Speak to any electric car owner and, right after explaining their charging routine, they'll say how much easier, and cheaper, their car is to maintain than one powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE). And for good reason. Tusker, a fleet vehicle operator in the UK, released data in November 2022 that claimed service, maintenance, and repairs costs of electric cars are 40 percent lower than for gasoline and diesel vehicles, based on a sample size of 22,000 lease cars. Similar trends exist elsewhere, with Cap HPI, a vehicle data company, finding an electric Renault Zoe can be 35 percent cheaper to service and maintain over a period of three years or 60,000 miles than a similarly-sized, gasoline-powered Vauxhall Corsa. In the US, rental company Hertz said its Teslas cost 50 to 60 percent less to maintain than its fleet of ICE vehicles. Private EV owners back up these claims with anecdotes brimming with the promise of affordable, hassle-free motoring. While researching this article, we heard from a Tesla owner who, after six years and 80,000 miles, treated their car to its first service, which they say consisted of nothing more than a clean of the brakes and a spray of WD-40 on the door hinges. A Jaguar I-Pace owner said that after 70,000 miles the brakes had worn by only 25 percent. Others reported how only pollen filter changes and new windshield wipers are needed for years of trouble-free EV motoring. Compare this to the oil changes, replacement spark plugs, and new cam belts of an ICE car—as well as brake pads and brake rotors that wear more quickly—and it's perhaps no surprise that maintenance costs can be so much lower. "EVs are cheaper to maintain, look after, and certainly to service," says Matt Cleevely, from Cleevely Motors, an independent British garage that has expanded to offer EV services. "They have half as many moving parts and require no regular oil changes," he added. With the above in mind, let's take a closer look at EV service and maintenance costs, how this compares to ICE equivalents, and what actually needs changing each time your EV goes in for a checkup. But, be warned—it's not all good news: Sometimes repair bills on older EVs can be as much as the car is worth. |
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