Ten years ago, spotting an electric car was similar to bumping into a celebrity: It was surprising, the appearance was unconventional, you weren’t sure what to expect from the encounter, and you couldn’t say if or when it would ever happen again. In 2023, though, seeing an electric car, or even an electric truck, is far less of an event and more of an expectation.
With the proliferation of electrification, you might have considered jumping on board and buying an electric vehicle (EV) yourself, but perhaps there are still some question marks on your mind. Will it have enough range for your lifestyle? How quickly can you get used to the different driving operations, and — perhaps most important of all — what maintenance does an electric car need?
Do Electric Cars Require Less Maintenance Than Gas-Powered Cars?
The short answer is yes, but that’s a generalization, as specific EVs can still cost as much to maintain as certain gas-powered cars. Still, you should expect an EV’s maintenance to be lower than its traditionally fueled counterpart.
The reason behind such durability is the fact that EVs typically involve far fewer moving parts. An internal combustion engine (ICE) has dozens and even hundreds of spinning, reciprocating parts that require precision timing and constant lubrication. Meanwhile, an electric motor has one moving part, and an entire electric vehicle might have fewer than twenty.
Still, electric cars are still brimming with complicated structures, from computerized controls to regenerative braking systems, as well as many of the familiar parts you would expect to see on a car, such as tires, brake pads, and suspension bushings — an EV can even experience leaks — and all of these items still need proper care.
Electric Car Maintenance: The Basics
Let’s begin by tackling the familiar items and go over what may be different for electric car maintenance vs. ICE maintenance:
The Battery
The primary difference when it comes to maintenance on electric cars is taking proper care of the battery. The bad news is that you can significantly shorten a battery’s lifespan through abusive practices, such as:
- Subjecting the battery to extreme temperatures: Intense heat or cold is harmful to batteries, and even with temperature regulation controls, harsh environments will take their toll.
- Constantly fast charging: Cramming power into a battery as fast as possible degrades it quicker than slow charging it at home.
- Full charges and total depletions: Bringing a battery up to 100% or down to 0% constantly will take years off its life. Manufacturers recommend a max of 90% charge in most circumstances.
The good news, though, is that — as long as you refrain from these practices — your battery won’t need much attention, and it should last anywhere from 12 to 15 years.
Tires
You might be surprised to find that EVs eat up tires more so than traditional vehicles. In fact, electric cars are almost universally heavier, too, thanks to their massive battery backs. Add in a speed-demon approach to driving, and all that electric torque will put even more strain on the rubber.
Brakes
Just as with tires, brake pads can wear away faster in an EV, too, given that they have to slow a heavier car down across the same distance. Thankfully, if you rely on your EV's regenerative braking feature (as almost all do), it will take much of the strain off the braking system, though you’ll still need to stay on top of your brake pads, rotors, and fluids.
Coolant
In an ICE-powered car, coolant keeps the engine from overheating. Some EVs also use coolants to lower temperatures for components that may experience high levels of heat, such as transmissions (where applicable), the regenerative braking system, and some driveline components.
Wipers
Wipers and wiper fluid will need replacing, just as they always have.
Filters
The cabin air filter will still get clogged with debris and dirt and need changing as well.
Lubricant/Oil
There are still plenty of bearings and shafts spinning around in an EV, and they need lubricant to move freely and keep from overheating.
Suspension
Springs and shocks wear out, bushings crack, and ball joints loosen. When the miles pile up, the suspension will develop play and transmit more vibrations.
There may be other incidental items in an EV that may or may not be found in an old-fashioned ICE vehicle, such as motorized door handles, but these will be more model or manufacturer-specific.
How Much Is Maintenance on an Electric Car?
Reports indicate that an average gas car costs $949 in annual maintenance, while the average annual maintenance on electric cars is $619. In a five-year ownership period, that translates to about $3,000 vs. nearly $5,000 for the ICE-powered car.
The annual electric car service should look mostly familiar, with EV maintenance items such as:
- Tire rotation
- Fluid checks/top-offs
- Coolant check
- Brake pad inspection
- Lubrication of parts such as door locks
- Replacement of the cabin air filter
- Overall inspection
As for AC compressors, steering racks, and transmissions — parts that you would find in a gas car — prices will be similar to what you’re used to.
By far, the most expensive item to replace on an EV, though, is the battery. Electric vehicle batteries are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), a measurement of their overall capacity. As such, bigger batteries with greater capacities will cost more to replace. Most manufacturers warranty their batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles, though that distance rises to 150,000 miles in a few locations, such as California.
As for the cost to replace the battery can cost up to $10,000 for a 65-kWh battery pack is not out of the ordinary. A smaller 40-kWh might be less, while a larger 82-kWh battery could be much more.
How Can You Save on Future Maintenance Costs?
Unfortunately, an EV’s battery will need replacement eventually, but you can still keep costs down in the meantime and squeak as many miles out of your battery as you can by taking proper care of it and avoiding the practices mentioned above.
As for standard wear and tear, you can extend the life of your tires with attentive and careful driving. Taking corners at high speeds and mashing the throttle may be exhilarating, but if you want your tires to last more than 30,000 miles, limit the lead-footing. Similarly, relying on regenerative braking more than regular brakes will preserve your pads and rotors.
One last thing to note is that electric cars operate silently and swiftly, which can lull owners into a false sense of security. Nevertheless, electric car maintenance is still necessary. Fluids need changing, wipers need replacing, parts need lubricant, and so on. Get regular inspections on your car to identify if anything is wrong or out of spec. Prevention is the best medicine.
The Difference Between Old and New Electric Cars
Even though electric vehicles are relatively new to the automotive landscape, they have been around long enough to experience large shifts in technology. Older EVs may not be able to fast charge, for example, and with Tesla’s charger infrastructure becoming the industry standard, those old EVs will be even less practical.
Additionally, whether an old EV has had its battery replaced or not, it won’t have the range of a modern EV. What’s even worse is if you’re purchasing an EV from 2013 or before (which can include early Tesla Model S’s), the battery will be out of warranty.
If you’re looking for a bargain on an older EV, you’ll also have to accept outdated tech. It might not have many driver assist features, or any at all, and it might not have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connectivity. Furthermore, given that so many of the car’s functions are computer-controlled, if the electronics develop software glitches or have any degradation or other damage, the car may not function properly, if at all.
Looking Ahead: Will Future Electric Cars Become Less Expensive to Maintain?
As carmakers continue the switch to making EVs, they’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, refining their designs to last longer, packaging features more efficiently, and increasing parts availability.
The same increase in durability that occurred in gas-powered cars over the past 50 years, increasing maintenance intervals and making cars able to withstand harsh conditions, should occur in electric cars, as well, so it’s up to manufacturers to be willing to do so for consumers.
Protect Your EV With CarShield
Electric cars may come with lower maintenance costs, but you can still be out thousands of dollars if a big repair comes out of nowhere. With an Electric Vehicle Coverage plan from CarShield, you can breathe easy should there be any issues with the battery, electrical system, or electric motor. Contact CarShield today to learn more, and get the coverage you need.
