Car 101: Are EVs really maintenance free?

Friday, 2 December 2022

Here is every new electric car you can buy in New Zealand as of September 2022.

“My car is an EV so doesn’t need servicing” is a statement that has often been touted by a fair number of electric vehicle owners (rather smugly, sometimes), but are they correct? We separate fact from fiction and tell you what it takes to keep your EV in tip-top condition.

Right now, electric vehicles generally still cost more to purchase than their conventionally powered counterparts, the tradeoff being that they are arguably better for the planet and cost less to run. But are they really ‘maintenance free’? The simple answer is no, however, they do cost a lot less to maintain than a conventionally powered vehicle.

Obviously, it depends on which brand or model combustion-powered vehicle you have, but here in New Zealand an annual service cost varies between $200 and 500. Most garages have multiple service options (ranging from basic to comprehensive) and in essence, you get what you pay for - a higher price equalling more time and more replacement parts spent on and in your vehicle. And it’s the EV’s lack of mechanical parts and the time to replace them that reduces the cost associated with running one.

Electric vehicles require much less maintenance than combustion-powered cars. But they still need a bit of love.

The average EV only has around 20 moving components compared to roughly ten times that in an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, meaning that an EV owner avoids having to pay for things like tune-ups, oil changes, air filter and spark plug replacement, cooling system flushes, transmission servicing… the list goes on.

Obviously, oil is a combustion-engine exclusive.

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Most EVs hide their guts from view, because there isn’t much to see.

* A brief guide to insuring an EV

Tyres and brakes are two major components that need to be checked.

Financially, this means that EV owners spend roughly half or a third of what ICE-powered vehicle owners do for regular service.

But that still doesn’t mean they are maintenance-free, as plenty of the regular stuff still needs to be done, such as tyre checks, wheel alignment/rotation, checking of brake pads, wiper blade health and the inevitable windscreen fluid top-up.

In fact (although they vary a lot), all EV automakers insist owners follow a series of “periodic checks and services” in order to keep the vehicle’s warranty in effect, meaning that if you don’t follow the recommended schedule, your car may not be covered if it requires repairs.

What’s more, although much of the above can be done by the EV owner themselves, carmakers do advise that these checks should be performed by a trained technician at the dealer’s service department.

An EV may differ from an ICE in the mechanical department, but they also have a few electric-only uniques that need to be kept on top of, such as the high-voltage battery whose individual cells need to be checked for performance (highlighting any damaged cells) and technicians will also give the high voltage (bright orange) electrical cables a visual inspection.

Like ICE vehicles, EVs have a cooling system, only here it keeps the battery at optimum temperature, and it too requires a visual inspection of the fluid levels and topping up if necessary.

The rest of an EV is pretty much the same as an ICE which means it requires similar attention, however as a positive, the use of regenerative braking, (resistance in the electric motor helps slow the car), means that the brakes are likely to need fewer disc and pad changes. Pays to be aware that the extra weight of an EV means they’ll be working harder and as such, the brake fluid will need to be changed more frequently, probably every two years.

With that extra mass and the instant torque delivery of electric motors, you can expect to see a higher wear rate for the tyres, and along with that, it’s worth keeping an eye on the vehicle’s suspension and steering components.

Finally, the heating and ventilation system will be assessed and in most cases the cabin air filter will be changed. The air-conditioning system’s refrigerant levels will also be checked and recharged as necessary.

Despite having far fewer moving parts to tend to, it’s recommended that EVs usually follow a similar service interval to their ICE counterparts. Less regular maintenance may not stop your EV from running, but it may reduce your stopping or cornering ability or void your warranty.

So in summary, EV’s do require maintenance and servicing and it would be unwise to leave large gaps between professional reviews - especially as it costs less.