Are electric cars cheaper to maintain than gas vehicles?
New research from a German automotive Institute suggests that electric cars could cost 35 percent less to maintain than their combustion counterparts, Ingram writes.
New research from a German automotive Institute suggests that electric cars could cost 35 percent less to maintain than their combustion counterparts, Ingram writes.
Driving an electric car has plenty of advantages, but many owners also like the simplicity of their vehicles.
An electric motor is incredibly simple in operation. In contrast, internal combustion engines can be made up of hundreds of parts--even thousands, in particularly advanced engines.
That's why it's perhaps unsurprising to hear that new research suggests electric cars could cost 35 percent less to maintain than their combustion counterparts (via聽TheGreenCarWebsite).
A study conducted at the Institute for Automotive Research (IFA) at the N眉rtingen-Geislingen University in southern Germany, concluded that anEV's聽simplicity pays dividends over longer ownership periods.
While the initial cost of electric cars is still high, they're not only cheaper to "fuel", but are expected to chew through consumable items much more slowly.聽
The study found that over eight years, with a relatively low annual聽mileage聽of 5,000 miles per year, a typical small, combustion-engined car would cost 3,650 Euros, or $4,770 in maintenance.
That includes typical maintenance like oil changes, brakes, tires, spark plugs, filters and more.
In contrast, an equivalent electric vehicle would cost only 2,350 Euros--$3,071.
Not only do electric vehicles聽lack many of the components聽found on internal combustion vehicles, butremaining consumables like brakes tend to last longer--something even drivers of more conventionalhybrid聽vehicles are finding.
It's an aspect even the carmakers themselves are pushing as a big advantage--Ford compiled a聽list of all the parts its Focus Electric doesn't have, showing just how little maintenance the car needs.
The figures will naturally vary depending on the cars being compared, and the research doesn't take into account the cost of replacing battery packs, when they eventually wear out.
Even so, it still points towards EVs being considerably cheaper to run--particularly for the first owner, who may not have to worry about the car's long-term costs.