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Do electric cars require a lot of maintenance?

  • Do electric cars require a lot of maintenance?

Some people still wonder if maintenance costs differ from conventional engines. Let’s look into it.

A conventional engine is made of hundreds of moving parts, that’s hundreds of reasons why your car might need fixing some day. An electric motor consists of only a fraction of non-moving parts. No mechanical components also means no changing of engine oil, oil filters or drive belts at all. Which makes electric cars more reliable, easier to fix and cheaper in the long run. Literally, because every time you step off the gas, the recuperation system automatically turns spare kinetic energy into additional electric energy that causes less stress on expendable parts like tyres and brakes. And most importantly, less stress on your wallet.

With Kia Electric Vehicles, your car and its battery are even covered by a 7-year warranty(1) in any case. Despite all of this good news, we still recommend a regular annual check-up to make sure your electric driving experience is always seamlessly reliable.

Maintaining your electric car: lower costs, less hassle

The simple answer is: Electric vehicles require considerably less maintenance than fuel-powered cars. That’s mostly due to the fact that their “inner workings” are a lot simpler in many ways. And this can only be a great thing, as lower maintenance means fewer servicing costs and less hassle having to head to your local mechanic.

In fact, according to a new study into the average servicing and maintenance costs for electric cars by automotive data experts Cap HPI, EVs cost, on average, 23 percent less to run than petrol vehicles over a three-year/100,000 km period.
(Cap HPI, October 16, 2018)

Why do electric cars require less maintenance?

The one main reason is: The electric motor in your EV contains perhaps slightly more than a dozen moving parts, whereas a conventional combustion engine typically has hundreds of moving parts. And quite simply: the fewer the parts, the less that can go wrong. Moreover, even when a part of an electric motor does wear out, it is relatively simple to replace.

Secondly, there are also much fewer fluids (such as oil and transmission fluid needed for combustion engines) that need to be changed or topped up on a regular basis. And thanks to regenerative braking, brake systems on EVs usually last for longer than on conventional vehicles as they enjoy extended brake wear intervals.

Comparison of number of engine parts

  • Fuel-power cars
    Electric cars

Minor maintenance required. Major savings guaranteed



  • Caring for your battery

    Caring for your battery





  • Monitoring the brake system

    Monitoring the brake system


  • Keeping the coolant fluid topped up

    Keeping the coolant fluid topped up


  • Rotating your tyres

    Rotating your tyres



Still wondering? Time to #goelectric Still wondering?
Time to #goelectric

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(1) The Kia 7-year/150,000 km new car warranty
Kia warranty covers a period of 7 years from initial registration or 150,000 km, whichever comes first. Valid in all EU member states (plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland & Gibraltar) Deviations according to the valid guarantee conditions, e.g. for battery, paint and equipment, subject to local terms and conditions. Find more information about Kia warranty at [www.Kia.com].

Kia high voltage lithium ion battery-units in electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) are built to have a long life. These batteries are covered by the KIA warranty for a period of 7 years from initial registration or 150,000 km, whichever comes first. For low voltage batteries (48V and 12V) in mild-hybrid electric vehicles (MHEV), the Kia warranty covers a period of 2 years from initial registration regardless of mileage. For EVs only, Kia guarantees a 65% capacity of the battery. Capacity reduction of the battery in PHEV, HEV and MHEV is not covered by the warranty. To minimize possible capacity reduction, follow the instructions at [https://www.kia.com/eu/service/7-year-warranty/] or consult the Owner's Manual. Find more information about Kia warranty at [www.Kia.com].