Tldr; Cost of routine maintenance is higher on gas cars. Bases most of the argument on oil changes, which I’d argue was a smidge wonky. I mean, it’s probably not wrong just felt less thought out than I would expect an argument to be.
No engine oil. No alternator. No traditional fuel system. No accessory belt. No ignition system. Much simpler transmission, usually with a single forward gear.
That’s a whole lot of regular maintenance saved.
But those are cheap parts or last a long time. Soeagain wonky. Sure there is less but those are rareor cheap andeso the argument isn’t convincing.
Over the life of the vehicle, all of that adds up, especially if you’re taking your car to a shop, like most people do. On the other hand, tires on EVs wear a lot faster, due to their much greater weight compared to a similarly sized ICE car.
While it adds up I’ve had many vehicles and typically keep them for 10+ years and the vast majority of my maintenance costs have been things common with evs. Shocks, steering systems, ac - those things all add up and your ev has them too-
… Which makes those irrelevant when considering the differences between ICE and EV cost of ownership.
sure, but the difference isn’t maitenance. yet everyone keeps talking like engines are still the unreliable messes they were 50 years ago.
if you want to talk about costs talk about the real difference: fuel cost which are much less. Fuel is also the largest expense after the initial purchase price. I would make most of a car payment just on that difference (and the car is due to be body rust). finding an ev that would replace my ninivan is hard (id.buzi is the only choice and that just came out - I haven’t verified it meets the other requirements though)
The article posted is about maintenance costs.
An oil change anymore costs at least $50. Alternators fail. Fuel pumps fail. Spark plugs wear, less than they used to, but still. Ignition coils fail. Valve cover gaskets leak. Intake and exhaust manifolds leak (or break themselves). Oil pan gaskets leak. Exhaust rusts. Catalytic converters get stolen. Accessory belts wear out. Timing belts wear out. Air and fuel filters get clogged. There are many more sensors and solenoids in an ICE drivetrain than in an EV.
Yes, the difference in fuel cost is primary and substantial. Again, the article posted is about maintenance/repair costs, and there’s simply not as many things in an EV to fail, or most importantly leak.
this kinda stuff always seems silly for someone who does their own oil/maintenance. once i can replace my own batteries for ~1/3rd the cost, MAYBE i’ll be interested.
That would be like me saying I’d go from EV back to gas if I could replace my own engine. Yes, it’s a very expensive thing if you need to do it, but it’s also very unlikely to be needed. EVs are starting to age, and batteries have generally held up just fine outside of the Nissan Leaf (which doesn’t have a proper thermal management system)
I keep on wanting the airless tires to become a thing. electric car with airless tires. About as worryfree as you can get day to day.
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At this point if you buy a Tesla it’s your own fault
Any EV really, the battery replacements will be ridiculously expensive.
At any point if you bought a Tesla, it was your own fault. Elon has spent the better part of the last 2 decades overpromising, hyping up his unbelievable claims, underdelivering, and gaslighting everyone into thinking his “<feature> will be ready by the end of next year” promise hasn’t been made every year.
Cool. How long do I need to wait?
Because pumps, hoses, valves, belts, filters…
In ten years my Leaf has needed new tires and wiper blades LOL.
Of course, less parts means less maintenance
Hm. Well, anecdotally, I shared the cab with a guy towing my ice, and he mentioned he alone has towed no less than 40 teslas since the beginning of the year. I’m in the tropics, and they have dealerships here, so these aren’t necessarily refurbs. There aren’t a whole lot of them here, most EVs on the road are usually byds or another chinese brand. Make of that what you may.
Any particular reason they’re getting towed for? I mean if they’re involved in accidents that’s not much reason but if they’re breaking down that’d be news
It wouldn’t be news at all. Tesla is the least reliable car brand in history.
Breakdown. No specifics, but I learned electric cars can’t be put into ‘neutral’, since the motors are linked directly to the wheels. They have to be hoisted onto dollies.
The downside in see is the parts that still exist are very expensive and not easy to work on for a small shop or home mechanic, like the inverter, battery cells, BMS, etc…
