Electric Car Repairs/Maintenance ?

Electric Car Repairs/Maintenance ?

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Discussion

J4CKO

Original Poster:

41,281 posts

199 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
To continue my series of slightly inane questions regarding the current/imminent elecric car revolution.

What kind of maintenance will they require, I cant think of much, am thinking they will be a lot less needy than an IC car, putting batteries aside for the time being.

Do they have a cooling circuit, surely there must be some cooling involved when all that energy is drained fromt he batteries to the motor, but cant imagine it is under as much duress as an I/C cooling circuit, or do they have a big heatsink with a sticker saying "Hot !" like my last electric vehicle ?

Brakes I would imagine last longer as a lot of the braking is regenerative, fluid I suspect would be the same interval.

Oil, there isnt any ! am guessing the lubricaton of the motors bearings is packed in when its built and thats it, there isnt a conventional gearbox but there is some kind of transfer to the wheels, even normal manuals seem to be sealed for life and I cant see it being any different with an EV, the main reason in IC cars to change the oil is for shift quality, if you dont have a shift, you dont notice and as long as it goes you dont care, problably less polluted thn on a normal car, less heat, no combustion etc ?

Motor, am thinking it will be largely a sealed unit and maintenance free ?

No Cambelts !

No Plugs, plug leads, distributor cap, DMFs, DPFs, injectors, turbos, MAF sensor, valves, pistons, cams, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel pump. Makes you realise how needy IC engines are in comparison to electric motors, would be interesting to hear form someone who maintains electric trains, similar but bigger scale.


Drive Electronics, possibly an area for concern, my mate buys and sells mobility scooters and it seems a common failure point, is it any more prone than a modern ECU ?

Clutch, there isnt one, so no worries there.

Exhaust, another thing to not have to think about.

Steering/Suspension, well, there is extra weight but am asuming they will cater for that in the design, all that torque could be quite tough on components though.

Tyres, I have seen what a weighty diesel car can do to a set of tyres, the slug of torque is addictive, where people had a 2.0 petrol before with 130 lb/ft and 130 bhp, they now have the same 130 bhp but with double the torque, electric motors can develop even more torque and I get the impression from the Tesla S reviews and speaking to a Nissan Leaf owner they are quite compelling to drive, usually that goes hand in hand with shredding tyres, that low down grunt is not doing burnouts but it does stress a tyre more than a petrol with less torque and having to go through the rev range to get at it.

All the other gubbins should be similar I guess.


I think a main dealer service for an EV will be even more smoke and mirrors than the current glorified oil change




Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
It could go more the way on consumer electronics, where you go to the dealer for an update to the cars operating system - or could that be done over wifi with the car parked on the drive?

Megaflow

9,345 posts

224 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
Google Nissan leaf service intervals.

They have gone back to 6 monthly services, which is, rotating the tyre's from front to back! IIRC, the brake fluid now needs to be changed once a year to.

It's all a load of flannel though, the first time they actually replace something, rather than just check stuff*, is 8 years when the change the heater coolant.

  • and that assumes they actually check anything rather than just turning off the service light!

J4CKO

Original Poster:

41,281 posts

199 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
My thinking is that, other than tyres and EV could potentially go its whole life with no other attention, especially given how some owners run normal cars and seem to get away with it for longer than you would think possible.


Toaster Pilot

14,615 posts

157 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
I'd be interested to see a service schedule for the Nissan Leaf to see what they claim it needs every year. I imagine there is some made up stuff that they charge you £300+ for just like any IC car.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
Megaflow said:
Google Nissan leaf service intervals.

They have gone back to 6 monthly services, which is, rotating the tyre's from front to back!
hehe

AW111

9,455 posts

132 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
The father of a friend had a prius. He's not the last of late brakers, but even so, 100,000+ km out of a set of front pads is not too shabby.
The regen brakes do their job rather well for his manner of driving.

J4CKO

Original Poster:

41,281 posts

199 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
100,000, wow.

RizzoTheRat

25,084 posts

191 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
Craikeybaby said:
It could go more the way on consumer electronics, where you go to the dealer for an update to the cars operating system - or could that be done over wifi with the car parked on the drive?
If it follows consumer electronics does that mean that each software update will knacker something that used to work and that after about 18 months it'll only do half it's stated speed, the battery will be flat in 10 miles, and you'll have to press the brake pedal 30 seconds before you want to slow down?

AnotherClarkey

3,589 posts

188 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
AW111 said:
The father of a friend had a prius. He's not the last of late brakers, but even so, 100,000+ km out of a set of front pads is not too shabby.
The regen brakes do their job rather well for his manner of driving.
Mine are at 68,000 miles and still have plenty of life in them - probably about 60% worn.

bristolracer

5,527 posts

148 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
I cant see your garage bills being any less than they are now.
The car makers will not drop their dealers in it, It is in the car makers interest to have profitable dealers selling lots of OPC parts.

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
bristolracer said:
I cant see your garage bills being any less than they are now.
The car makers will not drop their dealers in it, It is in the car makers interest to have profitable dealers selling lots of OPC parts.
That only holds for people daft enough to believe that the official "service schedule" is anything by a cynical attempt to make more money. smile

J4CKO

Original Poster:

41,281 posts

199 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
Milk floats managed for decades and lets face it, a Leaf is just a fancy, updated Milk Float, even the Tesla is nearer to one than a conventional car.

AnotherClarkey

3,589 posts

188 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
bristolracer said:
I cant see your garage bills being any less than they are now.
The car makers will not drop their dealers in it, It is in the car makers interest to have profitable dealers selling lots of OPC parts.
It will be interesting to see how Tesla does over here - their decision to cut out dealers altogether is causing a few ructions in the USA (not amongst customers, I should add).

davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
AW111 said:
The father of a friend had a prius. He's not the last of late brakers, but even so, 100,000+ km out of a set of front pads is not too shabby.
The regen brakes do their job rather well for his manner of driving.
The regen system does such a good job that the mk1 Prius was fitted with front drums. I think they only went for discs on later versions for PR reasons.

Butter Face

30,191 posts

159 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all






Renault ZOE service intervals and what is checked.

Hope that helps!

Megaflow

9,345 posts

224 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
Butter Face said:






Renault ZOE service intervals and what is checked.

Hope that helps!
Check for valve caps and warning labels?

rofl

Butter Face

30,191 posts

159 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
Same checks are part of the service on petrol/diesel vehicles too.

Technomatt

1,085 posts

132 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
What you save on EV servicing, you lose big time on depreciation. They just tank.

996TT02

3,308 posts

139 months

Monday 4th November 2013
quotequote all
The impression is given that these cars are (suspension steering and wheels apart) almost maintenance free, or at least, very low cost.

What is being overlooked is the fact that the main battery pack won't last forever, and unless you are handy with a soldering iron and have plenty of time on your hands soldering (7000 was it?) 18650-type batteries to form a battery pack (Tesla) I feel confident that replacing this will more than make up for all the savings compared to IC engined cars.

Methinks.