How much does it cost to service an electric car? It’s a great debate

As part of a recent article on the cost savings from driving an electric vehicle, I mentioned that there was little servicing to be done.  Comments ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. But I have to keep reminding myself that maths and physics will always win over belief and ignorance.

Many comments were made about replacing the battery.

You also didn’t include battery replacement, which is a massive consumable ICE vehicles don’t have and you’ll definitely need to do in 14 years. There goes all your savings… Definitely not a free car.

I found that odd until I realized that people might be confusing the battery longevity and chemistry of their 12 volt battery in their ICE (internal combustion engine car) compared to what is in a BEV (battery electric vehicle).

I have had a flat battery in my ICE and been told I have done very well to get 5 years out of it. Perhaps we need to shout – not all batteries are created equal.

On the one side:

Tesla Maintenance is SUCH A CHORE: – Wash Car – Vacuum Car- Top up Windscreen fluid reservoir – Drive past servo (petrol station) and laugh at the cost of fuel!- recharge off SOLAR for free- repeat!

And on the other:

A man with a 16 year old pickup said: You can save a lot of money if you realize not all of those various fluids have to be replaced. That is just the dealership scamming you. I do concede an ICE engine in order to last requires keeping up with the oil.

And the responses:

If you don’t do any maintenance, you’re a hazard to everyone around. And if you do, you are not saving anything, because even the cheapest service is more expensive than no service at all. Not just fluids but belts, clutch, transmission, brake pads, battery (yours won’t last 8 years!).

You have transmission right? And a starter, and a fuel pump, and an alternator and about 50 other things that can and probably will require maintenance. Oh, and don’t forget to add oil change costs.

There is literally no way you saved more money than this writer or almost any EV owner on maintenance. EVs also last a much longer time than ICE vehicles, give better performance, and have a smaller impact on the environment.

My first vehicle was a truck. I love trucks. If I wasn’t buying an EV (or once EV trucks start becoming more available) I might consider one. However, you are delusional if you think you are saving more in maintenance than Tesla owners.

As another commenter noted: (We’ve had) 5 years with a leaf and so far had the change wiper blades and tires. A different story with the VW Passat. Never mind about the cost of changing fluids. It has been through 2 water pumps and a main oil seal by 120k km. I keep it for towing but it will be my last ICE vehicle.

You need to look for a garage when your engine works on principles of high explosions in tight spaces. ICE engines are marvels of modern engineering. For example look at the high level of maths it takes to design a cylinder head for maximum scavenging of the burnt gases.

They are just out date, out of time and will keep you out of pocket.

David Waterworth is a researcher and writer, a retired teacher who divides his time between looking after his grandchildren and trying to make sure they have a planet to live on. He owns 50 shares of Tesla.