Maintenance, care and repair of an electric vehicle

The electric car is revolutionizing the way and means of servicing cars. Here are a few basic principles required to maintain your electric vehicle.

As with diesel locomotives, an EV needs to be serviced to keep it running over time. Frequencies and methods of servicing electric vehicles differ depending on manufacturers, capacity and production quality.

In general, electric vehicles are very easy to maintain because they require little replacement of parts. The electric motor consists of a very small number of moving parts (less than 10 compared to several thousand for conventional vehicles), and their technology, widely proven in the industrial and railway fields, allows vehicles to travel up to 1 million kilometers. cars. The advertised maintenance costs of an electric vehicle are 30-40% lower compared to conventional vehicles.

Common elements with conventional internal combustion engines

Most of the mechanical and aesthetic elements of electric vehicles remain the same as those of combustion vehicles. Thus, you can find the following wear parts:

• Shock absorbers: Electric vehicles have the same shock absorbers as diesel locomotives and need to be serviced in the same way. They can be requested in different ways depending on the position of the engine and batteries on the chassis;
• Transmission: An electric vehicle has a simpler transmission system: the transmission is limited to one gearbox. However, this also requires oil maintenance to be there. Provide regular maintenance from 60 to 100 km of run;
• Tires: The tires of an electric vehicle will also wear out on contact with the road, albeit less than that of conventional vehicles. The lifespan will depend, in part, on your driving style;
• Brakes: The braking system of electric vehicles is different from conventional combustion engine vehicles. This is due to the fact that the power system of an electric vehicle recovers a significant part of the kinetic energy during electric braking, and the mechanical brakes are less stressed. This will extend the life of your pads and drums;
• The rest of the mechanical and electronic components: steering, suspension, filtration and air conditioning systems will be identical and will be serviced in the same way.

Electric vehicle service

An electric vehicle needs to be serviced on a regular basis and should be similar to a diesel locomotive, except:

• Electric motor

Cars usually use a DC electric motor. New generations of electric vehicles are equipped with brushless (or “ brushless ") engines : These DC motors allow them to be used without maintenance for long periods of time. Their lifespan is estimated at several million kilometers. Therefore, when buying, preference will be given to the quality criterion of the engine.

• Батареи

Rechargeable electric batteries in cars mainly use lithium-ion technology, which provides a long range. Currently, several research works are underway to increase their autonomy and life expectancy.

Indeed, the battery, a key part of an electric vehicle, can prove to be a weak point for maintenance. These sophisticated batteries are controlled by the onboard electronics to avoid damaging them. Therefore, it does not require daily maintenance.

However, the life of a battery is not infinite: it can withstand a certain number of charge and discharge cycles before it loses not all of its capacity, but a significant part of it. Therefore, you will have to replace the batteries in your car at the end of the optimum capacity period, depending on the quality of production and your use. This duration varies and usually ranges from seven to ten years.

Benefits of an electric vehicle while reducing maintenance costs

• End of Oil Change: A vehicle with an internal combustion engine must be drained of engine oil regularly to ensure proper lubrication and cooling of its engine block. With an electric car, oil change becomes anecdotal because the electric motor does not require lubrication.
• Simpler traction chain: no more gearbox or clutch, corresponding mechanical technical constraints disappear: less wear, less breakdowns.
• The brake pads are less stressed due to the braking energy recovery system.

First Review

Regular electric vehicle users generally report very good results in terms of vehicle maintenance. It is estimated that the savings in maintenance costs are approximately 25–30% cheaper than a diesel locomotive of the same category with the same mileage. Industrializing the series and summarizing their use will show us the balance that manufacturers have found for service.

Various service methods

Maintenance of an electric vehicle differs markedly in the methods and safety instructions that must be followed, as it is now a matter of working under voltage associated with high electrical voltages and currents. Therefore, professionalization of maintenance is necessary, but basic maintenance remains largely doable for individuals.

Proof of this is that international standardization ( ISO ) is prepared for real work in the maintenance of electric vehicles.

Thus, the electric car will revolutionize the way car maintenance and repair is done, which is likely to affect owners of small and large garages. It will require investment in equipment, staff training and special attention to enable vehicle maintenance for individuals and professionals.

Thus, the cost of maintaining an electric car is not zero, but extremely low, and now you can confidently start buying an electric car knowing what kind of service is associated with its use.