Your Guide to ICE vs. EV Maintenance Costs
Whether you have an electric or an internal combustion engine vehicle, routine maintenance is essential to reducing downtime and expanding the lifespan of your equipment. It’s also one of the most proactive and important ways to check that your vehicle is safe and in proper working condition, which can reduce the likelihood of accidents or a major, costly equipment malfunction.
In this guide, we’ll explore the differences between electric vehicle (EV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle maintenance and provide recommended maintenance plans for some of the most popular cars and trucks on the market today.
Differences Between EV and ICE Vehicle Maintenance
An electric vehicle has fewer moving parts, which means that unlike an ICE vehicle, you don’t have to worry about the oil filter, spark plugs, and fuel filter. While both types of vehicles have brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, and wiper fluid, EVs do not have engine oil; instead they rely on coolant to help optimize battery performance.
With EVs, you also have to make sure your battery is properly maintained. The federal government requires that electric vehicle batteries have an 8-year/100K-mile warranty. Many vehicles make it past the 200,000 mile mark with no significant reduction in battery performance.
Both EVs and ICE vehicles have brake pads, but the wear and tear is reduced in electric vehicles due to regenerative braking. Hybrid and plug-in vehicles require maintenance that’s similar to ICE vehicles since they have gas engines.
Now let’s explore recommended maintenance plans for popular EVs and their ICE counterparts.
Recommended Maintenance Plans — EVs vs. ICE Vehicles
In general, the first visit or two for a new vehicle will not typically require as much in terms of maintenance — an oil and filter change and tire rotation for ICE vehicles and tire rotation, battery, and safety check for an electric vehicle. If you’ve purchased a pre-owned vehicle, however, the mileage and year of your vehicle will dictate your maintenance schedule.
Ford F-150 vs. Ford Lightning
Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is a popular ½-ton truck with a 2.7L Turbo V6 gas-powered engine. Known as a dependable work truck, this vehicle’s 26-gallon fuel tank gets approximately 20 miles per gallon (combined city and highway).
Recommended maintenance plan
RepairPal estimates that a typical Ford F-150 maintenance schedule includes 56 different types of service over the course of 150,000 miles.
The first is a 5,000-mile service with a cost estimate ranging from $160–$178. This generally involves an oil and filter change, tire rotation, and overall safety inspection.
A 20,000-mile service is a bit more comprehensive and often includes tire replacement, brake pad replacement, a brake pad/rotor change, and a cabin filter replacement with a total cost estimate between $242–$276.
The 30,000-mile service is considered more of a major service and will cost between $540 and $618. At this point, technicians may start replacing certain fluids and other components such as the air filter, fuel filter, or spark plugs. Brake pads and tires may also be replaced.
Ford Lighting
The Ford Lightning is a dual eMotor electric pickup truck that comes with 10 120V outlets in the cab and one 240V outlet in the bed and can even act like a generator in emergency situations. This pickup truck has a 360-degree lighting zone for night work and a comprehensive cloud-based connectivity infotainment system. Ford estimates a range of 230 miles on the standard battery and up to 300 miles on the extended range battery.
Recommended maintenance plan
Here is an example of a typical Lightning maintenance plan from a Ford dealership:
- Every 7,500 to 10,000 miles: Inspect tires, brakes, and battery health.
- Every 20,000 to 30,000 miles: Replace cabin air filter, inspect all fluids, and flush coolant.
- Every 40,000 to 60,000 miles: Replace brake fluid, check the air conditioning, rotate tires, inspect and test the battery, and inspect the inverter and electric motor.
- Every 70,000 miles and beyond: Check wheel alignment, replace cabin air filter and transmission fluid, and replace the battery (if needed).
According to Ford, you may spend approximately 40% less (on average) for vehicle maintenance with a F-150 Lighting than you would with a similar gas-powered vehicle over five years or 75,000 miles (or whichever comes first).
RepairPal estimates that a 30,000 mile service will cost anywhere from $138–$174; it will include everything performed at the 15,000 mile service but also fluid replacement (if needed), and the replacement of the cabin air filter. Brake pad replacement and tire replacement may also be needed.
Chevrolet Trax vs. Chevrolet Bolt EUV
Chevrolet Trax
This compact, which made Car & Driver’s 2024 list of the 10 Best Trucks and SUVs, gets an estimated 30 miles per gallon (combined).
Recommended maintenance plan
According to one Chevrolet dealership, the Trax should receive maintenance every 7,500 miles. At the first visit, technicians will check the oil, engine coolant, and washer fluids. They will replace the engine air filter and complete a tire rotation, in addition to an inspection of the brakes, tires, and tire pressure, etc.
RepairPal estimates the 7,500 mile service to cost anywhere from $186–$235. The 22,500 mile service is estimated around $240–$300 and typically includes tire replacement, brake pad replacement, brake pad/rotor change, and cabin filter replacement.
Chevrolet Bolt EUV
The 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, which has an EPA-estimated range of 247 miles on a full charge, was named the Best Electric SUV for the Money by U.S News & World Report.
Recommended maintenance plan
Chevrolet recommends a specific EV maintenance schedule, which includes services starting at 7,500 miles to 150,000 miles.
Tire rotation is recommended at almost every service; passenger air filter replacement every third appointment.
Major service isn’t typically needed until around the 97,500-mile mark, which is when it’s recommended to replace the electric drive unit. The hood and/or body lift and support gas struts should be replaced around 100,000 miles and at 150,000 miles, brake fluids are replaced and the technicians will drain and fill coolant circuits.
According to Edmunds, maintenance expenses on a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt are approximately $3,097 (based on a 5-year ownership). Maintenance is around $155 for the first year and increases steadily until $1,769 for year five.
Ford Transit vs. Ford E-Transit
Ford Transit
This full-size cargo van is available with two powertrains — the base engine is a 3.5-liter V-6 that provides 275 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque; there is also a turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that generates 310 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque.
Recommended maintenance plan
The Ford Transit-150 maintenance schedule typically includes 17 different types of service over the course of 150,000 miles. The 10,000 mile service costs between $238–$281; the 30,000 mile service between $382–$434 (this includes fluid replacement but may also include spark plugs, air filter, fuel filter, etc.). Brake pads and tires may also be replaced.
Ford E-Transit
This electric cargo van has a single electric motor and a range of up to 116 miles. Ford claims that the 2023 E-Transit has an estimated 45% fewer scheduled maintenance costs compared to a gas-powered 2022 Transit over 5 years.
Recommended maintenance plan
Ford recommends the following routine maintenance every 12 months or 10,000 miles: rotate and inspect tires, perform multi-point inspection, inspect brake pads, inspect cooling system coolant levels, inspect half-shaft boots, inspect steering and wheels.
A technician should change the brake fluid every three years, replace the cabin air filter every 20,000 miles, replace the electric drive assembly fluid at the 10-year or 150,000-mile mark, and lastly change the yellow coolant at 200,000 miles.
You should expect to spend about $3,700 on maintenance and repairs over five years or 100,000 miles for an E-Transit 350.
FAQs
Which type of vehicle has fewer maintenance costs — electric or ICE?
It depends on the specific make and model and your driving habits, but in general, EVs have lower total maintenance costs over their lifespan.
How often should I bring in my electric vehicle for maintenance?
Typically an electric vehicle will have fewer maintenance visits than an ICE vehicle, but the number will depend on the make and model. The manufacturer of your electric vehicle should have a recommended maintenance plan, which we encourage you to follow, but if you have any questions, our EV consultants can help.
Is there anything I can do in terms of maintenance to maximize my EV range?
If you want to get the most miles out of your charge, routinely check air pressure, keep your EV in a climate-controlled environment (if possible), turn off battery conditioning modes, and when it comes time to replace your tires, find ones that are specially formulated for EVs with low rolling resistance.
Ready to Get Started On Your EV Adoption Journey?
The fleet consultants at Merchants have decades of knowledge and experience with both EVs and ICE vehicles and are continually supporting those that are considering or in the process of EV fleet adoption. As an end-to-end EV provider, we help fleet managers with all aspects of the EV adoption process and provide a variety of support programs, including fleet telematics, maintenance, consulting, leasing, charging solutions, and more.
If you have any questions, our EV consultants are ready to help. Contact us today for more information.
