Is it cheaper to maintain an electric vehicle?

Question

What are some things that electric cars DON'T have that gas powered cars do have?

Answer 1

I own a hybrid that has an electric engine as well as a standard engine. The electric engine is powered by harnassing energy when I brake from the standard engine and storing it for future use. My hybrid vehicle can do pretty everything that a traditional gas powered vehicle can only it runs more efficiently.

It's cheaper to maintain in the sense that I get better gas mileage from using the electric engine or a combination of electric and gas. The electric battery has a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty which far exceeds what most gas powered batteries have. I also only have to change the oil every 10,000 miles so it cuts down on those costs as well.

If you are looking for monetary advantages the best one was the tax credit I recieved which resulted in a $4,000 tax rebate. It doesn't cover the total cost difference between buying a hybrid versus gas only but when you factor in the reduced need to get gas as well as maintenance I think it more then evens out.

N.

http://badhuman.wordpress.com

Answer 2

Emissions.

Answer 3

Maintenance items/tasks/trouble spots that electric cars don't have:

- Engine air and oil filters.

- Oil changes.

- Anything related to the cooling system

- Most belts.

- Fuel filters.

- Fuel pumps, spark plugs, PCV system, EGR valve.

- Alternator.

- All engine sensors.

Answer 4

I would say definately not cheaper.

True there is no engine - no oil changes or filters. But on the down side the batteries will lose their ability to hold a charge - and they make up 60% of the vehicles cost.

I'm holding out for the hybrids or the compressed air vehicles.

Answer 5

The one thing that I think most people overlook when they are accounting for repair costs is that the parts aren't what costs you... it's the labor.  And do you think it's easier to fix an electric car than a conventional one?  I highly doubt it.  As anyone who's ever chased down a rogue wire can tell you... it's a nightmare.  Imagine if you have a small electrical malfunction in one of these EV's, now your car no longer runs.  And it could take a mechanic days of labor to track it down.

I checked with my close friend, a seasoned mechanic, and asked him what the hardest repairs are.  And he very quickly said they are electrical.  He's hoping beyond hope that EV's don't come to reality, and refuses to work on mine.  Tracking a mechanical problem is relatively easy... finding where those stray electrons are going, is a whole other ballgame.

So let's not forget the cost of labor in all of this.  But as for which is cheaper to maintain... who know's, only time will tell.

Answer 6

Don't forget gearboxes ... EV's don't always need them.

Answer 7

I'm not 100% on the latest in electric motor technology...but when did electric motors become sealed-for-life?

Stators, Armatures, Brushes(if used) and Bearings...they can all wear and need replaced.  Rewinding an electric motor can be just as labor intensive as re-ringing a gas motor.

I work for a floor machine service center...and we have a nice comparision.  Floor Buffers come in 2 types, Propane and Battery.  The Propanes do have routine maintenance:change oil, set valve lash...but its simple and cheap.  They rarely breakdown for odd reasons...and its usually a voltage regulator or emmisions sensor (cheap and easy)  Battery Buffers may have nice advantages (quite, no emissions), but they weigh twice as much, cost 3 times as much, batteries only last 1 -1.5 years with GOOD care(watered/chargered properly), only have 190min of runtime(can't do a whole Walmart in one charge), must charge overnight (propane, just swap tanks and go), and have mysterious electrical problems that take forever to track down (some else mentioned this) stuff like popping breakers, overheating, pad presure issues, and re-charge failures.

If an electric motor breaks down for us (for anything other than Carbon Brushes)... we toss the motor.

Granted I'm talking about Lead-Acid Batteries.

Answer 8

Speed.  They are fast enough to merge into traffic, but they're not V-8's.  I own a prius and I like how I don't have to shell out so much money at the gas station.  I save a lot of money on gas.  I also save time by driving in the HOV lane by myself with no other passengers.

Answer 9

The weight of the batteries are very heavy.

Answer 10

Yes it is.  For example, an internal combustion engine (ICE) has many moving parts which can wear down or break.  An electric motor has no moving components.

"EVs, particularly those using AC or brushless DC motors, have far fewer parts to wear out. An ICE vehicle on the other hand will have many mechanical, fluid, and electrical parts that may include some of the following: pistons, connecting rods, crankshafts, cylinder walls, valves, valve springs, valve guides, camshafts, cambelts, lifters, pushrods, rocker arms, oil pumps, fuel pumps, water pumps, radiators, gearbox (rarely used in EV's), clutch, distributors, spark plugs, air filters, oil filters, coolant and vacuum hoses, injectors, carburettors, turbos, superchargers, gaskets, seals and bearings. All of these parts may wear out over time.

Both hybrids and EVs can use regenerative braking, which greatly reduces wear and tear on friction brakes - Prius taxi drivers report far less frequent brake maintenance."

Answer 11

Extension cords.

Answer 12

Certainly.

Every part of the exhaust, emissions, fuel, and air systems are not there. I believe there is a cooling system for the batteries in most cases tho.

Plus the brakes wear out slower bc of regen. braking.

The maintenance and fuel costs mean that if you keep the car long enough, it will become cheaper than a gas car.