Maintenance costs for electric vehicles (EVs) are generally significantly lower than those for gasoline-powered cars, with several key reasons explaining this disparity:
Key Reasons EV Maintenance Costs Are Lower
- Fewer Moving Parts: EV drivetrains have about 20 moving parts compared to over 2,000 in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This drastically reduces the number of components that can wear out or fail.
- No Oil Changes or Related Services: EVs do not require oil changes, coolant flushes, air filter replacements, spark plugs, drive belts, hoses, or muffler repairs, all typical maintenance needs for gasoline cars.
- Regenerative Braking: EVs use regenerative braking which reduces brake wear, hence brake system maintenance and replacements are less frequent.
Comparative Costs
- Scheduled maintenance for EVs equates to about $0.06 per mile, roughly half or less than the cost for gasoline cars.
- On average, EVs cost approximately $900 per year to maintain, while gas cars cost around $1,200 annually.
- Studies show maintenance costs for EVs are about 31% to 60% lower over comparable periods.
- AAA reports that electric vehicles cost $330 less to maintain annually than gas-powered cars, totaling around $949 per year for EVs.
What Maintenance Do EVs Require?
While EVs are lower maintenance, they are not maintenance-free. Typical maintenance includes:
- Tire pressure and wear checks (monthly).
- Battery coolant level, power inverter, cabin heater, and charger inspections (every ~7,000 miles).
- Flushing corrosive materials like road salt every six months.
- Brake fluid replacement every 5 years.
- Professional checks of electrical, cooling, braking, AC, heating systems, power accessories, and tires to maintain battery performance and overall vehicle health.
Summary
Electric vehicles have substantially lower maintenance costs compared to gasoline cars, due to simpler drivetrain design, absence of many fluid changes and engine-related services, and reduced brake wear. This leads to savings of several hundred dollars annually and potentially thousands over the vehicle’s lifetime, making EVs more economical to maintain.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-maintenance-costs-for-electric-vehicles-compare-to-gasoline-cars/
