What maintenance on your EV electric car can you do yourself to save money?
In this article, I’ll show you 6 ways to save money on the maintenance costs of your electric car (EV). Simply by performing certain tasks yourself at home. I’ll also show you an affordable gadget to help you determine if your electric car needs servicing. This way you can check the health status (Battery State of Health: SoH) of your electric car over time.
6 tips for EV electric car maintenance that you can easily do yourself to save money
Electric cars are great because they don’t require a lot of maintenance. Compared to a regular car, an EV costs much less in terms of maintenance. But did you know that you can do a lot of basic maintenance for your electric car yourself? Here is a list of 6 basic maintenance tasks that you can easily perform at home on your electric car. They are easy to do and will help you save a lot of money on the maintenance intervals of your electric car at the dealership.
1. Periodically replace the small 12V battery / starter battery yourself
The small conventional 12V battery can also be found in your electric car. It is responsible for performing important tasks and operating many instruments while the car is parked. However, the small battery needs to be replaced after a few years, just like in any traditional car. Fortunately, it is very easy to replace the 12V battery in your electric car. Buying the right model and finding a 12V battery for your car on Amazon can save you a significant amount of money compared to having the dealer do it for you. Simply enter your car’s model and production year online on Amazon. And add your car to your virtual garage on Amazon. You will immediately see all matching accessories with a guaranteed fit.
2. Self-check and measure the real EV battery health (SoH) and capacity (SoC) of your electric car battery pack
If you drive an electric car, it is known that the battery capacity will decrease slightly over the years and miles. But how can you determine and measure whether the battery of your electric car is healthy and does not have a factory defect? Fortunately, there are many apps to help you measure this, such as Carscanner, using an OBD2 Bluetooth dongle. Simply plug the dongle into the OBD port of your electric car and read the battery status (SoH) and state of charge (SoC) of your EV. By analyzing multiple measurements over time under different conditions, you can check whether you need to call the dealer about the factory EV battery warranty for electric cars. OBD2 dongles are cheap and available on Amazon and other sites. Check out my other article too how to use any electric car as a home battery.
3. Change and fit tires yourself with better performing aftermarket models
There are so many high quality and budget tire brands and models available for your car. You will be amazed at how much more grip, performance and even longer range you can achieve, simply by selecting a different tire brand for your electric car. Just enter your car’s tire specifications on tire rating sites to find out what’s best for your car and your personal preferences. You also save a lot of money by rotating or replacing your own summer or winter tires at home. It’s an incredibly easy and fun experience with the right tools as you can see in this video.
You can do it yourself better than a garage and with more care for details. The initial investment for high quality tools usually pays for itself within 1 year and the tools can last a lifetime. By storing your tires at home in your own shed, garage or basement you save even more money! Especially with the right tire storage covers and rim trees.
4. Replace the window wipers yourself
EV cars don’t need many replacement parts. That is why the dealer or garage will usually overcharge you for replacing the wiper blades for the EV windshield of your electric car. It’s such a waste of money for a simple job that you can easily do yourself. In addition, there are many different brands of wiper blades available on the internet that last longer and perform better than the standard ones that your garage offers. Enter the model and year of your car on Amazon and add it to your virtual garage. You will immediately see all matching wiper blades with a guaranteed fit for your electric car. Replacing the wiper blades takes a few minutes and can easily save you a lot of money. Watch this video why and how to upgrade the wiper blades on the Renault Zoe with longer powerful Bosch wipers.
5. Replace various fluids such as windshield wiper fluid yourself
Last but not least is the self-replacement of various fluids such as windscreen fluid. This is another item that is routinely replaced during car maintenance, but is significantly more expensive compared to doing it yourself. Cheap windshield wiper fluids do not perform as well as premium fluids. Cheap products can even damage the rubber insulation and wiper blades of your electric car, causing them to dry out prematurely. Invest in premium windshield washer fluids without harmful substances, which perform much better and are more economical to use. Use a special windshield washer fluid for the summer and winter season or go for an all-season window screen wash.
6. Replace the interior filter yourself and disinfect the air conditioning
One of the relatively most expensive actions that your dealer performs for you during the maintenance of your electric car is replacing the cabin filter. A good cabin filter costs between 10-20 euros, but why do most dealers and garages charge double to triple for it? You can do this yourself very easily without complicated tools or actions. On Amazon you will find dozens of filters from various brands that fit 100% for your electric car. These cabin filters often not only perform better, but also last longer than the standard model from your dealer. Especially if you are sensitive to allergies, replacing the interior filter yourself more often is highly recommended. You can also buy special sprays that allow you to disinfect your air conditioner, the ducts and grilles yourself. Very easy and very effective. This way you save tens of euros extra every year!
BONUS Tip: Replace the batteries of your car key fob yourself!
One of the easiest things to replace and immediately save a lot of money on is replacing the battery of your key fob. It’s incredibly easy and fast to learn and can save you instantly 10 EUR/USD or even more. I recommend replacing the batteries in your key fob every year. For only a few Euro’s or dollars you can buy new batteries for your key online.
What are your best EV maintenance tips that you can do yourself to save money on electric car maintenance?
Be sure to also check out how to wash your EV without scratching at at any manual car wash. What is missing from this list of basic EV Electric car maintenance that you can easily do yourself to save money? Have you ever replaced the head or tail lights of your electric car and found it difficult? Let me know in the comments below with your best tips on how to save money on electric car (EV) maintenance costs.