Top tips to maintain your EV

Unlike a traditional car, an EV has an electric motor and significantly fewer moving parts. This means your electric vehicle can require less maintenance as it doesn’t need regular oil changes and there aren’t as many parts that can breakdown.

Having said that, EVs are still vehicles that need maintenance with regular services. How often your EV needs servicing depends on the vehicle and how much you drive it. Most manufacturers have their own recommendations for how often you should service their EV make and model. Check with them or your EV’s owner’s manual for maintenance and servicing needs.

Although servicing an EV is less intensive compared to a petrol or diesel car, they still require maintenance so it’s always best to check with the manufacturer or your EV’s owner's manual.

Although the traction high-voltage battery is one of the largest items in an electric vehicle, they don’t require much maintenance.

Some EV manufacturers state that their battery requires no owner maintenance.

In some EVs, if there’s an issue with the battery, the vehicle will notify the driver to immediately have the vehicle looked at.

Most manufacturers also offer an 8-year warranty on the traction battery of an EV.

EV tyres, like all other vehicles, need to be replaced when the tread wears out past a certain depth. Tyre professionals recommend vehicle owners replace their tyres before they get below the minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. This is a legal requirement in Australia and the car is considered unroadworthy if it falls below this depth.

Regular inspection of your tyres can help ensure your vehicle is safe on the road. 

EV tyres can cost slightly more than regular tyres as they're designed to consider weight distribution, instant torque delivery, and regenerative braking systems. In addition, some have special acoustic treatment to help reduce road noise in the cabin along with unique tyre load ratings. These tyres can also have improved rolling resistance which makes them more expensive to purchase. 

Make sure you check with the manufacturer on what the tyre requirements are for your vehicle in your state and only use tyres recommended for your vehicle.

As for wiper blades, they’re also subject to regular wear and tear. Wiper blades are made from rubber and can degrade due to regular use and exposure to sunlight. EV makers recommend replacing the wiper blades once a year for best performance.

Like any vehicle, regularly inspecting your EV and replacing items like tyres and wiper blades can help maintain your vehicle’s condition and keep it roadworthy for longer.