Electric cars may seem a little out of budget, however the potential savings in electric car maintenance costs, may not have been considered.
Though the initial upfront cost for an electric vehicle is more, there are much fewer moving parts, so they actually require a lot less maintenance. With no oil to change and less parts with the potential to go wrong or fail, you’re less likely to end up at the garage with a hefty repair bill.
In short, the maintenance an electric vehicle needs are:
- Battery maintenance
- Brakes maintenance
- Coolant level
- Tyres
An electric car shall need to be serviced as often as any car.
This service will include:
- Tyre wear, tear & pressure check
- Windscreen wiper replacement
- Brake fluid change
- MOT but with no emissions test and with fewer parts to test, repairs could be minimal
Hertz have recently stated that they have about 40,000 EVs out of 500,000 vehicles in the fleet — and are seeing 50% lower maintenance costs on its EV fleet. By the end of 2024 Hertz’s goal is for 25% of its fleet to be electric.
Did you know?
- Electric cars made up 17% of sales in September in the UK
- There are now over 1 million EVs on the road in the UK
- Despite recent troubles in the financial markets, electric cars charged at home on a standard variable tariff are still more than 40% cheaper to run per mile compared to petrol and diesel alternatives
Despite the hike and the constant rise in electricity, it is still very much the case that drivers will spend more on fuel per year, than they would to charge an electric vehicle. Not only will it help to lower your carbon footprint but you will also be saving greatly on your annual running costs, making them a great alternative to petrol cars.
There are several government grants/schemes available that can help make the switch to charge electric cars more affordable. Read here for more information.
Do you have to pay road tax (vehicle tax) for your electric car?
Currently and until 2025 EVs are exempt from road tax. The government is currently planning on charging the lowest level of tax for a EV from 2025. Find out more here
As electric cars are also exempt from the congestion charge, this will hugely benefit company car owners who have to travel in and out of cities all the time or anyone simply planning a trip to a clean air zone. The current congestion charge in London is £15 per day per vehicle, between 07:00 and 22:00, every day.
By 2030 all new cars sold in the UK must be zero emissions, which makes an EV the perfect option. If you’re deciding between them, it really comes down to whether you want to commit to the upfront cost to save you money in the long run.
