I heard someone said that, at the end EV will cost you almost the same as gasoline vehicle, if you have to change the expensive battery every so often. Can someone please give me more info on this? Thank you so much.

  • 18107
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    1 year ago

    I have an electric car from 2011. The battery has had no maintenance, and hasn’t been replaced.

    So far the car has had 2-3 new 12V batteries, at least one new set of tires, windscreen wipers replaced once, and the air conditioner filter replaced a few times. I’m not aware of any other maintenance done to the car.

    I suspect the car could have driven up to 150km (95mi) when new, and is now down to 80km (50mi) range. It gets driven no more than 10km in a day, so I suspect it will still be useful to me for another 10 years.

    It has saved me a huge amount in fuel, and has barely cost me anything to run.

    • BrainisfineIthink@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      You should really change your wipers more. The blades crack and become ineffective with age even if unused. Maybe not every year but every couple years!

      • stealthnerd@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Silicone wiper blades last many years and don’t crack. They’re about twice the cost of traditional but worth it in the long run.

        My current set is from 2018.

        • rmuk@feddit.uk
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          1 year ago

          Also if they’re gunked up quick wipe down with the mild solvent of your choice (I use vinegar) will often give them a new lease of life.

      • Whirlybird
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        1 year ago

        You only need to replace them when they don’t work like they should. No point replacing them before they need it.

      • 18107
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        1 year ago

        I’m fairly certain my car doesn’t have a coolant system, but thanks for the reminder. I often forget these sorts of things.

        • atrielienz@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Out of curiosity what kind of vehicle? Cause most EV’s and Hybrids have a cooling system for the batteries.

          • 18107
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            1 year ago

            It’s a Nissan Leaf, generally known for it’s battery overheating issues.

            I also have the refreshed model of the Leaf. It has a higher density battery pack with more tightly spaced cells and still no battery cooling. It will overheat if driven more than 600km (400mi) in one day. When hot, the rapid charging speed drops to about 20kW.

              • 18107
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                1 year ago

                Interesting. From Nissan:
                “The recommended service interval of the factory-fill coolant is 200 000km (125 000 miles) or 15 years, whichever comes first. Subsequent replacement … should occur every 80 000km (48 000 miles) or 4 years, whichever comes first.”

                I guess I’ll put that on my calendar.