How to Keep Your Electric Car Running Smoothly: A Guide
Maintaining an electric vehicle is straightforward. It involves significantly fewer tasks compared to maintaining a gasoline-powered car.
Although electric cars might have a higher upfront cost compared to traditionally fueled ones, they tend to be less expensive to operate through inexpensive at-home charging. Additionally, electric vehicles also
help their owners save money consistently through reduced long-term maintenance expenses
.
This is due to the fact that electric vehicles remove more than two dozen moving parts typically needing regular maintenance. As a result, an EV owner can avoid expenses related to tune-ups, oil changes, coolant system flushing, transmission services, and replacements of items such as the air filter, spark plugs, and drive belts. According to sources, this makes owning an electric vehicle cost-effective.
approximately half as much as drivers with traditionally fueled vehicles spend on routine maintenance
.
EV Maintenance
- Tesla Vehicles Offer Lowest 10-Year Maintenance Expenses: Consumer Reports
- What Is the Optimal Electric Vehicle Service Timeline?
Nevertheless, an electric vehicle still demands some level of maintenance. Every manufacturer insists that owners adhere to a specific routine of inspections and servicing to maintain the integrity of their vehicle’s warranty. Failing to stick with this suggested plan could result in repair costs being out-of-pocket if issues arise.
Apart from rotating the tires, swapping out the cabin air filter and wiper blades, as well as refilling the washer fluid, most of this involves different mechanical checks. Car manufacturers recommend—and rightly so—that apart from straightforward chores such as verifying the tire pressure, replenishing the windshield washing fluid, and possibly switching the wiper blades, these processes ought to be carried out by an experienced professional at the dealership’s service center.
Three Distinct Electric Vehicles With Three Unique Service Timelines
Chevrolet Bolt
To illustrate what usually tends to be necessary, let’s examine the upkeep timetable for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV:
Monthly (performed by owner):
- Verify the tire pressure and make adjustments if needed. Inspect the tires for excessive wear. Ensure the windshield washer fluid level is adequate and top up if required.
Every 7,500 miles:
- Rotate the tires. Verify the coolant levels for the battery, cabin heater, and power inverter, as well as the accessory power and charger modules. Look for any visible fluid leaks. Examine the brake system. Conduct a visual inspection of the steering, suspension, and chassis parts for any damage. Assess the condition of the power steering, half-shafts, and driveshafts for excess wear, leakage, or harm. Test the operation of the restraint (airbag) system. Apply lubrication to vehicle body elements such as door locks. Ensure the accelerator pedal shows no signs of damage, stiffness, or obstruction; replacement should be considered if needed. Perform a thorough visual examination of the gas struts (part of the suspension), looking out for indications of wear, fractures, or similar issues. Confirm whether the tire sealant has expired—if installed—since this product is designed to patch up punctured tires until they can be permanently fixed.
Twice a year:
- Wash away corrosive substances like road salt from the underbody with just water.
Every 15,000 miles:
- Change the windshield wipers.
Every 36,000 miles:
- Change the cabin air filter at regular intervals, replacing it more often if needed.
Every 75,000 miles:
- Swap out the hood and/or body lift support gas struts.
Every five years:
- Empty and refill the car’s cooling system. Change out the brake fluid.
Every seven years:
- Get the air conditioning desiccant replaced. (This component absorbs and retains moisture within a vehicle’s AC system to help avoid rust and corrosion.)
Nissan Leaf
Nissan provides two distinct maintenance schedules for the Leaf. The first schedule applies under more demanding driving conditions such as regular short journeys shorter than five miles during mild weather or ten miles when it’s below freezing, stop-and-go traffic in warm climates, prolonged slow-speed travel, operation in dusty environments, navigating rough, muddy, or salty roadways, or mounting a roof rack.
Schedule 2 demands less frequent upkeep but is applicable solely for highway travel under mild weather conditions. In essence, the majority of Leaf owners will find themselves needing Schedule 1 servicing.
Similar to the Bolt, this involves various routine maintenance checks. According to Nissan, these tasks include rotating the tires every six months or 7,500 miles and replacing the cabin air filter annually or every 15,000 miles. Furthermore, the brake fluid needs to be refreshed every two years or 30,000 miles, and the coolant should be replaced after 15 years or 120,000 miles.
Tesla Model 3 Alongside Model Y
Tesla suggests the following maintenance tasks and their respective frequencies:
- Check the condition of brake fluid every 4 years (and replace as needed).
- Replace the A/C desiccant bags every four years.
- Replace the cabin air filter every two years.
- Replace the HEPA filter every three years.
- Service and grease the brake calipers annually or after 12,500 miles (20,000 km), particularly if you live somewhere with salty road conditions during colder months.
- Rotate your tires every 6,250 miles (10,000 km), or sooner if the tread depth discrepancy reaches 2/32 inch (1.5 mm).
Frequent heavy braking from towing, descending mountains, or aggressive driving—particularly in hot and humid conditions—may require more regular inspections and changes of the brake fluid.
Moreover, Tesla includes these two points:
- Battery coolant: Under typical conditions, you do not need to replace the battery coolant during the lifespan of your vehicle.
- Brake fluid: Do not add more brake fluid.
More On Battery Degradation
- Tesla: Battery Capacity Decreases by an Average of 12% Over 200,000 Miles
- Tesla Model 3 Battery Degradation Assessment: 8% Decrease Over 3 Years / 102,000 Miles
- Insights Gained From Over 10,000 Electric Vehicles and More Than 100 Million Miles
- Does Rapid Charging Damage an EV’s Battery?
Battery Pack
When considering an electric vehicle, the most expensive part to keep in mind is undoubtedly its battery pack. Over time, all electric car batteries tend to deteriorate and hold less charge, although this process occurs slowly. This concern was more significant with earlier EV models that struggled to reach even 80 miles per charge compared to modern vehicles capable of going over 300 miles. However, very few electric cars produced so far have experienced such severe degradation that their battery packs required replacement. Nonetheless, owning an EV for a sufficient period means witnessing a gradual decrease in driving range. If this reduction becomes inconveniently large, you might find yourself needing to replace the battery pack or upgrade to a newer model altogether.
Conclusion
Reduced upkeep doesn’t make an electric vehicle indestructible. Eventually, EV owners will likely need to change the tires, get the brakes fixed, and possibly replace parts like the steering and suspension components, hoses, headlights, tail lights, among others. Make sure to check your owner’s manual for detailed maintenance requirements tailored specifically for your electric car.