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Today, we’re diving into the world of maintenance costs for electric vehicles, specifically focusing on Tesla owners. Did you know that Tesla owners paid the least out of pocket for total maintenance costs, not including faults or collision repairs? This is because electric vehicles have fewer moving parts, making them more mechanically reliable than combustion engine cars.
Consumer Reports conducted an analysis looking at maintenance costs after the first few years of warranty have run out. The data showed that Tesla had the lowest maintenance costs compared to other brands. This is due to the fact that EVs don’t need oil changes, their brake pads last longer, and electric drive units require less attention than engines.
The graph below shows the maintenance costs for specific brands over 12 months, presenting figures for both the one to five-year cost and the six to ten-year cost. Tesla‘s maintenance costs were the lowest for both periods, followed by Buick and Toyota. On the other end of the spectrum, premium German automakers like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche had higher maintenance costs.
According to Steven Ellic, the CR analyst who compiled the data, the difference in maintenance costs between some brands can be thousands of dollars over a 10-year period. Luxury vehicles are often more expensive to maintain, with Land Rover ranking the worst in the six to ten-year span.
It’s also interesting to note the difference in maintenance costs between Lexus and Toyota, despite being products of the same company. Even though EVs have fewer maintenance items and are generally reliable, they still require regular maintenance like changing brake fluid, cabin air filters, and coolant.
While EVs may have lower maintenance costs overall, repairs can be more expensive in the event of a crash. Insurance data shows that the average repair bill for a Tesla in Q1 2024 was significantly higher than that of a comparable gas car.
That’s it for today’s episode of EVpedia! If you enjoyed this information, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share your thoughts in the comments. And remember to give us a super thanks to support our channel. Thanks for watching, stay charged, and keep it electric until next time!
