, you will also want to perform several other regular maintenance tasks. These include replacing the wiper blades if necessary, topping up the windshield washer fluid, and cleaning or replacing the cab air filter. Electric cars have a lot of fuses, so this can be a maintenance problem. Then again, just like a regular car.
Perhaps the biggest “maintenance” aspect of an electric vehicle is its battery. All electric car manufacturers recommend keeping the battery between 20-80% charged for optimal health, which will sometimes be a problem for some owners. And yes, the battery may fail, but there is a guarantee. All electric vehicles in the United States are covered by an 8-year or longer battery warranty as required by law.
Electric cars have heat pumps and cooling systems that keep the batteries at the optimum temperature. Nevertheless, most of them are completely internal, built into the battery pack and do not require maintenance by the owner.
As you can see, electric vehicles do not need the frequent oil changes every 3,000 or 5,000 miles, tons of fluids that a child refills at your nearby car repair shop, and is generally much less a concern.
Finally, it is important to realize that any vehicle, gas or electric, will have wear and tear over time that you may need to address. We talk about replacing tires and brake pads, worn seats or fabric, cracks on the windshield, and potential suspension problems.
No vehicle is perfect, but the amount of time and money you have to spend on maintenance or repairs is significantly less when it comes to electric cars.
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