Maintenance costs for my gen 1 Ioniq are ca 60% compared to my previous ICE Kia. Of course this is a welcome change, but it‘s not like switching to an EV means no costs beside electricity.
The power train per se will probably never need paid maintenance, but they do check the coolant and brakes lines every year, clean the AC, resolve system warnings, replace filters etc.
And then there’s tires - you can easily pay 2k for new 22“ rims + tires, and expect a sporty EV to go through those tires quickly. In most regions you‘ll also change tires regularly, which alone can cost 200 bucks per year in a shop (including balancing which is a good idea if you‘re into driving fast).
Tire costs dilute EV savings a lot, to put it mildly.
With regard to tire costs… for any EV owners in the US make sure to buy tires at a place that honors the tread wear warranty. Although my tires are high end which hurts the wallet, I regularly get $500 - $600 tread wear warranty credit applied to the purchase because I remember to ask for it, bringing the cost down a lot.
Costco is the absolute worst for this in my experience. They won’t honor the warranty until the tread level is dangerous. Discount Tires (also branded as America’s Tires in some states) is the best and they’re all over which is handy on road trips.
well on an ev you go through tires more quickly if you drive it in a regenerative style.
on an ice on the other hand you will less likely go through a lot of tires if you go for the smallest consumption.
the driving styles just differ enormously if you want to get the maximum range out of a car.
Maintenance costs for my gen 1 Ioniq are ca 60% compared to my previous ICE Kia. Of course this is a welcome change, but it‘s not like switching to an EV means no costs beside electricity.
The power train per se will probably never need paid maintenance, but they do check the coolant and brakes lines every year, clean the AC, resolve system warnings, replace filters etc.
And then there’s tires - you can easily pay 2k for new 22“ rims + tires, and expect a sporty EV to go through those tires quickly. In most regions you‘ll also change tires regularly, which alone can cost 200 bucks per year in a shop (including balancing which is a good idea if you‘re into driving fast).
Tire costs dilute EV savings a lot, to put it mildly.