The maintenance cost of an electric car is cheaper than that of a traditional one

One of the strong points of electric cars is the lower fuel cost. It is important to point out that in a Peugeot e-208, for example, the cost of driving 100 kilometres on electricity ranges between 0.55 and 2.05 euros, approximately and always taking into account the electricity tariff you have contracted. But this is not the only advantage electric cars have over those that use a conventional engine.

The maintenance side is also important, which adds advantages for starting to consider buying an electric vehicle in order to enjoy clean driving and also more economical driving compared to cars with diesel or petrol engines. This may convince many people who are still hesitating about buying an electric car.

Simpler, cheaper

The lower maintenance cost of an electric car is driven by the simplicity of the mechanics of these vehicles. By comparison, a combustion-engined car has around 30,000 parts, whereas an electric car has around 60% fewer parts. The complexity of a combustion engine is very high, whereas the electric motor is very simple and works with far fewer parts.

Wear is the main enemy of a traditional engine, since it has many moving parts that suffer from this problem over time. An electric motor, on the other hand, has only one moving part, the rotor. This absence of moving parts also makes the use of lubricants and other elements such as belts, injectors, spark plugs and everything else the engine needs to run unnecessary.

Another area where you can save on maintenance is the transmission. As there is no gearbox, the number of parts to look after and maintain is also reduced. The clutch is not present either, so there is also considerable savings in its maintenance. Nor is there all that set of parts and elements that regulate the intake of fuel and its exhaust after combustion. But that does not mean an electric car needs no maintenance.

Maintenance of an electric car

The electric car needs a complete check of the cooling system. This ensures the correct operation of the batteries and the motor, so it is one of the elements that requires the most attention in an electric car. That said, the cooling system fluid is renewed every 180,000 kilometres approximately or every 10 years.

But as there is no wear on materials, you only need to make sure the wiring is in good condition and that there is no fault in the motor and transmission. Often, a simple visual check is enough to see that everything is fine and requires no further action.

Although the tyres do not wear as much on an electric car as on a combustion car because torque is distributed evenly to the wheels, the shock absorbers do suffer from the extra weight of these cars. So you should think about keeping an effective maintenance schedule for this part of the electric car.

The brakes are also used, but since reducing the car’s speed is achieved simply by releasing the accelerator, wear is much lower. However, the brake fluid must be replaced every two years, the same as on conventional cars. The manufacturer will indicate the maintenance service intervals, and you should not forget to take the electric car in for its services. But always at a much lower cost than a car with a combustion engine.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackPeugeot 2089 versions · from 22,520 €