Everything You Need to Know About Servicing Your Electric Vehicle (EV): Explained. - Coastal Motor Advisory

Servicing electric vehicle – With so many electric vehicles on the road, motorists need to know how to maintain and service their EV. This notwithstanding, electric vehicles as any other vehicle will require routine maintenance to guarantee the vehicle remains in the best shape and performance as expected.

In this guide we’re going to run through the main principles of EV servicing, the differences between EVs and petrol diesel cars and what to remember to make sure your EV is sounding and looking tip top.

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1. The aim of this paper is to explore how servicing an EV is different than servicing a traditional vehicle.

One major advantage the electric vehicle has over the conventional vehicle models is that it needs virtually no maintenance. First of all, petrol or Diesel vehicles have more number of complex parts but EVs have less number of complex parts so there are less possibility of EV mechanical failure or part replacement. Here’s how Servicing electric vehicle differs from servicing a traditional car:

• No Oil Changes: Electric vehicles, since they don’t have the internal combustion engine, remove one of the most common service actions of traditional vehicles – oil change. Reduced Wear and Tear: EVs don’t use a transmission or a clutch, and with regenerative braking on many of them the pads aren’t worn as frequently. That cuts down on how often it has to be worked on the components over the years.
• Battery Maintenance: An electric vehicle is one of its main and costly subsystem, the battery. It may be obvious, but as with all EVs, EV batteries are built to last many years and are not consumables such as other car part, but they do wear (more on that later), and battery health is therefore an important aspect of EV servicing.
• Electric Motor: An electric motor is used instead of an engine. Although the mechanism sounds as if it will require very little maintenance, it is best that the motor be looked at regularly.
• Software Updates: Most contemporary EVs are software defined and producers release updates that improve output, range or afford add more functions. These are carried out during regular vehicle service and may cover software updates, too.

Check out our guide on how to pick the best charger for your EV

2. Major Systems to Work On in an EV:

While electric vehicles (EVs) are generally low-maintenance, there are still several key components that require regular checks and Servicing electric vehicle to ensure your EV continues to operate smoothly:

• Battery Health: The one most important component of your EV is the battery, and taking care of it is essential. Most EVs display battery health via the car’s dashboard, but during service, the battery will be looked at closely to make sure it’s firing on all cylinders. Tip: However, in an attempt to preserve your battery, it is recommended to not charge your battery fully or drain it to the lowest 20%. Brakes: However, even with the regenerative braking system, an EV still needs a standard check on the brake pads, since there is also the conventional braking system. During the duration of usage, with little usage, the brake pads and discs must be replaced.

• Tires: Electric vehicles are usually much bulkier than normal cars, as they have big batteries that can wear out tires rapidly. Always take out some time to review your tire pressure and additionally think about bumpering your tire positions so they don’t wear back equally.

• Coolant Systems: Electric cars run coolant to regulate the temperature in the battery, and the other electrical components of the car. You are therefore advised to carry out periodic checkups with the coolant system to prevent over heating or under performance in the car.

• Suspension: Of course like any car, EVs also have a suspension system that helps ease your ride over bumps in the road and keep that ride comfortable. Although recommendations are made occasionally to check the suspension to ensure there is no damage that may cause discomfort of the vehicle.

• Cabin Air Filter: The filter that cleans the air that comes into the cabin of your EV is known as the cabin air filter. This filter should be changed often if you drive your car in places with dirty air or lots of dust.

• Software Updates: They send software updates for the car that can make it power more, or make it more secure, or even just make the touch on the inside of your car feel nicer. Maintenance can be viewed as part of updating your EV’s software and adding new features to its car program.

3. How often do you need to ensure that you are servicing electric vehicle?

However, because electric vehicles are complex, electric cars still require frequent maintenance, but not as much as petrol or diesel vehicles. Most EV manufacturers provide recommended servicing intervals in the owner’s manual, but here’s a general guide:

• Annual Check-Up: That said, just because your EV isn’t exhibiting any issues, doesn’t mean you have to skip a service check up once a year to check on the likes of battery, brake, tires, coolant systems, etc. Software Updates: You don’t have to download software and load it on a service center to update most of the phone. All the updates can be done via the handset wirelessly. But it’s still advisable to ask for your EV to be checked during servicing so the software updates are set correctly.
• Battery Health: Most EV makers recommend their customers get the battery checked every 2-3 years to ensure that it is doing its thing to its fullest capacity. If you find out that your range or charging speed has slowed down, it’s especially so.

4. Where to Service Your EV

Even though EV’s are quite new still many drivers, it is vital for you to visit a service centre which is aware of electric vehicles. Here’s where to service your EV:

• Authorized EV Service Centers: A licensed service center that knows your car’s make and model is the ultimate place to have your EV serviced. These are centers which are employing technicians who are knowledgeable on EV needs and have manufacturer parts and tools.
• Independent EV Specialists: As the uptake of EVs takes hold many general mechanics and service centres are also adopting the practice of servicing only electric cars. In this case, it is recommended to choose the provider which would be able to work with EVs, and understand what parts to pay more attention to.
• Mobile EV Servicing: Other companies have chosen to specialize in mobile EV servicing, in which case the mechanics will come to where you are to service your car at your home or your office. If your EV does not require a lot of work done to it, this could be quite useful.

5. Help you Finding Ways to Increase the Lifespan of your EV

Therefore, when you have an electric car, you have to treat it very well for the sake of the car to last longer. Here are a few tips to help you maximize the lifespan of your EV:

• Charge Smart: Don’t let the battery full drain or become fully charged to the maximum. We know that it’s best to charge your battery to between 20% and 80% for preserving your battery.
• Use Regenerative Braking: Use regenerative braking whenever possible, as it will charge the battery as the car slows down, as well as saving on the brake pads.
• Monitor Tire Pressure: One check to make here is frequently checking your tire pressure since EVs are bulkier than their gasoline counterparts, and therefore use tires up more quickly. The down side of under inflated tires is that efficiency as well as range can be impaired.
• Keep Software Updated: Never forget to update your EV periodically, to get the maximum from your EV in terms of higher efficiency, reduce bugs and add new things.

Conclusion:

Here’s How to ensure that you are Servicing electric vehicle correctly. Electric cars just like any other car needs servicing to function effectively and keep users and the cars safe. However, it is equally important to take care of the battery, brakes, tires and other parts of the EV for you to be sure of doing some years with an EV. If used correctly with the correct guidelines from the manufacturer and with an experienced service provider, you can use your electric vehicle and get to maintain it in good condition at the same time. I hope you have enjoyed out blog on Servicing electric vehicle!

Looking to buy an EV the team at Coastal Motor Advisory can help! Check out our EV brands here! Or read more about EVs on our Blog.