One of the biggest selling points of an EV, compared to ICE vehicles, is that electric vehicles have significantly fewer moving parts, which translates into the reasonable expectation that the EV owner will have fewer maintenance and repair issues. In fact, earlier we reported one survey that estimates that EV owners will wind up paying a little over $4,000 less than ICE vehicle owners during the lifetime of their vehicle. Related article: Myth busted - Electric vehicles cost more to maintain than gas cars do While this is all well and good, the flipside is that sometimes EV or future EV owners carry this expectation a little too far, mistakenly believing that EVs are maintenance-free and that there is extraordinarily little to do to keep one operating perfectly. Wrong! In fact, EVs have special maintenance considerations not found with ICE vehicles, which require EV owners to be cognizant of those aspects of their EV and hopefully show some good judgment and preventive care rather than treat their car as a plug-and-play disposable. EV Maintenance Issues Owners Need to Know About 1. Maintaining the battery charge level between 20% and 80%―Repeated recharging to full and leaving a battery discharged too low for too long is bad for EV batteries. 2. Charging recommendation differences between daily commuting vs longer road trips―With a long road trip, it is actually preferable to fully charge the battery ahead of time and run it until it is depleted. For shorter trips, such as the round trips between home and work, charging up to 80% is recommended for maintaining good battery life. 3. Temperature extremes should be avoided as much as possible―Heat can cause a battery to degrade prematurely, whereas cold can significantly reduce the range of a battery. For both conditions, when possible, ensure the vehicle is protected from the elements when temperatures are at their extremes. 4. Regenerative braking in EVs results in less brake pad wear―However, they still require maintenance. The solid components need to be checked periodically for wear, while the fluid has to be changed over time to prevent absorbed and trapped moisture in the brake fluid from corroding the brake system. 5. Coolant replacement―EVs have a specialized coolant system for their batteries to prevent battery breakdown and damage. Check an owner's manual or online resource to find out how often your EV's coolant should be changed. 6. Tire maintenance―Tread wear, balancing, alignment, and air pressure are just as critical to monitor and maintain in EVs as they are in ICE vehicles. The extra weight of EVs, as well as the increased torque and power upon acceleration they provide, causes rapid wear of your tires compared to what you may be used to with your old gas vehicle. 7. Electric Vehicle gearboxes―The gearboxes in EVs possess moving parts, so they can and will eventually wear out. While oil changes are more about ICE vehicles, some EV gearboxes rely on oil and will require attention, which will need to be changed at some time in their lifespan. 8. Electric motors―Wear of the electric motors does occur and can be exacerbated by moisture, dirt, dust, and driving conditions. Furthermore, a weakened battery could cause the motors to overdraw on current to keep up with the acceleration demand, resulting in a burned-out electric motor. WHAT THIS TESLA OWNER DISCOVERED AFTER OWNING HIS MODEL 3 FOR 2 YEARS That said, a recent YouTube post on the Vegas Tesla Family channel reveals that there are some hidden costs he wishes he had known about before buying a Model 3, with an additional misleading cost he believes other potential Tesla owners need to know about if purchasing an EV for fuel savings is their reason for buying one. Here is the video posted, but if you want to skip ahead to the hidden costs reveal, a summary is provided below the video. 5 HIDDEN Costs TESLA Doesn't Tell You (+1 Misleading Cost)