Choosing to drive an electric vehicle means doing your part to help the planet. At the same time, you get to take advantage of not having to worry about fluctuating gas prices. And electric cars tend to need less maintenance than traditional gas-powered vehicles. But if you haven’t had an EV before, you may not know how to care for it. Jiffy Lube offers the following electric vehicle tips to help you extend the life of your car.
What to Know About Powertrain Maintenance
There is excellent news regarding electric vehicle tips for powertrain maintenance. Your EV requires minimal powertrain maintenance. There is no need for fluid replacement or transmission maintenance. You might need our technicians to add lubricant to the EV’s direct-drive system, but this isn’t always required. Your best option is to check your owner’s manual for powertrain maintenance or ask our Jiffy Lube technicians.
What to Know About Battery Maintenance
Battery maintenance is much more important when it comes to your EV. It should go without saying that many electric vehicle tips focus on the battery, as this is one of the main components separating EVs from gas-powered cars.
Ideally, you want to keep your battery charged to 20 to 80%. This is the ideal range to extend the life of the battery. Electric vehicle tips show you that regularly charging your battery to its full capacity can decrease its lifespan. The same is true if you leave it under 20% for a long time. Of course, occasionally charging the battery to 100% or letting it get extremely low is fine. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the EV’s full range.
Try Limiting Fast Charging
Fast charging is incredibly convenient, so you may not like this one of the electric vehicle tips. Ideally, only fast charge your car when you have to and use standard charging otherwise. If you always fast charge your EV, the battery life will decrease.
What to Know About Brake Maintenance
In addition to the typical safety concerns related to your brakes on any car, electric vehicles usually have regenerative braking. This makes it even more important to stay on top of brake service. Check your owner’s manual for the ideal intervals.
What to Know About Tire Maintenance
Tires are one part of your EV that function nearly exactly as they do on other vehicles. So, don’t skip tire rotations and inspections. You should also look for EV-specific tires, as they will be quieter and better suited for the vehicle’s torque.
Get EV Maintenance at Jiffy Lube
Jiffy Lube is here to help you follow the above electric vehicle tips. While we can’t control when you fast charge your car or how charged you keep it, we can handle inspections and maintenance. Count on our teams to handle your EV’s regular maintenance and any repairs that may arise.
