Maintenance: electric car vs petrol car

One of the biggest differences between an EV and a petrol car shows up at the workshop. Not just in what you pay, but in what goes wrong.

What disappears on an EV

• Engine oil and oil filter changes.
• Spark plugs, coils and injectors.
• The timing belt or chain.
• The clutch, dual-mass flywheel and conventional gearbox.
• The exhaust, catalytic converter, particulate filter and AdBlue system.
• The turbo, starter motor and alternator.

What stays the same

• Tyres, suspension, steering and wheel alignment.
• Brake fluid, cabin filter and air conditioning.
• Wipers, lights and the 12 V battery.

What is new

• Cooling circuits for the battery, inverter and motor.
• Checks on the high-voltage battery and the system’s insulation.
• The reduction gear, which also has oil. On some models it is changed at intervals; on others it is “for life”.
• Brakes that rust from lack of use. See regenerative braking.

What about hybrids?

A full hybrid keeps its combustion engine, so oil, spark plugs and filters remain. On the other hand, Toyota and Lexus hybrids have no clutch, conventional starter or conventional automatic gearbox, and the brakes last much longer. Instead, there is the hybrid battery, the inverter and their cooling, which need a workshop that knows them.

Where big costs can appear

On an EV, routine services are usually cheaper, but a fault in the battery, inverter or on-board charger can be expensive if the only option offered is replacing the whole assembly. Often that isn’t necessary: a battery with a few weak modules or an inverter with one faulty component can be repaired. See hybrid battery repair and inverter repair.