Have an electric vehicle of your own or thinking about purchasing one? Apart from being an eco-friendly alternative to gas-powered cars, electric vehicles (EVs) have some notable advantages over their combustion engine counterparts—just ask the 4 million people who bought EVs last year. 

One significant difference between EVs and gas-powered cars is the amount of general vehicle maintenance required. Overall, EVs require minimal maintenance due primarily to the fact that their powertrains are simpler than internal combustion engines, with less parts to manage. This means no more oil changes or replacing fuel filters. 

Although their maintenance is significantly less hands-on than gas-powered cars, EVs still require regular upkeep. In this blog, we’ll give you five tips for EV car maintenance so you can continue to cruise gas-free for years to come. 

Battery Health Is Crucial

The most important electric car maintenance tip we can give is to take good care of your battery. Your EV battery is the most critical, and expensive, component of your car and it needs to be maintained properly to prevent degradation. 

One of the best ways to protect your battery is to avoid extreme temperatures whenever possible. In the hot summer sun, not only do you run the risk of overheating your battery, but your car’s thermal management system will respond to the heat and will keep running. Always try to park in a cool, covered area. 

Extreme low temperatures won’t have the same affect on your EV’s battery, although they will temporarily reduce your charge. Keep reading to find out how charging habits affect electric car battery health and discover tips for smart charging practices. 

Monitor Tires Regularly

Tire maintenance for EV cars is going to be relatively similar to that of a gas-powered car. Regular inspections, rotations, and air pressure checks are recommended. 

Although there are claims that tires on electric cars are more susceptible to wear and tear due to increased weight and instant torque features, this isn’t always the case. As it is with gas vehicles, tire health has more to do with how you drive rather than what you drive. 

Be Mindful of Brakes

EVs come equipped with regenerative braking, a system that allows resistance from the motor to stop the car and sends saved energy back to the battery. So, every time you brake in an EV, you’re actually generating more battery power—pretty neat. 

Regenerative braking also preserves brake pads because your vehicle relies less frequently on traditional friction braking, so you won’t have to replace brake pads as often. To further maintain brake health, try to avoid tailgating or making hard stops. 

Practice Smart Charging Habits  

While charging your car either at home or at a public charging station is fairly intuitive, your car charging habits do affect the health of your battery. 

Try to be aware of how often you fully charge your battery. While you might think fully charging your car whenever possible is the best way to ensure an adequate charge, overcharging can degrade your EV battery. Overcharging creates unnecessary stress on your battery pack, therefore its recommended to keep your vehicle charged between 30-80% capacity. 

For similar reasons, its best not to leave your battery depleted or completely drained for extended periods of time. 

Follow Basic Car Maintenance Tips 

While you don’t have to worry about taking care of an exhaust system, muffler, oil changes, spark plug replacements, or your catalytic converter being stolen, you should still follow basic car maintenance tips and best practices. 

Remember to inspect your tires, have your brakes checked occasionally, monitor coolant levels, and refill your wiper fluid. Always take your car into a shop (preferably one that specializes in EVs) if you suspect a problem. 

Take Out the Guesswork with CarRx

Whether you drive a gas-powered car or an EV, Elo GPS with CarRx scans your entire vehicle to communicate what needs maintenance. With the ability to translate over 19,000 error codes and simplify information, you’ll be able to pinpoint problems and book an appointment with your dealer directly in-app. 

To learn more about how our smart technology diagnoses vehicle needs, connect with our solution experts.