EV Maintenance and Repairs - Key Considerations for Your Electric Vehicle

A common misconception is that electric vehicles (EVs) incur higher maintenance and repair costs than their gasoline counterparts. Although EVs may have a higher initial purchase price than similar gasoline models, they often turn out to be less expensive to maintain, with most repairs costing approximately the same for both types of vehicles.

While EVs do feature certain systems and components that can be costly to repair if they malfunction, the same applies to gasoline vehicles. Fortunately, many of the most expensive parts of an EV, including batteries, are usually covered by extensive warranties.

What Regular Maintenance is Needed for an EV?

Electric vehicles require minimal maintenance, but they are not entirely maintenance-free. Each manufacturer provides a specific EV maintenance schedule that must be adhered to in order to keep warranties intact. There are also several additional items that should be checked periodically.

Some typical maintenance tasks for EVs include:

Tire rotation
Wiper blade replacement
Wiper fluid refill
Brake fluid flushing
Passenger compartment air filter replacement
Battery thermal management coolant flushing

Except for the thermal management coolant, these tasks are also necessary for gasoline vehicles, and even thermal management coolant has an equivalent in engine coolant found in gas cars. However, engine coolant generally requires more frequent flushing than battery thermal management coolant in EVs.

Most of the routine maintenance tasks required for EVs are relatively inexpensive, needed infrequently, or both.

Are EVs More Costly to Maintain Than Gas Vehicles?

EVs are generally not more expensive to maintain compared to gasoline vehicles because gas cars have many more systems that require regular upkeep. In addition to the maintenance tasks listed earlier, gasoline vehicles also require:

Regular oil and oil filter changes
Engine air filter replacements
Transmission fluid flushes
Spark plug replacements
Coolant and accessory belt replacements, among others

To illustrate the significant difference in maintenance costs, consider the manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedules for two vehicles from the same brand, such as the Chevy Bolt EV and the gasoline-powered Chevy Impala.

For the first 45,000 miles of the Impala, the manufacturer recommends:

Six tire rotations
Six oil changes
Two passenger compartment air filter replacements
One engine air filter replacement
One transmission service

The recommended maintenance for the Impala totals over $1,000.

Six tire rotations
Two passenger compartment air filter replacements

While prices for parts and labor can vary, it’s evident that the cost of manufacturer-recommended preventative maintenance is lower for EVs than for gasoline vehicles.

When going beyond basic manufacturer recommendations, gasoline vehicles have approximately 18 different maintenance tasks to keep track of, including regular oil changes, PCV valve checks, and timing belt replacements every 60,000 to 100,000 miles.

EV owners typically need to manage only six of these tasks.

Are EVs More Expensive to Repair Than Gas Vehicles?

In terms of repair costs, EVs and gasoline vehicles are relatively similar. EVs have fewer moving parts, especially when comparing an internal combustion engine to an electric motor, which results in fewer components that can break down.

For instance, EV owners do not need to worry about gaskets leaking or internal engine parts wearing out. Although replacing an electric motor can be costly, they are usually built to last the lifespan of the vehicle.

Systems such as suspension and steering tend to wear out and require repairs at a similar frequency for both EVs and gasoline cars, as they are quite comparable. Repair costs are generally alike as well.

Gasoline vehicles have additional systems, like exhaust and emissions controls, which result in extra repair costs that EV owners do not face.

Brakes often need servicing more frequently in gasoline vehicles due to the regenerative braking systems in EVs, although regenerative brakes can be more complex and have more components that may fail and require repairs.

What About Batteries and Electronics?

EVs do contain some costly components, such as battery packs and various electronic systems. Despite ongoing research and advancements that have helped reduce costs, EV battery packs remain among the most expensive individual parts, comparable only to the engine of a gasoline vehicle. In fact, the expense of replacing an EV battery can rival that of replacing a gas vehicle engine.

Is It Better to Buy or Lease an EV?

However, unlike gasoline vehicles, where a failed engine renders the vehicle unusable, EV batteries tend to degrade gradually, resulting in reduced capacity and range over time.

Most manufacturers provide a significant warranty for battery packs, typically covering around eight years or 100,000 miles. If the battery fails within this timeframe, or if its capacity drops below 70 percent, the replacement is generally covered.

Replacing batteries and electronics outside of this warranty period can be costly, but any gasoline vehicle reaching similar age and mileage will also face its share of expensive, non-maintenance repairs.

Battery and Electronics Maintenance: EV vs. ICE Vehicle