![]() ![]() The engines in electric cars are entirely different from engines in gasoline-powered cars. That means they must not have engines, right? Not quite.Įlectric cars do have engines. ![]() Compared to gas cars, electric cars don’t make as much noise, they don’t have a telltale grill, and they don’t produce exhaust or emissions. Electric vehicles are silent, have better acceleration, are more efficient, and use electricity instead of gasoline or diesel.īut do electric cars still have engines? It is a good question. There are many differences between electric vehicles and regular gas cars. There is a massive effort underway to try and move away from gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. The ones mounted to our Model 3 required replacing after 30,000 miles and set us back a whopping $1157.Electric cars are becoming more popular each year. But this decreases these all-season tires' lifespan. We suspect this is to help boost the range figure. The Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires on our long-term Tesla Model 3, for instance, have less tread depth than typical all-season tires. Partial blame goes to the extra weight of EVs (batteries are heavy). In fact, you may even have to replace them more frequently. Maybe this one's a bit obvious, but yes, you still need to replace the tires on your EV. That service cost us about $100 each time, roughly oil-change money on a gas-powered car, on our long-term Model 3. ![]() The fact that the brakes aren't exercised as much on an EV is exactly why Tesla's service schedule includes lubricating the brake calipers every 12 months or 12,500 miles in areas that use salt to melt snow and ice. Though EVs still rely on their mechanical brakes, they tend to use them more infrequently, which subsequently puts less wear on pads and rotors. ![]() Credit electric motors' regenerative braking function, which allows the motor to slow the vehicle by recovering its kinetic energy (and subsequently feeding that energy back into the battery pack). The good news is that an EV ought to eat pads and rotors at a far slower rate than a gas car. Though replacement times vary between vehicles and manufacturers, Ford recommends replacing the brake fluid in the Mach-E and Lightning every three years.īrake pads are also something EV drivers need to keep an eye on. Flushing and replacing this fluid at regular intervals is a necessary service no matter your vehicle's powertrain. Similarly, both EVs and gas cars rely on brake fluid to modulate their binders. Getty Images Keep an Eye on Brake Fluid and Pads Most cars have settings to charge to a level less than 100 percent, and many automakers suggest charging to a level of 85- or 90-percent for daily use. On the plus side, many manufacturers prevent full-capacity charging in order to assist in the battle against battery degradation. Try Not to Fully Charge or Deplete the Batteryīatteries degrade more quickly when charged to full capacity or when depleted of all their energy. For example, we found it's possible to pay $100 to fast charge a Hummer EV from empty to full. Fast charging costs three- to four-times more per kilowatt-hour of energy than you pay at home, a price that can bring the fueling cost of EVs on par with gas-powered vehicles. But buying an EV with the plan to use fast charging exclusively isn't a great idea, both from a battery life and a cost perspective. Of course, in a road-trip scenario fast charging is necessary and there's no reason to avoid it. However, just how much fast charging impacts battery life isn't known precisely in these relatively early days of modern EVs. Electrify America Don't Plan to Use Fast Chargers All the Timeĭespite their convenience in rapid recharging, fast chargers degrade battery packs at a quicker rate than slower 120- or 240-volt charging. ![]()
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