In this century, while climate condition is the biggest issue to rise in any conference, the first concern pivots around what to do with the transportation system. This transportation system is mainly responsible for emitting greenhouse gases. That is why the government decided to introduce electric vehicles with low running costs and environmentally friendly features. Maintaining an electric vehicle is completely different from traditional fuel vehicles. People generally think this is an innovation; therefore, the price will be sky-high, and maintenance costs will be quite a pocket trimmer.
Do not fret! There are several areas that can make maintenance simpler and cheaper for electric vehicles than the usual fuel cars. Generally, electric vehicles have fewer parts and different operational methods, which mean these vehicles, actually require less time and money to maintain. Servicing also tends to cost less in the case of these vehicles due to the nature of their technology.
A traditional car has hundreds of working parts, which means there are many things that can go wrong with these cars. Some parts of these cars need replacing over time and sometimes repeatedly! In comparison to these regular cars, an electric car has fewer things to wear out. So maintenance costs can be as much as 60% less. Electric cars generally have a different form of regenerative braking that uses the electric motor to slow down and puts the electricity back into the battery simultaneously. This braking system is very efficient and thus places less weight on the brakes. However, these brake disks need maintenance but are less frequent, thus saving your money.
The electric car needs servicing the like any other regular car and that too more often. When the tyres wear and tear out, they need to be replaced. Also, the tyres need pressure checks. Then there is the windscreen wiper replacement that depends on how often you want to replace them. Next, you have to change the brake fluid. The cars have MOT, but repairs could be minimal with no emissions testing and fewer parts to test overall.
Leasing an electric car became more popular when the automobile market saw the rise of personal contract purchases for car financing. There are some lease companies that offer a service and maintenance within cost-friendly packages for the EVs. This makes people buy electric vehicles more than ever.
As per the common belief, the electric car batteries are very expensive, and when they lose their power, the maintenance cost would be quite difficult to deal with. But the good news is that this is not the case. Car batteries use different technology than mobiles and laptops. These EV batteries have a long life; therefore, the maintenance should be done accordingly.
Electric vehicles eliminate almost two-dozen mechanical components that generally require periodic service. That is why the vehicles are considered as the cash-savers of their owners. Research shows that an EV owner normally spends roughly a third of the maintenance cost of the fuel-powered cars. The owners do not need to pay for tune-ups, oil changes, cooling systems, and flushes. Despite all these, the maintenance cost of an EV is not free. The automakers suggest the owners follow a series of periodic checks to maintain the vehicle's warranty in effect.
As discussed before, the cheaper maintenance cost of an EV does not necessarily mean it should be considered as bulletproof. Eventually, the time will come when the owners need to replace the tires, have the brakes serviced and possibly replace the steering and suspension components, headlights, and tail lamps as well. Like other types of vehicles, the wheel alignment shall be necessary if the car pulls to another side and results in wearing down the uneven tires.
