A significant advantage of an Electric Vehicle (EV) is that it requires less maintenance than conventional vehicles.
Its components experience minor wear and tear, making it a more innovative alternative to transportation. Electric cars will reach 10% of worldwide passenger vehicle sales by 2025 mainly due to their convenience and less maintenance cost.
However, you can only enjoy these benefits if you keep your car in top shape. Here are a few tips you should consider.
1. Conduct regular battery checks
Your electric vehicle is only as good as its battery. For this reason, you need to perform regular battery checks, especially when your EV runs on a lithium-ion pack. A certified EV technician can help you check your battery fluids, filler opening, and connections and analyse your battery cycle count.
Although most electric car batteries can go beyond 100,000 miles with good servicing, there are certain situations to avoid if you want to extend your lithium-based battery life. This includes avoiding charging EV batteries to 100%, braking too aggressively, rough terrain driving, charging in direct sunlight, and so on.
2. Watch where you park your electric car
Avoid parking your EV in the blazing sun as they are designed to use water or air for thermal control. Consistently parking your electric car in high temperatures can cause its thermal management to engage too low vehicle temperatures slowly.
Some electric vehicles will shut down if the engine isn’t working for some time, at least until they are switched on again. If this is continuous, your batteries will heat up, and your battery life will begin to drop.
3. Underbody washing
Electric cars love cash washes too. Car washes are also part of your essential EV maintenance routine since oil, road salt, and other substances can damage your EV undercarriage. Irrespective of whether you are driving an EV or a conventional vehicle, rust is the last thing you want near your car.
Giving an EV a good wash is excellent for preventing oxidation and rust formation, which can be disastrous if left unchecked. It is essential to regularly take your EV to the local car wash instead of buying a new electric car to replace a rust bucket.
You should likewise avoid rust-proofing your EV or hybrid parts since high-voltage wiring can cause severe harm to your vehicle.
4. Keep a regular service schedule
Unlike conventional vehicles, electric cars don’t need oil changes, just regular daily checks. You would want to hire a mechanic to check your brake pads to ensure that your engine works at optimum levels.
While electric cars are relatively new, it is safer to head to the EV-specialised technicians or take them to the manufacturer for any maintenance or servicing. Like other conventional vehicle owners, you can also purchase a car insurance plan to save you even more on EV use.
Taking proper care of your tires and batteries is essential for keeping your electric car in top shape. Instead of always charging your batteries to total capacity, keep it around 80 or 90% and avoid completely draining it before charging again.
