Are you looking to buy an EV? You could be saving a considerable amount of money when it comes to the technical side of driving an electric vehicle. Servicing and maintaining, something that most drivers dread each year, but electric vehicles could be saving your bank account a lot of money. So what is involved when it comes to maintaining an electric car?
WHICH PARTS NEED SERVICING WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
Most drivers think that because electric vehicles are designed with the best technology and gadgets, they will be expensive to maintain. However, it is actually the complete opposite! In reality, electric vehicles have less moving parts that need servicing / maintaining, and therefore cost less. On average, most electric vehicles are manufactured with no more than 20 different moving components.
Electric vehicles do not require an oil change, replacement cambelts or even water pump changes. They also don’t have any of the familiar parts you would expect to see such as a gearbox, clutch, exhaust, catalytic converter or a starter motor. Let’s take a look at the parts that do need maintaining…
Heating and ventilation
Similar to an ICE vehicle, the heating system in an electric car will be checked. Most of the time there won’t be any issues, but sometimes a simple change of the air filter will be carried out.
Suspension and steering
Tyres on any vehicle should be checked frequently, especially before every long journey, and changed as and when needed. When electric vehicles are serviced their condition will be assessed. EVs are known for their instant torque when driven, which could lead to an increase in tyres wearing. We recommend keeping this in mind when checking tyres on an electric car. All main components relating to steering and suspension will also be checked, as they would on an ICE car.
Cooling system
All vehicles will have a cooling system. In this particular case, cooling systems in electric vehicles are used to keep the battery at a safe, consistent temperature.
Battery
A quick diagnostic test can be done to show whether there are any possible fault codes. Individual battery cells are also checked for performance, and any issues can be located efficiently. Not only will the battery be checked but the electric cables will be inspected. Anyone servicing an electric car will know to look out for any loose or damaged connections, however problems with these are highly unlikely due to the protection they are designed with.
Brakes
As electric vehicles use regenerative braking to slow a car down, the brakes will not be worn down as quickly. The disc and brake pads will not need to be replaced as frequently. The additional weight of an EV will mean that when they are used, hydraulic systems will need to work harder.
Although electric vehicles do not have an internal combustion engine to service, there are still a few components that will need looking at. Be sure to keep up to date with servicing to ensure you’re driving safely!
WHERE CAN I GET MY EV SERVICED?
Tesla has said that most of the time servicing can be carried out remotely, through software updates. Now we know not everyone will be able to buy a Tesla, so where can you get your EV serviced?
Despite the minimal maintenance required, the electrical system in an electric car does require specialist attention. For the time being, we would always recommend drivers of electric vehicles to contact the main authorised dealer of their car. There are selected workshops and companies that are qualified to work on an electric vehicle, however until the roll out of electric vehicles becomes mainstream, this is the best option.
Like all vehicles, EVs also have to have an MOT every year. The only difference is that there will be no emission test. Most garages will carry out an MOT on an electric vehicle, but we would recommend checking reliable RAC approved garages.
CONTACT THE TEAM AT EV SALES
If you want to buy any of our used electric vehicles, then we would be happy to assist. Not only do we stock the well-known Tesla Model S, we also offer other popular second hand EVs for sale.
It can be daunting buying a used car at the best of times, let alone if it’s your first electric vehicle. However, with the help of our expert team here at EV Sales, we guarantee you will find a car to suit your needs.
All of our electric vehicles for sale are bought from new, for our sister company’s hire fleet. EVision Electric Vehicles have a pure-electric fleet of over 300 vehicles, including:
- Tesla Model S, X & 3
- BMW i3
- Kia e-Niro
- Jaguar I-Pace
- Audi e-tron
- Vauxhall Corsa-e
- Porsche Taycan
- Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4
- A range of electric vans
- Polestar 2 – COMING SOON
EVision aims to maintain a relatively new fleet of cars for their customers. Whenever new EVs are purchased, the team at EV sales will find new owners for the electric vehicles.
When you buy any of our EVs for sale you’ll benefit from MOT, a car that has only one registered keeper, warranty cover, and free UK delivery if required.
Feel free to contact a member of the team today for more information on any of our cars listed. We are now welcoming customers back to view the cars in person. Additionally a virtual appointment and a click and collect service can be organised as well. Email us or call: 01634 914063 today!