Do Electric Vehicles Need Servicing?

More and more people are owning electric cars and, as of 2024, there are now over a million on Britain’s roads.

While people are familiar with the servicing requirements of fuel vehicles, electric vehicles are different and it’s important to understand what is needed in order to ensure yours is safe to drive.

In this article, we’ll take a look at electric car servicing, providing you with everything you need to know about the process. 

Do electric cars need servicing? 

Yes, electric cars do need to be serviced to keep them in the best condition and safe to drive. 

While electric cars have a lot of significant differences when compared to fuel vehicles, they still need to be properly maintained. 

How often should an electric car be serviced?

In general, you should look to get your electric car serviced just as frequently as you would a fuel vehicle. With this in mind, many people opt to have a service done annually in line with their MOT. It’s worth noting that electric vehicles, just like all vehicle types, also must have an annual MOT (unless they’re less than three years old). 

Therefore, an annual service tends to be a good rule of thumb to follow. However, if you’re someone who uses your vehicle extremely frequently you may want to book a service more regularly than this.

Some manufacturers also advise on how often electric vehicle servicing should take place. For example, for its Model 3 vehicle, Tesla recommends a service every 25,000 miles or every two years, whichever comes first.       

What’s included in an electric car service?

Much like a conventional car service, an electric car service covers all of the vehicle’s most fundamental features to ensure they’re working properly. This includes:

Brakes

In most instances, electric cars have regenerative braking systems in place. This is an innovative way of converting the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity when the car is slowing down. As such, brake pads and discs do not become worn quite as frequently as vehicles that do not feature this system. However, it is still important that they are checked regularly. 

Book online today for a brake servicing or visit our brakes servicing and repair page to find out more

Electric motors and batteries

Despite being two of the most important components of every electric car, motors and batteries tend to have extremely long lifespans and do not require much maintenance. But, it’s still important to have them checked.

Visit our car batteries page to find out more

Suspension 

Electric cars tend to be heavier than those that feature internal combustion engines. This is because they feature large battery packs that add to the weight. This means that suspension systems can come under additional strain, which is why regular servicing is important to determine whether springs or dampers have become worn.

To find out more about suspension servicing visit our suspension repair and replacement page.

Tyres

The additional weight that electric cars carry also means that it can take less time for tyres to become worn due to increased pressure. 

In the UK, tyres that have a tread depth of less than 1.6 millimetres are illegal and must be replaced. A service will check the tread depth to make sure it is within the legal limit.

It is recommended to change tyres if the tread depth drops below 3.0 millimetres as stopping distances can be significantly affected. 

Oil servicing

Unlike fuel vehicles, oil is used less frequently in electric cars. It is only used in the vehicle’s transmission and to cool the battery. This means the oil does not need to be changed as often, but a service will properly determine this. 

Can you fit a towbar to an electric car?

Some EV drivers may want to fit a towbar to an electric car to attach trailers or tow things like horseboxes, caravans and more. 

However, in many cases, EV cars are not designed for towbars and it is therefore not possible to have towbars installed.   

Despite this, some manufacturers do have EVs that are capable of towing and in these instances, it may be possible to install a towbar. You can check your vehicle’s handbook to see whether your EV can tow and what its capacity is. If you’re still unsure, consult an expert like our team here at Ken’s Autos. 

Electric vehicles need to be serviced at garages that have the skills and expertise to handle an electric car service. Some garages are only equipped to deal with fuel vehicles, so it’s important to find one that is suitable for your vehicle. At Ken’s Autos, our team is vastly experienced in servicing all types of vehicles and regularly ensures the safety of cars across Nottingham, Derby, Mansfield and the surrounding areas such as Newark. For more information on electric car servicing and towbars, simply contact our team today.