SERVICING AN ELECTRIC CAR: everything you need to know

#electriccars #evs #electriccarservice

Electric cars are mechanically much simpler than vehicles that have combustion engines. Instead of being powered by something which has to harness the power of thousands of moving parts every minute, an electric car just has a battery and an electric motor.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t need servicing. There are still parts like the brakes and suspension which will need to be checked to make sure they’re safe, and an expert technician will be able to do things like check the battery condition and install any software updates.

Our faithful Nissan Leaf is due its annual service, so we asked to follow the process so you can see what is involved in servicing an electric car. Join Nicki and she discovers what you all owners should look out for.

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[LysanderLH]

Anywhere that services cars can service brakes on an ev. Cabin filters are all available online and can be installed by anyone with hands and eyes. Everything else that can be serviced, apart from the battery, can be treated like any other car. My advice is to avoid the woowoo by getting the car serviced at a regular service garage and for anything specifically relating to the battery, talk to a main dealer nefore deciding if its even necessary.

[aadamileekennedy]

Bloody hell £159 for a minor service? That’s NOT cheap!!

[Ian_Woods]

hoho daylight robbery, shouldn't cost that much for an electric car.

[djtaylorutube]

Service cost there is a joke. We had a Leaf back in 2015 and they could only justify saying "we check the fluids". That was £99 back then and on a 2 year lease, there's no need to attend to brake fluid and washer fluid is a customer filled consumable!
We didn't bother getting it done, cost us a bit at the end of the lease but that's an unnecessary cost for a competent owner. I recognise that some may wish to pay but as a requirement, it's a scam.
Just picked up a new EV, no specified service interval required.

[sim-sam]

Hmm, Break Fluid: I can replenish (and even replace), washer fluid (comon), pollenfilter ... thats not a service and checkover, sorry. Breaks, ok, the rest? Thats just no a service, thats just maintainance imho.

[javiTests]

Mmmm I live in Cambridge and my focus diesel service on the official ford service costs £200 with MOT included, cabin air filter, etc... Maybe in London they charge much more, I don't know... But the next time you want to pass an advert as a video, you should say so...

[daniel.d]

Are car dealers sponsoring this video?

[marvinsamuels]

We’ve not long had our Ioniq 38kWh serviced and it only cost £64 and that was at our local Hyundai dealer. They estimated the next service which will be a major one, will cost around £140. I’m really impressed by that.

[mcdon]

My EV has had 2 services now, and to be honest, I haven't got a clue what they've done to it whilst it was in. The video report has only ever shown tyre tread depths, and I've never been given any paperwork. I know for a fact they didn't do any software updates at the first one, even though they should have.

The only reasons I can see for servicing at a main dealer at present are because of the breakdown cover (something I've had to call on several times now) and preserving the warranty, especially on the battery. In pretty much all other ways, the servicing is not value for money if you're even slightly capable with a spanner.

[philpdl]

My Tesla doesn't have any service schedule except for brake fluid change, updates are done over the air, transmission fluid change, I think every 50k. It just shows how othe OEMs are ripping you off for an unnecessary service, everything else, which is only screen wash and tyre pressures you can do your self

[staceylee]

On all my Services at Nissan, they have always suggested that I replace my tyres because they only have 4mm tread. I'll pass on that one, thanks. I wonder how many customers they have conned with that.

[robertpounds]

All good until the garage offers you the special engine flush and oil change 😂😂

[andytipping]

I'm sorry but for the effort the guy put in to do what is effectivly what i would call mandatory weekly checks those prices are enough to stop me buying an electric car! As for the cost of a diesel service being more - ive just replaced my dics and pads on the front axcel, fluid and filter changes - all for less than £150 - and to go from a minor to a major service because the pollen filter wants changing is ludicrous!

[Yanquetino]

Y'know, Nikki… I miss my LEAF… even though it needed the battery replaced under warranty, and had such limited range. It was a comfortable, practical, fun car for running errands around town! To be brutally honest, the bells-and-whistles of my Model 3 have now grown old, unnecessary, and frankly silly. After the first few laughs, how often do owners really use the… fart sounds? If Nissan would have just come up with a replacement long range battery for my LEAF… I would have gladly stuck with it.

[vincentrobinette]

Even though EV's don't have an engine or transmission, you still need to change the gear oil in the differential. Don't forget, these actually still use antifreeze, similar to what's used in a combustion car. While the Nissan Leaf is the only EV that air cools its battery, most other EV's circulate liquid coolant through its battery cells. All EV's use liquid coolant for its inverter and motor. Even the Nissan Leaf has a coolant reservoir.

[dot]

I bought used -18 ioniq form hyundai dealer, "service" was done 2 weeks before. Front and rear brakes all so rusty and seized that I needed to buy new rear ones. Reduction gear oil was low, maybe 9 dl and black as a tar. I canged that and it took about 1.2 l. Latest navigation update was 2020... And according to service documentation it was also updated 😂 Front tyres, maybe 1 mm thread wear left. At least here in Fin hyundai service is just BS and only rip off your money

[roxythefoxsayfurismurderan]

Driving a 2012 Leaf and it only has a range of about 20 miles. Hopefully, I can find a way to improve it without spending a fortune.

[GaryV-ph]

It's funny how the servicing procedure has become far easier due to fewer parts being needed to be checked but the pricing of a service hasn't come down to suit.

[robsmitha]

Cabin air filters are often very expensive at dealers and often and easy job to do yourself. The Zoe I had for three years was less than £100 to service but I had to negotiate with the main dealer for this

[RonaldHalker]

In Australia to drive from Melbourne to Sydney, How many stops to recharge. And how long will each recharge take. It takes around 8 to 9 hours to drive in a petrol car. That is with a 15 minute re fuel If it takes more than 9 hours you will be up for extra accommodation.
How does driving at night, family on board, luggage, influence distance and time. Every time you have to recharge still has environmental impact. The power has to be generated somewhere. Out of sight out of mind.