If you’ve just purchased an electric car, you may be wondering what maintenance is needed to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape – including whether or not your EV needs an MOT and regular servicing.
But there’s no need to look any further – we have compiled all the answers for you.
While pure electric cars have exemptions from road tax, the congestion charge and ULEZ charges, EVs are no exception to the MOT rule.
Just like petrol and diesel cars, electric vehicles are legally required to undergo a yearly MOT if your vehicle is older than three years. And in the same sense, if your EV is brand new, an MOT isn’t mandatory for the first three years.
MOTs remain nearly identical regardless of vehicle type because the process is all about checking to ensure your vehicle is safe to drive on UK roads. Therefore, routine checks on parts such as brake pads and discs, seatbelts, and windscreen wipers, among other things, remain a staple in an annual MOT.
That being said, specific aspects of ICE MOTs aren’t undertaken with electric vehicles. For example, no emission tests are completed as part of an electric car MOT or a noise test. On top of this, electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than ICE cars. So, with fewer parts to check and fewer tests during your MOT, the duration of your MOT may be shorter.
But, don’t forget that while there are fewer parts in an electric vehicle – which suggests lower maintenance and repair costs – certain repairs will be identical to petrol and diesel cars. For example, if you have a chip in your windscreen or a problem with your air conditioning, the repairs will remain the same.
The pricing depends on individual garages, with manufacturer garages usually charging more than your local garage. But your MOT should not cost more than £54.85, according to the Government.
Despite running on electricity, in the end, your EV is still a car, which means you will need to undertake regular servicing to ensure it’s safe for the road. That being said, with a reduced number of parts, the number of checks required during a minor service will be significantly less.
Different cars will need different maintenance. For the Renault Zoe, the recommended time frame for a service is every year or every 18,000 miles. But this might be different for your EV.
You can usually find your EV’s maintenance recommendations in your EV owner’s manual.
One of the biggest maintenance perks is that electric cars have fewer moving parts than their petrol and diesel counterparts. For example, EVs don’t have spark plugs, timing belts or oxygen sensors. With fewer parts, less can go wrong, generally making electric vehicle maintenance cheaper than petrol/diesel vehicles.
Of course, wear and tear can occur, in addition to the odd spanner in the works. Therefore, it’s important to note that your EV isn’t invincible against ageing or random breakage.
Oil is only required in petrol/diesel vehicles to lubricate moving parts within an internal combustion engine – such as valves – that EVs don’t have. So, because EVs have an electric motor; there’s no need for oil changes during services.
Other oil and liquid checks and changes are required, though. For example, coolant is used to regulate the temperature of your EV battery, so it is an essential part of your maintenance regime. Windscreen washing fluid and brake fluid changes are also required for EVs.
Fully electric cars don’t have exhausts. Why? Because they have no need for them. With combustion engines, exhausts are needed to release fumes, but since battery electric cars are zero-emission vehicles, it serves no purpose, and thus, EVs have no exhausts, and this check isn’t included in your MOT.
Fully electric vehicles don’t have catalytic converters, as the sole purpose of a catalytic converter is to eradicate toxic pollutants from your vehicle. And since battery electric vehicles have no combustion engine and are zero-emission vehicles, the part would be futile.
On the other hand, if you have a hybrid EV, you will still have the same parts as an ICE, including a catalytic converter, which would be checked as part of an MOT.
The lithium-ion battery is the heart of your electric vehicle. And while frequent services and your yearly MOT will help prevent any drastic issues with your battery, there are ways to prevent premature battery degradation:
Try not to worry about the life of your lithium-ion battery, though. Most EVs have a long battery life, with the average lifespan of an EV battery between 15 to 20 years. So, it’s rare that your battery will need repair, even more so for it to need replacing.
But if you want to ensure longevity and put your mind at ease, you can find more tips on taking care of your EV battery here.
Typically, electric vehicles weigh more than petrol/diesel cars due to the mass of the battery pack. And on top of that, electric cars have instant acceleration. Coupled together, these put a strain on your tyres.
Nevertheless, problems shouldn’t arise due to the strain on the tyres. But if you want to maintain your EV, there are steps you can take to ensure your tyres remain in the best condition possible.
Firstly, keep your tyres at the legal tread depth (1.6mm) and the recommended pressure.
Additionally, frequent physical checks should be taken to assess the condition of the tyres as they tend to wear faster than petrol/diesel cars. Identify any damages, such as cuts and bulges, and replace your tyres if needed. Regular tyre rotation will also help maintain your EV tyres.
Finally, try not to overload your EV with more baggage than it can handle, as it will further weigh down on your tyres.
Confused about all things electric? Take a look at our blog – from ‘can I charge my EV in the rain?’ to ‘can I have two home EV chargers?‘, we answer all your questions. Alternatively, you can keep up to date with our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Want to charge for cheaper and more conveniently? We offer a wide range of market-leading home electric vehicle chargers and install EV chargers nationwide. Please call us today on 03333 44 96 99 for more information.
This type of electric charger has it's own cable to charge your car.
This type of electric charger requires a seperate cable to charge your car.
Spread over a 60 month period.
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You decide the amount of months.
Minimum of £1000.
We will contact you to process the credit application. Approval is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. 13.9% APR representative. T&Cs apply.
Your order is not confirmed until your application has been approved.
We lay SWA cable laid at 600mm deep, with a protective cable warning tape laid 150mm above the cable. These are laid on a sand or sifted sand soil bed then backfilled.
We position overhead cables at a minimum height of 3.5m and are run along a catenary wire. The cable run should not be accessible to vehicles.
Standard Installation
Our instant price is fixed if it falls within our standard installation package plus any additions that you have selected (extra cabling for example). This package covers the majority of homes in the UK. Before we undertake your installation we will carry out a digital survey to check that nothing has been missed. After reviewing the survey results some additional work may be required in order to complete your installation safely and to the required standards. If this is the case, we will contact you well before the installation date and advise the cost of any required work. You can then continue with your installation, or alternatively we will refund you in full if you do not want to proceed.
Included in our standard installation is :
• Fitting of a single phase charge point to a brick or plaster wall or other suitable permanent structure
• Up to 10 metres of cable, run and neatly clipped to the wall between the electricity supply meter / distribution board and the charge point.
• Routing of the cable through a drilled hole in a wall up to 500mm (20 inches) thick if this is needed.
• The fitting and testing of electrical connections and protections required for the charge point.
• An additional three way consumer unit, if required
• Installation of a Type A RCBO in an RCBO enclosure
• Up to 3 metres of plastic trunking to conceal interior wiring.
• An O-pen earth protection device if the charge point requires it. (This is NOT an earth rod)
• Up to 4 hours of labour from your installer to complete the work.
• Electrical testing of the whole installation.
• Handover and setup of the charge point and any app that may be needed.
Not included in our standard installation (additional work) :
• Where the installation requires additional cabling over and above the amount you have told us about.
• Upgrade/replacement of the main incoming supply fuse where the local DNO (eg Northern Powergrid) would need to attend site.
• If the charge point is to be mounted on a post/pedestal rather than an existing wall and where you have not selected a post as an extra cost option in your order.
• Installation of a charge point to a three phase supply.
• Where gas and water mains bonding (earthing) is not in place at your property. If this is not in place, additional work would be required before installation of the charge point.
• Any groundwork that has not been selected during the order process.
A Surge Protection Device is not included in our standard installation.
What else you need to know :
• On the day of installation, please ensure that the area around your consumer unit (fuse box), incoming electricity supply meter and proposed charge point location (including where the cable is expected to be run) is clear and free of obstructions.
• We will need your WiFi password as part of the installation process in order to connect your charge point to the internet. Please have this available for the installer. Details will not be kept.
• The charge point must be on your own designated off road parking.
• The charger will be fixed in line with current guidelines at a height where it cannot be hit by a vehicle.
• Our installers are not able to enter loft spaces; lift floorboards or flooring; take apart any furniture of work above a height of 2m. If you anticipate that any of this may be required, then please contact us and we can discuss in more detail and provide you with a quotation.
• Should there be extreme weather conditions our installers may not be able to continue with you installation if it is not safe to do so (for example flooding). They will always do their best to complete the work where they can.
If you have any questions then please contact our customer service team who will be happy to help. Please also read our terms and conditions.
