EV Maintenance Cost: Everything You Want to know in 2022

EV Maintenance Cost: Everything You Want to know in 2022: When a consumer considers making a long-term purchase — a house, car or major appliance — one of the biggest sticking points can be maintenance and the associated repair costs. For big-ticket items consumers are not as familiar with, like an electric vehicle (EV), it might not be readily apparent how much maintenance will be required.

However, owners of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) pay half as much as traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. That’s the result of a recent study conducted by Consumer Reports (CR).

Let’s take a look at the study’s findings to see how much EV owners save compared to gas-powered cars. We’ll also examine why these savings arise and just how much maintenance EV owners have to account for each year.

The inner workings of an electric car are very different to those of a regular car. Packed full of complicated technology, when you open up the hood of an electric car, you might be surprised with what you find.

Because of this, many people expect the maintenance of an electric car to be costly and complicated. Actually, the opposite is true. Electric cars have fewer moving mechanical parts, so maintenance is both easier, and less expensive.

However, that doesn’t mean an electric car doesn’t need any maintenance at all. There’s more than just an engine to a car. For all electric car owners, this guide gives a quick look at the level of maintenance that needs to be carried out. This way, your vehicle can stay healthy for mile after mile.

What’s Different Between a Regular Car and Electric Car Maintenance?

The major difference in maintenance between a regular car and an electric car is the simplicity. An electric vehicle, or EV, doesn’t have anywhere near the same amount of moving parts and engine pieces as a traditional vehicle.

An internal combustion engine is packed full of important mechanisms, all of which work together and are vital for the correct running of the car. But they’re also liable to faults – this leads to a lot of necessary maintenance. As an EV doesn’t have the same amount of engine parts, maintenance can be streamlined.

 

While the engine won’t need the same level of maintenance, there are parts unique to the EV that require consistent care. Under the hood of an electric car are complex electrical components that ensure the smooth running of your vehicle.

High voltage relay banks and cables, AC pumps, and power steering motors are all found in an EV, and all need care. A professional mechanic will be needed to run checks, but much of the maintenance can be accomplished with a visual assessment.

The fluids in an EV are also reduced, again lowering the level of maintenance needed.

Without the same engine, an EV has an electric battery. The battery of an electric car does also need to be serviced, but this won’t fall under the banner of regular maintenance. EV batteries are designed to last for almost 10 years, and diagnostic tools can assess the health of the cells.

Although there may be many differences between electric and standard, there are also similarities that an EV owner needs to be aware of. Like all cars, steering, suspension, and the brakes will need maintenance. However, the advanced nature of an EV does mean that the necessary maintenance is reduced.

Brakes especially need only a limited amount of upkeep. Regenerative braking means the electric motor slows the car, reducing the wear that the brakes encounter. The brake pads and disks will still need replacement and care, but less often than in a traditional car.

There are parts of the EV that are essentially similar to the regular car: tires and wipers. These are subject to the usual wear that accompanies any vehicle, and so will need to be maintained.

What Maintenance do Electric Cars Need?

Although an electric car doesn’t require the same kind of maintenance as a regular vehicle, it does still need to be taken care of. However, an owner shouldn’t be required to spend much time searching under the hood for faults. Similarly, while services are necessary, they should hopefully be quicker – and cheaper.

As an owner, many areas of maintenance will fall under the category of regular care. Tires in particular need to be checked often. This is actually one area where the electric car can be at a disadvantage. The heavy battery weighs down on the tires, as does the instant torque delivery.

An EV owner can often find that their tires wear out surprisingly fast, at least when compared with a traditional car. They needed to be rotated, as the owner’s manual instructs. The pressure also needs to be monitored, and topped up as necessary. The tires on an EV will likely need to be replaced with more regularity.

The battery may have a long life, but it’s important to take care of it to ensure it lasts. The battery shouldn’t be allowed to run out completely, and it should be kept efficiently charged. Check the user’s manual, which should give an indication of the best way to keep the battery healthy.

The fluids in an electric vehicle are reduced, but they do still need to be cared for. The brake fluid will need to be changed roughly every two years. Coolant is used to keep the battery operating efficiently, and this will need to be topped up or flushed on occasion.

Windshield wiper fluid also needs to be topped up and replaced. Some EVs also use transmission fluid. Be sure to check the guide for your specific model, as care levels differ. In some cars, the fluids will be sealed, and only accessible via servicing.

How Often do Electric Cars Need to be Serviced?

Although the electric car may not need the same level of maintenance as a regular vehicle, it’s important to follow the same timeline for services. The engine may be simpler, but the EV still has the same safety features as a standard car. The brakes and suspension need to be checked, to ensure the car is safe to drive.

When a service is required will partly depend on the vehicle itself, so be sure to check the specific guides. An electric car is an advanced vehicle, and many of them are programmed to alert you to when maintenance is needed.

Your maintenance requirements may also depend on how easily you can access a garage that offers support for electric vehicles.

While it is important to regularly get your EV serviced, the maintenance should be quicker and cheaper. The tires may wear down, but other parts, such as the brakes, have a longer life compared to a regular car. Overall, maintenance of an electric vehicle is easy to achieve.

EV Maintenance Schedule

As an example of what’s typically required, here’s a look at the maintenance schedule for the Chevrolet Bolt EV:

Monthly

Check the tire pressure and adjust as necessary. Examine the tires for excess wear. Check the windshield washer fluid and fill as necessary.

Every 7,500 miles

Have the tires rotated. Check the coolant level for the battery, cabin heater, and the power inverter, accessory power, and charger modules. Visually check for fluid leaks. Inspect the brakes. Visually inspect the steering, suspension, and chassis components for damage. Inspect the power steering, halfshafts and drive shafts for excessive wear, leaks, or damage. Check the restraint (airbags) system. Lubricate body components (door locks). Check the accelerator pedal for damage, high effort, or binding and replace if necessary. Visually inspect the gas struts (suspension) for signs of wear, cracks, or other damage. Check the tire sealant expiration date, if equipped (this is used to temporarily seal and inflate a damaged tire).

Twice a year

Flush corrosive materials (i.e. road salt) from the underbody using plain water.

Every 15,000 miles

Replace the windshield wiper blades.

Every 36,000 miles

Replace the cabin air filter (more frequently if necessary).

Every 75,000 miles

Replace the hood and/or body lift support gas struts.

Every five years

Drain and fill the vehicle coolant circuits. Replace the brake fluid.

Every seven years

Have the air conditioning desiccant changed. (it absorbs and holds moisture in a mobile air conditioning system to help prevent corrosion).

For its part, Nissan gives two separate maintenance schedules for the Leaf. Schedule 1 is for more severe operating conditions that include frequent short trips of less than five miles in normal temperatures or 10 miles in freezing weather, stop-and-go driving in hot weather, low-speed driving for long distances, driving in dusty conditions or on rough, muddy or salt spread roads, or using a car-top carrier.

Schedule 2 requires less-frequent maintenance, but applies only to highway driving in temperate conditions. The bottom line here is that most Leaf owners will require Schedule 1 service.

As with the Bolt, this comes down to assorted periodic mechanical inspections, having the tires rotated every six months or 7,500 miles, and changing the cabin air filter every 12 months or 15,000 miles. In addition, the brake fluid should be replaced every 24 months or 30,000 miles, and the coolant changed after 15 years or 120,000 miles.

Now affording less maintenance doesn’t necessarily mean an electric vehicle is bulletproof. EV owners will eventually need to replace the tires, have the brakes serviced, and could be required to replace steering and suspension components, hoses, headlamps, taillights, and so on. As with any other type of vehicle, a wheel alignment will be necessary if the car pulls to one side or is exhibiting uneven tire wear.

And then there’s an EV’s battery pack to consider, which is by far its costliest component. All electric vehicle batteries will degrade over time and lose some of their ability to maintain a full charge, though this happens gradually. It’s more of an issue with older EVs that could barely muster 80 miles on a charge than today’s crop of 200-mile-plus models.

At that, only a relative handful of electric cars manufactured to date have reportedly degraded to the point where they needed to be replaced. Still, if you own an EV long enough you’ll see its range decline, and if it falls short enough to become an inconvenience, you may need to swap out the battery pack or trade the vehicle in for a new one.

What’s the Cost Difference for EVs?

CR gathered data from hundreds of thousands of its members in its 2019 and 2020 spring reliability surveys to get information on real-world maintenance and repair costs for all types of vehicles.

After a comprehensive analysis, CR found that BEVs required an estimated $0.031 on average for per-mile repairs and maintenance costs over the lifetime of the car. PHEVs required an estimated $0.030 on average over the car’s lifetime. Meanwhile, ICE vehicles required a whopping $0.61 on average over the car’s life.

Added up, the lifetime maintenance and repairs costs for both BEVs and PHEVs averages out to $4,600, while ICE vehicles average $9,200. This is a difference of $4,600 in savings for both BEVs and PHEVs.

The study used 200,000 miles to represent the normal service life of an automobile. On that basis, its analysis of total vehicle mileage had cost estimates divided into three categories: 0 to 50,000 miles, 50,000 to 100,000 miles and 100,000 to 200,000 miles. This allowed the study’s authors to get a more robust data set that could be averaged together for its final tally.

The Future of Electric Cars 2025

However, the study’s authors did note that there is a degree of uncertainty in their results due to the sampling size. All told, the authors admit that their projections might overestimate the long-term maintenance and repair costs associated with current-generation BEVs. As automakers continue to learn more from earlier models and implement new innovations based on those lessons, BEV technology should improve, which may lead to even lower maintenance and report costs.

EV Maintenance Cost vs ICE

Because PHEVs and HEVs have Internal Combustion Engines, maintenance requirements are similar to those of conventional vehicles. The electrical system (battery, motor, and associated electronics) typically requires minimal scheduled maintenance, and brake systems generally last longer than those on conventional vehicles because of regenerative braking.

All-electric vehicles typically require less maintenance than conventional vehicles because:

• The battery, motor, and associated electronics require little to no regular maintenance
• There are fewer fluids, such as engine oil, that require regular maintenance
• Brake wear is significantly reduced due to regenerative braking
• There are far fewer moving parts relative to a conventional fuel engine.

Battery Maintenance

The advanced batteries used in these vehicles have a limited number of charging cycles (the number of times the battery can be charged and discharged, also called “cycle life”). Check with the dealer about battery life and warranties and consider the manufacturer’s battery recycling policy. Some automotive battery systems use liquid coolant to maintain safe operating temperatures. These systems may require regular checks. Ask your dealer or refer to your owner’s manual for more information.

The batteries in electric-drive vehicles are generally designed to last for the expected lifetime of the vehicle. Like the engines in conventional vehicles, the advanced batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) are designed for extended life but will wear out eventually. While comprehensive data on EV battery failures is not available, several manufacturers offer 8-year/100,000-mile warranties for their EV batteries.

Manufacturers typically do not publish pricing for replacement batteries, but if the battery does need to be replaced outside the warranty, it is expected to be a significant expense. However, battery prices are expected to decline as technology improves and production volumes increase.

First Hydrogen Train in World 2022

Safety Requirements

Commercially available electric-drive vehicles must meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and undergo the same rigorous safety testing as conventional vehicles sold in the United States. The exception is neighborhood electric vehicles, which are subject to less-stringent standards because they are typically limited to low-speed roadways as specified by state and local regulations.

All-electric vehicles, PHEVs, and HEVs have high-voltage electrical systems that typically range from 100 to 600 volts. Their battery packs are encased in sealed shells and meet testing standards that subject batteries to conditions such as overcharge, vibration, extreme temperatures, short circuit, humidity, fire, collision, and water immersion.

Manufacturers design these vehicles with insulated high-voltage lines and safety features that deactivate the electrical system when they detect a collision or short circuit. All-electric vehicles tend to have a lower center of gravity than conventional vehicles, making them more stable and less likely to roll over.