Electric Car Service Dos & Don'ts: What service does an e-car need?

The list of things that are missing in electric cars compared to combustion engines is long: spark plugs, exhaust, transmission, radiator, clutch, air and oil filters - all this and much more is not needed in vehicles with electric drives. Parts that are often the cause of expensive repairs and add up to a significant difference in costs: Overall, maintenance expenditure for electric cars is around a third lower than that of combustion engines, as the German Institute for the Automotive Industry (IFA) calculated.

Nevertheless, even those who are on the road in an electrically powered vehicle should regularly visit the electric car service. As a rule of thumb, a thorough inspection is necessary once a year. In addition to "normal" car components such as steering, air conditioning or windshield wipers, the following components in particular should be checked:

Braking system

They should be checked regularly – but replaced less frequently. The reason for this is that the brakes of an electric car wear out less due to recuperation – on the one hand, because kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy and recovered during braking, and on the other hand, because recuperation also acts as an engine brake, which means that the braking system wears out less quickly.

Tyre check

Special attention should be paid to the tires of electric cars during maintenance. Compared to combustion engines, they are subjected to greater stress because higher torque is possible when starting off at a rapid pace, which affects the tire tread over time. Moderate starting can help to increase the service life of the tires

Battery and lithium-ion battery

It is the most important component of an electric car. The general condition is checked here, but all cable connections and the charging port must also be checked. The latter should be free of dust, dirt and rust. In the case of batteries, a service life of eight to fifteen years is expected until their "death" (depending on the number of charging cycles), before which it is sufficient to replace individual defective cell modules. Since the battery of an electric car is the most expensive spare part, it is worthwhile to use it sparingly – for example, by not standing the battery for a long time with less than 20 percent charging level and not charging it higher than 80 percent, as this can shorten the service life of a lithium-ion battery. Charging with alternating current, as is done at the wallbox at home, should also be preferred to going to the fast-charging station, where direct current is used, if possible.

Control and analyze electronics

The individual components of the electronics are also thoroughly checked during service. Testing the function and performance of these parts helps to avoid spontaneous failures. The analysis of the electronics also makes it possible to draw conclusions about the service life of the battery from information on charging times and performance.

Refill liquids

Electric vehicles typically have only three main fluids that need to be topped up from time to time: brake fluid, windshield washer fluid, and coolant. The latter is also needed for the BEV's thermal management system.

Important: If maintenance payments or repairs are due that do not affect the high-voltage system of the electric vehicle (tire change, windshield wipers), you can take your electric car to a garage of your choice. For the maintenance of all specific electric car components, on the other hand, a specialized workshop with appropriate equipment and trained personnel is required.

source :Electric Car Service & Maintenance: The Right Care | AMAG