What factors are increasing the number of UK citizens who have bought electric cars? Well, it’s the old case of the stick and the carrot. Citizens with internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) are facing increasingly stricter penalties for pollution of the environment, with 46% stating this as a key reason for buying an electric car. That is the stick. The carrot is that almost half of UK citizens are concerned about the environment. This is commendable in comparison to other first-world countries that are lagging far behind the UK.
Additionally, these statistics indicated that 87% of UK citizens don’t mind paying a premium for their electric car, with a third indicating that they would pay as much as 20% more.
Now that you have purchased (or are about to) your electric car, you need to know how to maintain it. Much of what you know about the mechanical and electronic workings of ICE vehicles may no longer apply. We look at what you need to know.
The Difference Between ICE Vehicles and Electric Cars
Electric cars are more expensive to buy than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. However, they are much cheaper to run. They have far fewer needs for expensive maintenance, which amounts to a nice annual saving. It has been estimated that the maintenance costs of electric vehicles are a third of the expenditure of ICE vehicles. For a comparison of cost differences between ICE vehicles and electric cars, see here.
One of the reasons for a much lower maintenance requirement is that electric vehicles have done away with a couple of dozen mechanical parts that have to be serviced frequently. Say goodbye to drive belts, spark plugs, air filters, transmission servicing, cooling system flushes, oil changes, and tune-ups.
That said, if you want to ensure the dealer honours your warranty, you need to carry out a set of checks on a regular basis. Ideally, most of these checks would be performed at the dealer’s premises by a qualified technician.
Required Checks for Electric Vehicles
Apart from the need for mechanical inspections, there are several checks you can do yourself. These include topping up the window washer fluid, replacing wiper blades, swapping out the cabin air filter with a new one, tyre rotation, and checking the air pressure in the car’s tyres.
If you are nervous to carry out these maintenance jobs, you can have them done by your dealer’s maintenance department. Ask questions while they are busy and watch everything that they do. You will save money by becoming proficient at doing these tasks yourself.
Battery Maintenance
The battery of an electric car must be in great condition as this is the fuel that gets you around. You could fix everything else on your electric vehicle but if you ignore the battery, soon you will not be driving. The battery pack of an electric car is the most expensive item in the vehicle.
Degradation of the batteries over time is a fact. Following a gradual process, they will start to hold less than a full charge. If the batteries degrade fully, you will need to replace your electric car. This has seldom happened in the past, even though the electric cars available initially were self-limited to just over a hundred kilometres on a single charge. Newer electric vehicles are far less likely to lose power in the medium run, but in the longer term, it will be necessary to put in a new battery pack. Do you want to learn how to charge electric cars? Follow the link for further information.
Scheduled Maintenance
An important question is, how often should each check and/or maintenance work be carried out? Depending on the make of the electric vehicle, here is a breakdown of what is required and when according to time-based schedules and also the number of kilometres driven:
Every month, check your tyre pressure and perform a full examination of each tyre. At the same inspection, check the level of windshield washer fluid. Every six months, use normal water to hose down the undercarriage which collects dust and debris and may have been stained with road salt, which is corrosive.
Every five years, drain out all of the old coolants and replace this with new coolants. Similarly, the brake fluid must be drained and refilled. Every seven years, replace the air conditioning desiccant. It collects moisture which can cause rust to develop if not changed.
Take the vehicle to your dealer for a full inspection every 12,000 kilometres. The tyres should be rotated. The battery pack and components will be thoroughly checked, and its coolant level will be topped up. The mechanic will look for leaking fluids, examine the accelerator pedal, and inspect the brakes, power steering, airbags, drive shafts, and half-shafts. They will also inspect the chassis and suspension.
Keep your electric car maintained and you will be rewarded with many kilometres of happy driving.
