Electric Vehicles and Hybrids are now more common on UK roads. These vehicles shape the way we look at travel and give us a more refined outlook on sustainability. EV’s and Hybrids are equipped with the latest and unique mechanisms. All vehicles require regular check-ups for maintenance in order to function optimally. When it comes to the maintenance of Electric vehicles and Hybrids, some questions come to mind.
Do they require a separate set of expertise because their functioning is based on various components, like an electric battery? Lets find out.
How is maintenance of an Electric Vehicle different?
There are three kinds of Electric Vehicles.
These are;
- Hybrid Plug-in
- Hybrid Electric
- Fully Electric Vehicles.
In the hybrid category of Electric cars, all the Hybrid cars are powered by either fuel or an electric motor. However, how these two unique power sources are interlinked, varies across the models and the manufacturers. The relationship between the two completely different mechanisms, decides the nature of their maintenance needs. Therefore, the maintenance of Hybrid Vehicles are entirely dependent on their engineering. In most cases, Hybrid Vehicles don’t require any special kind of maintenance.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, are somewhat similar to Hybrid Vehicles. They also rely on fuel or electric power. What sets them apart from Hybrid Vehicles, are that sometimes they rely more on pure electricity. Moreover, the electric side of the system doesn’t require any special maintenance. However, the fuel engine must go through the checks.
Fully Electric Vehicles, are not powered by fuel or have combustion engines. They solely rely on electric power for their propulsion. Electric systems or motors are simple in their design and functioning and are free of complexity. These systems have less components to operate, unlike the primitive fuel combustion engines. If the electric components, such as battery charging or the regeneration braking system are functioning ok, it is good to go. If there is any defect or abnormality detected, they need to take the faulty component out after diagnosis. It can be either be repaired or replaced, but this depends on the nature of the defect.
These types of vehicles need to be looked at by different skilled mechanics, as they are built in a completely different way. The maintenance of Electric Vehicles are simple and don’t need to be done regularly. The biggest maintenance task reported by owners of these types of vehicles, is the battery replacement. The best part, is that the battery replacement needs to be done after prolonged periods, such as a decade. So the maintenance cost is highly mitigated.
This shows how efficient these vehicles are in terms of the maintenance costs, as well as time. Also there is no regular oil changes and no frequent engine check-ups.
However, when we say that EV’s are simple and don’t require a lot of maintenance, that doesn’t mean we can totally put it aside. These vehicles must go through routine check-ups for safety and quality concerns. It is also important to check whether the EV is running and working according to the standards set by the authorities. We have to keep in mind, that defects are inevitable and can occur due to multiple reasons. The cooling system, powertrain functioning, multi-speed transmissions, and battery status must be checked regularly.
Hybrid’s
A hybrid vehicle is a brilliant option to save you money. Also, over the years it will reduce your carbon footprint. Whilst owning an Hybrid Vehicle, you also need to remember the maintenance of the vehicle. Your Hybrid needs care and good maintenance to provide you with long lasting performance.
Here are five important maintenance tips to consider for your Hybrid Vehicle.
1. Additional maintenance, that standard vehicles don’t
When you purchase a Hybrid Vehicle, you have to invest in the maintenance of the vehicle. It’s important to only let qualified technicians handle your Hybrid.
It is important, that you choose the right professionals to take care of your Hybrid vehicle, otherwise, this could cause you to encounter problems.
In Hybrid Vehicles, the voltage system is particularly dangerous, so under qualified technicians, could damage your vehicle or even worse occur injuries that can be fatal.
2. The battery maintenance
As previously mentioned, a qualified person should do such a task. However, you can still feel free to make your observations, as this could help in the long run from bigger issues. Being a hybrid car owner, it’s fundamental that you have some knowledge of how to maintain the battery better. For example, having an understanding of how it works, and what each component does.
Once you have the foundation of the basic knowledge of these vehicles, you will also be in a position to act well. This gives you an advantage to know when your battery starts giving signs of malfunction. Remember, that detecting problems early, gives a better chance of minimising serious damage down the line. If you discover these problems after a long time, it could be too late. In fact, it can become more costly. If there are signs of problems with the battery, they are usually detected by your vehicle’s onboard computer and display it on the dashboard.
3. Engine inspections
It is important to keep in mind that, as much as you have seen it with a powerpack, doesn’t mean the engine is dormant. This is because a Hybrid blends the two systems. Which is why the engine is still active and running.
Making engine inspections, doesn’t mean you need to make heavy inspections that need special tools and equipment. All you need to do, is make simple checks that could be critical to the engine.
Furthermore, another important inspection, is to check the engine oil, making sure it is at the right level. When you check the oil, it is important to check the colour of the oil. This is because if it is too dark, then this is a sign that an oil change service needs to be done. The reason for the change in colour of the oil, can be caused due to the amount of mileage usage. Also you can take advantage of this opportunity and check the coolant level , to make sure it’s at the correct level.
4. Symbols and Abnormal sounds
If you see a light displaying on the dashboard, it is important to find a secure place to stop and check the instructions manual. Then you can find out what the symbol means. Whatever you do, don’t just ignore any symbols that appears on the dash. This is because, this could cause more damage if you continue to drive the vehicle, especially if you see a red warning light. The next step would be to take it to a professional hybrid technician.
It is always a good idea to be attentive to strange noises. This will tell you that there is something wrong. If you decide to ignore these abnormal noises, you could risk damaging your vehicle . It may be something small that triggers the warning. However, if you act straight away, this eliminates the risk of causing more damage to your Hybrid Vehicle. As many people say; “it’s always better to be safe than sorry”.
5. Brakes and Tyres
Brakes and tyres, are usually taken for granted and not always checked on a regular basis. It is always a good idea, to take your time to look at the thread of the tyres and ensure that the correct PSI is in the tyres. If you suspect, that the limit of wear on the thread of the tyres, is under the legal limit, you should change them immediately. Because, this plays a massive part when you have to use your brakes and also more importantly to not break the law.
Brakes, are also essential to make sure they are in working order and there are no strange noises when braking. If for any reason, you suspect that they are not working effectively, then it is a good idea to alert your technician. Remember, brakes save lives when they are working well. By ensuring that your brakes are working correctly, this can prevent accidents as well as preventing damage to your Hybrid if they are faulty. Acting early, is your first step to smart maintenance.
To sum up
Maintenance of any Electric or Hybrid Vehicle is a serious task. So it is advisable that, only a qualified technician, that has experience with these types of vehicles should do it. If you get an unqualified technician or person to repair your vehicle, these are the risks;
- damaging your vehicle
- the safety of yourself
- the safety of the person repairing the vehicle
- Other road users
Remember, that if you take care of your vehicle, the vehicle will take care of you!
