Electric car's offer an extremely low maintenance ownership experience. Just fill up the electron tank every night and you’re good to go for years. But there are some things you can and should do to take better care of your silent spark rocket. Here are a few basic tips you can use to get the most out of your EV.
Electric cars still need attention
Compared to cars with an internal combustion engine (ICE), EVs have very few moving parts. There’s no transmission to flush, no alternator to replace, no differential to service. So they don’t need as much regular maintenance. Still, there are plenty of ways to make sure you get your money’s worth with a little attention.
1. Don’t leave it low. According to Nissan, you shouldn’t leave your Leaf with a low or flat battery for more than two weeks. This can reduce the life of the battery. If you’re going away on vacation, leave it fully charged or on your home charger.
2. Park it cool. Extreme temperatures can negatively affect the health of your battery. If you live somewhere with extremely cold weather, it’s recommended that you park your EV in a garage overnight. For extremely hot places, a shady parking space during the day will work wonders.
3. Don’t forget the brakes. EV brakes are interesting. Most EVs use regenerative braking to slow the car. Essentially, this turns the motors into generators, using the car’s forward momentum to recapture that energy as electricity. ICE cars use the brakes (or the engine, in performance driving situations) to slow the car, with the energy being dissipated as waste heat through the brake rotors.
With EVs, the brakes get a break. They still use pads and rotors like an ICE car, but most of the slowing is performed by the regen system. All this to say, it’s easy to forget the brakes. On an ICE, you might replace your brake pads every year or two. It might be 5 years on an electric vehicle. We recommend that you inspect them regularly to make sure they’re in good working order.
4. Remember the fluids. Don’t pull your Tesla into a Jiffy Lube and ask for an oil change. Nobody will laugh. But many EVs are actually liquid cooled. The Chevrolet Bolt runs a coolant path through its power inverter, accessory power module, onboard charging module, and motor. A separate system cools the battery. Chevrolet recommends checking the coolant every 7,500 miles. A lower coolant level may indicate a leak, so keep an eye on it.
5. Measure the tread depth on your tires. Did you know that electric vehicle tires wear out 30% faster than the same tires installed on an ICE car? Check out our article for a full explanation on how to get the most our of your electric car tires. Basically, electric motors tend to produce more torque than their ICE counterparts. That torque creates tiny slips along the pavement, which increase tire wear.
Electric cars are also usually heavier than their equivalent ICE cars, which increases friction and reduces tire life. So it’s a good idea to inspect your tires for wear every 7,500 miles. All consumer tires sold in America are now required to have wear indicator bars, ridges that run across the tread of the tire at its lowest depth. When your tread falls even with the wear indicator bars, it’s time for new tires. We can help you with that. New electric vehicle tires, optimized for EV use, are in development.
6. Wash it, especially the undercarriage. It’s a good idea to regularly wash any car you own, especially if you live in a salt state. Road salt is an incredible de-icer, but it also devours bare steel. Once a chip or scratch in the undercoating exposes that metal, it begins to rust. On ICE cars this can lead to all sorts of problems like corroded fuel lines, stuck parking brakes, and structural weakness.
But EVs present a whole new set of problems. Most electric cars run on a “skateboard” platform, with the heavy batteries arranged in flat panels along the bottom of the car. This keeps the weight low and reduces body roll. And the last thing you want is to let that battery assembly get corroded or damaged due to rust.
Electric cars are not maintenance free
No machine is maintenance free. So even though electric vehicles are much easier to care for than gas powered cars, they still need a little love and attention now and then. If you have any questions on ways to care for your electric vehicle or are wondering what to replace your current electric car tires with, don’t hesitate to reach our out to our mobile tire technicians via email, phone or live chat. We are here to help!
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