How Much Does it Cost to Maintain an Electric Car?
When buying a used car one of your biggest worries is going to be maintenance. All your savings from buying used can quickly dry up once things start failing. These concerns are doubled when buying a used electric car since most people don't know anything about EV maintenance. So today we'll put your mind at ease and explain what maintenance will be like if you make the switch to electric.
Electric cars are far easier to maintain than gas-powered cars
Having to constantly refill coolant and replace belts can make an old gas-burner start burning a hole in your wallet. Thankfully for those of you looking to purchase a used EV, these costs are nowhere to be found. EVs have far less moving parts, and thus require far less regular maintenance.
You'll still need to keep up with some regular vehicle maintenance, like replacing tires, brake pads, and the cabin air filter. Your brake pads don't even need to be replaced as often as gas-powered cars since you'll be using regenerative braking to slow down most of the time.
There is very little EV specific maintenance. Some EV's do require their battery coolant be replaced every 5 years, though this is fairly rare. When you buy a used EV you really don't need to worry about hidden maintenance costs.
What About The Battery
There is one potential pain point though, the battery. The battery of an electric car is the one component with the largest chance of failure. And unlike a gas engine, you can't just repair a battery. It needs to be replaced, and that can be very costly.
Battery failure is rare, and the majority of EV owners will never have to deal with paying to replace a battery. But the immense cost of replacing one is definitely a good reason to try to buy an EV that's still under warranty. Luckily, since electric cars as a whole are still very new, most used EVs you find will be.
Overall, you should be confident buying a used EV as long as it is under warranty. There aren't any hidden costs for you to worry about. In the long term buying an EV will save you tons of money. So now you know that when you chose to purchase a used electric car you'll be getting exactly what you paid for.