What Maintenance Does an Electric Car Need? (updated)

What ‘electric car maintenance’ in Hamilton Ontario?!

One of the main benefits of owning an electric vehicle (EV), besides caring for the environment by not using gasoline, and emitting fumes into the atmosphere, is that it requires less of your time and money to ensure it runs smoothly.

The initial cost of purchasing such a vehicle is still quite high, but it pays off in the long run. EVs have fewer moving parts than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, meaning they have fewer components that need regular checkups and repairs.

Note: Our auto service shop in Hamilton Ontario is prepared to assist with EV service and repair services, provided by our experienced, professional and certified auto mechanics.

However, a few things will need your attention from time to time, as an owner of an EV in Hamilton:

1) Monitor the battery
In an electric car, the battery takes up most of the space under the hood. While it may be bulky, heavy, and complex, it doesn’t require day-to-day maintenance, but it will in time. As with any electric device, the more time passes, the less charge the battery holds, and there’s nothing much you can do about it. You may not even notice it at first because it will take a lot for your EV to break down in the middle of the road, but eventually, you will realize that you can cover less mileage than before with a single battery charge.

Electric car batteries usually have a warranty of 8 years, but there are cases where it took 15 years for the battery to be officially faulty. When that happens, you will have two options. You will either return your car to the dealership or find a battery specialty shop to replace your battery pack, where you will faint from the sight of the bill. The cost of replacing the most important part of your electric vehicle is in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, which can still be too much for electric car owners depending on how much you had spent on purchasing the vehicle to begin with. However, if you have grown accustomed to driving cleanly, you probably won’t go back to ICE cars.

2) Assess the brake wear
The interesting thing about electric vehicles is that they use the regenerative braking system, a process involving harnessing energy from the parts stored in the battery system for later use. Thus, brake wear on your vehicle’s pads and rotors is very limited, and they will probably last twice as long as on an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

Not only that, but it will even charge your car’s battery a bit since it captures kinetic energy that would have been lost in ICE vehicles. It cannot replace a charging session, but it can save you when you find yourself away from a charging station with a dangerously low battery level.

3) Check the tires
It doesn’t matter the type of vehicle you own, tires have to be checked regularly to avoid replacing them too often. However, tires on electric vehicles get to see extremes for various reasons. Firstly, the massive electric battery makes EVs 20-30% heavier than ICE cars. Secondly, they deliver instant torque, which can be hard on the tires. Thus, it is common for the tire tread to wear out more quickly than on ICE cars. Your mechanic should pay attention to the tread’s inside edge since this tire area is sure to endure considerable damage.

Moreover, good tire pressure ensures a smooth ride and longer tire lifespan, so don’t be lazy and examine them occasionally. Ensure the pressure is not below or above the recommended value not to ruin the tires. Keep the external temperatures in mind when checking since their variation also causes tire damage.

Make sure your wheels are aligned every 6 to 12 months, especially when you hit a hard pothole or a curb. Proper wheel alignment is bound to make the tires last much longer than when they are not all pointing in the same direction.
Rotate your tires in accordance with the owner’s manual, and don’t wait for the seasonal tire change. Still, it is important to follow the pattern of the tire tread. If they have the same pattern, and the front and back tires are the same size, then it’s easy, just swap them front to back and back to front. But, if not, then you have to put the “left tire” on the right side wheel and vice versa. This can end up costing you more than simply replacing the tires, but if you want to go that way, keep in mind that the tires rotate in the right direction while spinning.

4) Top-up the fluids
Firstly, electric vehicles (EVs) with a liquid thermal management system will need you to check and replace the coolant regularly in accordance with the owner’s manual, just like with ICE cars. The reason is that, unlike internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars have massive batteries which mustn’t be over or under-heated, thus preventing vehicles from functioning properly.

Secondly, brake fluid requires the same amount of attention. There is significantly less degradation because of the specific braking system on EVs. You can get away with not changing it up to two years, depending on the make and model of your electric vehicle.

Thirdly, windshield wiper fluid is to be added more often, with taking into account temperature changes which come with different seasons. Choose between summer and winter blends according to the external temperature in order to avoid fluid freezing in the winter.

5) Replace the cabin air filter
With EVs spearheading the green revolution and keeping the air outside of the car as clean as it can get, it is not surprising that the air inside the cabin must also be of high quality. Some of the electric vehicles that come from production lines these days have a special types of filters which create positive pressure inside the cabin and are capable of making and keeping the air clean as it is in hospital rooms. Not only are outside smells reduced to a minimum, but also are sub-particles and allergens that could enter the cabin. To keep such a level of comfort and health care, you mustn’t change your cabin air filters at least once a year. You can even do it yourself after 30k or so miles of driving by spending up to $50 on the new filter and an hour of your time.

6) Update the software
If you look at your electric vehicle as a giant gadget, you understand the importance of regular updates’ importance. They ensure that electric vehicles (EVs) run longer and more smoothly, schedule and reschedule maintenance appointments, and take care of various security issues that tend to arise more often. For the vehicles that require you to get them to the dealership for an update, don’t be lazy and get that taken care of as soon as you hear there is an update for your car’s software. If you have the option of the over-the-air software update, then you have nothing to concern yourself with – the update will be run without you.

7) Take care of the body
As long as you take good care of your car’s chassis, you can minimize both your bill at the mechanic and your worry about having to replace your vehicle with a new one. Also, the better your car looks to you, its owner and driver, both inside and out, the greater your driving pleasure. From there, it goes that if it looks good and it runs well, you will not have to replace it prematurely if you don’t want to.
On the other hand, issues you don’t need to concern yourself with if you own an electric vehicle are as follows:

• Gas
• Muffler
• Spark plugs and wires
• Motor oil
• Automatic transmission fluid
• Radiator fluid top-ups and fixes

Your EV doesn’t have the mentioned components. Therefore, your life is easier because you don’t have to run to your mechanic worrying they can cause you to be stranded on the side of the road with a broken down car.

What Maintenance Do Hybrid Electric Vehicles Need?

Did you know hybrid electric vehicles use motor oil and gas? There are two types of hybrid vehicles. The hybrid electric vehicle is powered by an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors using energy stored in batteries. The batteries are charged through regenerative braking and the internal combustion engine. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can be charged by ICE, regenerative braking, or plugging into charging equipment or a wall outlet.

The main difference between hybrid vehicles and electric car maintenance is, of course, the fact that hybrid vehicles have an internal combustion engine. What maintenance do electric cars need when they include an ICE?

Oil change. Hybrid cars do need an oil change. It should be done based on the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule, even when you don’t put a lot of kilometres on your vehicle.

Exhaust system. An internal combustion engine creates exhaust gasses, and the exhaust system needs attention when required. Fortunately, hybrid vehicles have a three-way catalyst to reduce emissions.

Spark plugs. Since an ICE is ignited by a spark from a spark plug, carbon buildup, oil contamination, or overheating damage could cause spark plug problems.

Radiator. Hybrid vehicles have two cooling systems requiring maintenance. Parts such as the coolant pump and radiator of the internal combustion engine need to be serviced, just like the cooling system for the electric motor.

CRS Automotive Hamilton Services EV and Hybrid Vehicles

The Government of Canada set new sales targets for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) to ensure 100 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2035 are zero emission. To help the country reach this target in twelve years, they are investing in thousands more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. And the program offering Canadians up to $5,000 toward the cost of buying or leasing a ZEV has been renewed.

CRS Automotive Hamilton understands that electric vehicles are the future. We are your one-stop shop for the maintenance of EVs and hybrids. Do electric cars need servicing? As mentioned, EVs and hybrids also need maintenance based on manufacturer schedules. All vehicles, whether ICE or EV, have cooling systems, brakes, and tires that need servicing.
Electric vehicles, however, have a lot more sensors. CRS Automotive Hamilton can, besides all other maintenance on an electric car, service the following sensors of your hybrid or electric vehicle:

• Regenerative braking sensors
• Torque sensors
• Inverter sensors
• Temperature sensors
• Parking sensors
• Tyre pressure sensors
• Battery management system (BMS) sensors.

Is your business changing to zero-emissions vehicles? CRS Automotive Hamilton can maintain your electric and internal combustion engine fleet vehicles with our CRS Fleet+ service. There are no contracts or annual fees, just convenience and flexibility.
Our certified mechanics are waiting for you to perform the electric car maintenance you need. Come to our repair shop in Hamilton today!

We are located only 4 min walking South West of Tim Hortons Field and 4 min walk West of Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre.