The Truth About Electric Car Maintenance

While it seems like a recent phenomenon in the automotive industry, vehicle electrification has been around since 1827. Long story short, experimental electrical vehicles were the rage during this time and they became part of the mainstream automotive market in 1902 with the Studebaker Automobile Company but faded out due to lack of decent energy storage technology and Ford’s advent of the assembly line and cheaper cars. Today many N Charlotte Toyota cars run on some form of electricity, but hybrids and electric cars employ more electricity based engineering to reap several benefits, including better fuel-efficiency. If you’re thinking of making the switch but you’re worried about maintenance cost, check out this helpful guide from us at Toyota of North Charlotte.

Everything You Need to Know About Electric Cars

Maintenance and Cost

While N Charlotte Toyota hybrid cars have been a mainstay to the Toyota lineup and the auto industry, long-range fully electric cars are relatively new and present a plethora of questions and concerns. You may find it hard to believe, but when it comes to auto service and maintenance electric vehicles (EVs) present much fewer expenses compared to internal combustion cars.

Because internal combustion engines are more complex and consist of so many different moving parts, fluids, tubes, hoses, and belts they’re prone to failures and breaks. Electric cars, on the other hand, are simply engineered with only a dozen or so components that are easy to replace.

But some owners of an EV could run into issues down the line. The batteries used in EVs are lithium-ion based, the same ones in your laptop, phone, and other rechargeable devices, and they’re prone to drains. While it’s not all too common, it is possible to experience defects with the battery in your N Charlotte electric car and replacements can cost between $5,000 and $6,000.

Warranties

For electric vehicles, warranties are there to help in the event of a defective battery. While internal combustion engines have limited time warranties, electric cars have ones that can last anywhere from 8 years to the lifetime of the vehicle and can cover up to 100,000 miles.

EV drivers can also take advantage of helpful tax breaks and government incentives to offset the upfront cost.

Fueling

Fueling your electric car is a lot easier than you’d think. In North Charlotte there are several public access EV charging stations to make it easy to fuel up when you’re on the go. Depending on the vehicle you drive, using these stations is either free to use or only costs a fraction of the price of gas.

The main drawback to using these stations is the time it takes to achieve a full charge. Some stations can give you a full charge in about 30 minutes where some take up to two hours. If you plan on charging your vehicle from home it could take up to 12 hours.

While 12 hours is a long time, there’s the benefit of never leaving the house to fuel your vehicle and you can always take advantage of the time if you don’t plan on commuting any time soon.

Driving an electric car as your next vehicle is a sound choice that offers a variety of benefits. If you need help shopping for one, visit us at Toyota of North Charlotte at 13429 Statesville Road today!