Do electric cars need servicing?
Monday 12th December 2022
What is an electric vehicle?
Electric cars, known as all-electric vehicles or EVs for short, run only on battery power that charges from an external power source. Unlike conventional vehicles that use a diesel powered or petrol engine, electric cars use an electric motor powered by electricity from a fuel cell or batteries.
Do electric cars need?servicing?
Electric cars do require servicing. Generally, you should aim to service an electric vehicle just as often as you would service a diesel or petrol car.
How often do electric cars need?servicing?
As with regular car services, electric cars may require a full or interim service. Manufacturers recommend a full service is required annually or every 10,000 - 12,000 miles and an interim service takes place after 6 months or 6,000 miles – depending on which one comes first. However, if you drive more frequently or longer distances than most, your service schedule may have a more regular occurrence. Some manufacturers have longer service intervals as electric cars have fewer moving parts, though it is recommended to consult your owner’s manual for the correct service interval required by your vehicle.
Condition-based servicing
Some electric cars, particular recent models, have a ‘condition-based’ servicing – also known as smart maintenance. This simply means your car can let you know when a service is required by monitoring the condition of all of its key components.
What is included in an electric car service?
Many of the elements of an electric car service are the same as for petrol and diesel vehicles - with some additional checks. These include:
On the floor
- Check any high voltage ports
- Check out high voltage/hybrid diagnostics and report any findings
On the ramp
- Visually check high voltage cables where possible
Scheduled service tasks
- Visually check high voltage coolant where possible and report only
Find out more about what’s included in a car service or locate your nearest Formula One Autocentre to book in for your next service. Alternatively, contact our helpful team to find out more.
