Electric cars operate with fewer moving parts under the hood than gasoline-powered cars, but things can break and need replacing. Electric vehicle (EV) maintenance is a crucial part of ownership, contributing to safe operation and preventing more costly repairs. Keep reading for seven things to know about electric car maintenance.
- Less Often, More Expensive
- Battery Maintenance
- Battery Cooling System
- EV Tires
- Brakes
- Wipers and Washer Fluid
- Filters
Less Often, More Expensive
Studies have shown that EVs spend significantly less time in the shop than gasoline-powered cars. However, when EVs do need repairs, those repairs can be expensive. That’s a function of labor, not parts. Shops and dealerships train few mechanics in EV repair, so labor from a qualified mechanic costs more. These costs should come down as more Americans drive EVs and more repair shops invest in the training needed to repair them.
Battery Maintenance
The single most expensive component of an EV is its battery. Federal law requires that all EV manufacturers provide a battery warranty for at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Some manufacturers voluntarily cover their batteries for longer.
A complete battery replacement is rare but wildly expensive — from $5,000 on the low side of the scale to as high as $20,000, depending on the size and manufacturer. BloombergNEF’s annual battery price survey found that lithium-ion battery pack prices dropped to a record low of $139 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The research provider found the price in 2013 — adjusted to reflect 2023 dollars — was $780 per kWh. Innovation and manufacturing improvement will keep that curve dropping as EV production increases. Battery replacement will likely be much cheaper in a few years.
Engineers design these batteries to be maintenance-free, but you can take steps to maximize your electric car battery’s lifespan.
- Don’t rely on DC fast chargers every time you recharge.
- Avoid charging to 100% capacity and discharging below 20% for less strain on the battery.
- Use more frequent short charging cycles instead of less frequent long cycles for better battery health. Some manufacturers recommend connecting a charger at 30% and stop charging at 80%.
RELATED: Should I Charge My Electric Car Every Night?
Battery Cooling System
Follow the automaker’s recommendation for maintaining the battery’s cooling system. Some models use coolant requiring periodic flushing or a system recharge. The owner’s manual may illustrate how to check coolant levels and hose integrity.
EV Tires
EV tires tend to wear out faster than typical car tires due to several factors: They support the heavy battery pack’s weight. They’re made of different compounds. The rubber shoulders the electric motor’s instant torque when accelerating. No matter the reason for faster wear, drivers should regularly check the EV tires’ remaining tread and follow rotation recommendations. Tire maintenance also includes monitoring inflation levels to help with even wear and safe operation. By the way, EV tires generally cost more than the rubber on comparable gas-powered cars, so be sure to take care of them.
RELATED: Best Tires for EVs, Hybrids, and PHEVs
Brakes
An electric car’s regenerative braking function helps slow the vehicle, reducing wear and tear on brake pads and rotors. Those parts last much longer than on gas-powered cars. However, less use of an EV’s mechanical brakes can mean the brake calipers need more frequent lubrication. Checking the system’s brake fluid should be part of the maintenance schedule.
Wipers and Windshield Washer Fluid
As with vehicles with internal combustion engines, EVs need a regular supply of windshield washer fluid and wiper blades to help maintain a clear view of the road.
Filters
EVs don’t have oil filters, engine air filters, or fuel filters. However, they do have cabin air filters that remove pollen and other allergens. These filters often have odor-neutralizing properties to keep the electric car’s interior fresh and may require annual replacement.
MORE: Types of Electric Vehicles: EV, BEV, HEV, PHEV
There are fewer items on an EV’s routine maintenance schedule than a gas car, but they’re just as critical for safe driving and taking care of your investment. Always follow the upkeep guidance in your car’s owner’s manual.
My 2025 Equinox EV FWD weighs just under the weight of a 1970 Lincoln Town Car LOL. Nobody complained then about road wear that I can remember.
Replacing the entire battery pack on an electric vehicle ordinarily is not necessary. It is composed of many individual cells and can be repaired by replacing the defective ones.
My 2023 Lucid Air had 106k miles on it before I replaced the tires. That was the only maintenance I needed in 18 months of ownership. I use the car in our limo service, and now we’re adding Lucid Gravity.
We have Pirelli Cinterato AS plus 2 tires on our Model 3. Rated for 70K miles. I have about 59K miles on ours. Still not to the 2/32″ bar. And I am not easy on tires. I will be replacing these with the Plus 3 version next spring.
I have never gotten this many miles from a set of tires on any vehicle!
Looking to install Bruno disability equipment into the cargo area of 3 row suv which I have always had with my gas models. I’m told the equipment isn’t compatible with EVs. No reason given
Suggestions??
Hi Howard. It’s worth asking the Bruno dealer/installer again for the reason why your lift isn’t compatible for the cargo area of a electric 3-row SUV. I can imagine how a lift for 2nd-row entry might possibly not work because of the EV’s battery installation. However, unless the vehicle’s charging port is at the rear of the vehicle and it somehow interferes, the cargo area is basically the same. Still, I don’t know which EV you have, so it might be a matter of clearance and space for the lift components. Good luck, and thanks for reading.
I don’t have an EV, but I have a close friend who does since about 6-7 years ago. He lives in Boston and travels a lot in it (Tesla Model 3) to several places on the East Coast as well as to Houston, TX. He stops to eat where he can get a charge, as well as stays in hotels that have chargers. It’s fairly smooth.
On my 6 year old EV, I have replaced brake rotors and pads, tires, the 12 volt battery, cabin air filter, and wiper blades. That’s all. Range is basically the same as new. This year, I’ll have the dealer flush and refill the battery coolant.
Someday my EV will turn into a disposable car, but so will a gasoline car with a small engine, a turbo, and a CVT. Neither the manufacturers not the government want you to purchase a durable car. Both have gone to extraordinary measures to make all cars disposable.
On tire wear, most ev drivers, have split personalities. one likes the fast pick-up that is always there. Then they like regenerative breaking, which means they slow down with limited use of friction breaks, which means less flat spots in the tires from hard breaking. As they get more experienced, they like regeneration breaking more and jack rabbit starts less
I’d love to see a similar article on hybrid vehicles.
What about cold weather effects on batteries and EV’s burning up when exposed to flood waters. Not practical for long road trips
Thanks for reading, Dave. This article discusses the limited maintenance EVs require. You mention cold weather being a factor for EV batteries, and we’ve written about that disadvantage. While floodwater should be a concern for any vehicle owner, flooding from salt water is an even bigger problem for electric car drivers because of the potential for fire. However, long road trips in EVs can be delightful. Many new EVs have a similar range to some vehicles using gasoline. U.S. drivers can take advantage of more than 11,000 public fast-charging stations, many of which are near interstate exits. Still, electric cars are a good option for many people in many situations, but they aren’t the best option for every driver in every situation.
My 6 year old EV has about a 5-8% loss in a full charge, from 250 to about 225 miles, between December and January. In the spring it goes back to normal, around 250 miles. In mid summer it goes up to 10% over rated charge in excess of 300 miles, per charge. My fuel (electricity) has cost me 1/10th of what I pay for my gas car for the same distance under the same conditions. I get about 4 miles per KW, at $0.09/KW or $0.025 per mile. Most of my driving is local, town/city driving. I charge in my garage about every 10 days. I have driven numerous times north or south, 1,500 miles, and I have plenty of charging stations. If I travel the same distance east, there is little charging available . Go figure. In regards to totaling cars in a flood, I have never heard of an insurance not totaling a flood vehicle, no matter what’s under the hood. My EV recommended maintenance is killing me. Rotate tires every 7,500 miles for $20. Change one gallon a coolant after 7 year for $50. In 50,000 miles in my Chrysler I still have the same tire rotation, plus have blown $150 for 20 service intervals, 3 grand, plus another grand for tires and over $12,000 for gas. $16,000 for gas, vs less than $1,000 for the same distance in electric. Book value on both vehicles is about equal.
Never EVs ! Try getting one million EVs out of south Florida running from hurricane! God put oil in the ground for us!
Thanks for reading, James. Gas cars and EVs both have advantages and disadvantages, and many new EVs have similar range to some operating on gasoline. A counterpoint to your hurricane anecdote is this: Most EV owners charge their cars at home, and they can bypass hours-long waits at gas stations when leaving a hurricane evacuation zone. However, returning to an area affected by widespread infrastructure damage can be challenging until the repairs have stabilized the grid.
Electric cars are a good option for many people in many situations, but they aren’t the best option for every driver in every situation.
EVs can charge anywhere there is electricity. Don’t need specific chargers. Electricity is much more available than gas. Its slow at 120V but you can charge. Gas stations can’t pump gas without electricity.
Well if you left on time instead of waiting until the last minute, you’d have no problem. Your first 250-450 miles would be from your home charger. Your next charge would take you to Floridas northern border, it would take no more than 15-40 minutes while your eating your lunch. After that you’d be in another state.
I did not know about the battery warranty…. Good info thanks
EV maintenance is hardly an issue compared to Combusters; Tesla Batteries hardly ever need replacement; Who the hell goes for a caliper lubrication on anything (done when replacing pads)?
If you add wipers and fluid to this list of 7, you’ve padded the list.
Thanks for reading, Dan. It might seem like a stretch to include wipers in the list of maintenance items for EVs, but it is a short list! Even so, swapping out worn wiper blades is an important safety task no matter what type of powertrain a car has.
Yes, but this is an article about EV maintenance. What is the point? Is it about maintenance that EV’s require that ICE vehicles do not? Then why mention filters (which EV’s have fewer of), why mention brake (which need far LESS maintenance than ICE brakes), why not mention that battery cooling sytems are analagous to ICE cooling systems in terms of maintenance? Why mention the traction battery at all? Would you include engine replacement on a list of ICE maintenance?
In my experience owning an EV since 2012, the only real thing on this list is tires. They don’t wear faster on mine, but it is a complaint I’m aware of on some EV’s.
The fact is that EV’s require far less maintenance. And there is a lot effort to make EV’s seen bad.
Starts with (clean) COAL? Oligarchic control of non renewable oil & using it as an economic/political weapon does not help maintain world peace; There are much smarter ways to produce infinite supplies of electricity & utilize it for potential & kinetic work, than staying ADDICTED to fossil fuel combustion EXTORTIONIST PROFITEERISTS…
If you try to leave south Florida with a million other people at the same time, you will wait in traffic for a long time. You may run out of gas since an ICE engine has poor gas mileage in idle. An EV performs better in stop and go traffic.
In the end… the fuel for both EV and Gas, starts with COAL. I have a 2024 Tesla 3 Long Range and I love it, it’s fun to drive as a daily but it does have its place. *I wouldn’t totally give up gas cars for all electric. Overall cost to own and run is about the same. (The best of both worlds that I’ve owned has been the Toyota Hybrid Camry. It got 51mpg and had a range of 500miles.) At the end of the day, we need the oil and gas ⛽️ for multiple reasons. Oil/Gas is truly the world’s economic engine. It can be used to stop wars, win wars, and even save communities. Oil is even used in all of our plastic goods, from the cheap to-go cup you had at lunch to the faux “vegan leather” seats in my Tesla.
2024……yep you’ve got a lot of experience with an EV
What if, as usual, a million cars try to evacuate south Florida from an approaching hurricane? EVs are non sense and a joke! My Buick has 9 speed transmission, 30 mpg highway and 400 mile range on tank of gas! Refill in 20 minutes! Large smooth riding car! Drill baby, drill !
Wipers and washer fluid? Really?
Maybe the author should have included cleaning the floor mats and the inside of the windows.
Yes, really. Keeping up with your windshield wipers is part of vehicle maintenance, Hugh. We appreciate your reading.
And thanks for the tip about keeping your car clean. That is an additional expense or chore that owners should consider as part of protecting their investment.
what I thought.
Stretch….wouldn’t have been an article if it said “2 things to know”
To whom it may concern:
I wonder how are these E/V’s work under real winter conditions? When the heater, windshield wipers, high beam headlights all must operate at the same time? When perhaps even snow chains are also needed. I would much appreciate some feed back. Thank you, Norbert
Hi Norbert. Thanks for reading. EVs and hybrids don’t achieve their maximum efficiency in winter weather. Using the heater contributes to reduced range, but accessories like wipers and headlights use the car’s 12-volt battery, not the big one used for propulsion. Here’s an Autotrader article about EVs and extreme weather. If you’re charging at home, cold weather won’t affect your daily driving too much. Even winter road trips are possible in EVs. I made a 1,300-mile trip in December from Denver to Seattle in a Volvo XC40 Recharge without any trouble. I had a set of chains ready but fortunately didn’t need to use them, so I can’t speak from experience about their impact on range.
We have Two 2019 Audi Enron’s and live just outside of ASPEN Colorado. A 100,000 miles between the two. Zero problems and winter mileage ranges between 180 and 200 miles per charge. No oil changes, no tune-ups, no maintenance, only every few years an Inspection.
My EV just turned 100k. Ride is unchanged. Runs great. I charge as in your article. I learned about the coolant the hard way but was very happy to learn it was still under warranty. Long trips have never been a problem with only rare charge anxiety. It helps that I had solar panels installed at home (also at a discount). My second set of tires are coming up this fall. This thing has paid for itself. Once battery life is 400 miles and affordable, I’ll change cars. Best investment I’ve ever made.
Please add the cost of replacing engines, which happens more often.
Thanks for reading, John. Data from Cox Automotive, Autotrader’s parent company, indicates the average cost to replace a car’s gasoline engine is around $8,000.
LOL, On what planet is that??? That’s a sick joke.
Thanks. This was a fair and informative article. A good head start on my research for my next car.
Thanks for reading, Louis. I’m happy the information was helpful to you.
Every time I read something about EVs, I am more convinced than ever that I don’t want one.
Thanks for reading, Paul. Electric cars aren’t the best choice for many drivers, and you might be among that group. For others, an EV’s benefits outweigh the drawbacks and make them a good option.
I got a decent used EUV from Hertz that didn’t cost much more that 20k. I love it and its lower operating and maintenance cost. It also makes practical sense for ridesharing.
Hahaha! Remember all those elitists who gave up the horse and buggy for a ICE cars. Only having to go to a remote pharmacy to get a couple gallons of gas. Technology changes whether we like it or not.
A new Tesla model 3 is 38990. You can get a used model 3 for around 20000. I don’t suppose you’ll be buying a $60k gas car either?
If you look at EV prices today, they are much lower (affordable) than 5 years ago. My wife’s Model-3 was $68,000 in 2017. I just paid $55,769 total for a Model-Y SUV. Several other EVs are selling in the 40K range.
Seems to be a truthful article and not EV propaganda like most. No mention of extra cost when buying, or low resale value of EV’s, but the article was on maintenance only.
sorry, im not paying 60k + for a car.. not happening period! i don’t care what your rationalization is for having one.. i don’t really care. and your nasty comments? i don’t care. and won’t answer.
You do know that it takes .ore electricity to power a gas car than an EV, right? It takes an insane amount of electricity to produce a single gallon of gasoline. And then you still have to hen fuel on top of that. Of course EVs aren’t perfect for the environment, nothing made by man ever will be, but they are quantifiably better than gas cars.
How would it be a catastrophe? They can travel just as far a gas car on a full charge these days. The problem is you are far less likely to have a full gas tank than a fully charged battery, as most people charge at home overnight while they are asleep, meaning EVs would actually be better off than gas cars in such situations.
No, the warranty is 10 years, but there are a lot of vehicles that are well over 10 years old and not counting recalls, only 3% of needed to be replaced. We honestly don’t know how long they can last, because statistically speaking not enough have failed to give us data yet and at the rate they are going, it will likely be another 10nto 20 years before enough need to be replaced to give us a good average lifespan.
I might just wait till 10 years when all this batteries need to be replaced. Just curious, will it be cost effective if you have to pocket out $10-25k for new batteries?
Millions evacuated Hurricane in Florida! Had they owned EVs , what a catastrophe !
Why do anti-EVers fixate on where the power comes from? The truth is, EV’s will get cleaner as the grid gets cleaner, but ICE vehicles will always be inefficient and dirty. But heck, my commute went from $12 a day to less than $2 with one of the cheaper new vehicles I’ve ever bought (2023 Bolt EV). So tell me I’m driving a dirty vehicle… Don’t care, I’m saving a ton on my commute.
In my experience, ordinary tires wear just as long as “EV” labeled tires, ride the same, roll just as efficiently, and cost less. I conclude that “EV” tires are ordinary tires with “EV” labels and an upcharge.
People are always talking about how much cheaper it is to own & drive and E.V., but fail to even mention where the power comes from when time comes to recharge!
Ever hear of coal powered electrical power plants?
DUH!!!
I don’t think people fail to mention where power comes from. In fact, that’s a primary argument from the anti-EV crowd. Those people seem to think that only type of person driving an EV is a tree-hugger who don’t know where electricity comes from. But here’s a fact, Howard. Power also comes from hydroelectric plants, natural gas, solar and wind farms and nuclear facilities. DUH!!! Here’s another fact. Any real or perceived environmental benefit from driving electric cars isn’t the only reason to drive an EV. Sure, EVs aren’t for everyone but they’re a good option for many people.
Son of a coal miner, and clerk here I’m a real elitist. You know all bro
EVs…the vehicle of elitists the world over.
Not too long ago, it was “elitist” for people to have personal computers at home, and cell phones were only for self-important rich people. Remember that, Dan?