This is a big one, if I can’t fix it myself then I don’t technically own it and a LOT of modern cars are in the same boat of making parts availability hell and the ability to fix them requiring special software tools.
Good question but a lot of what normal people might work on doesn’t exist, like oil changes, spark plugs, belts, transmission etc.
As far as I know, my EVs brake system is fairly normal so there may be parts, you may be able to work on that. But they also last much longer so many EV owners will never need to worry about it
The drive train generally doesn’t need service. You don’t have to change oil, you don’t have to change transmission fluid, your transmission probably won’t grind itself into metallic dust because the transmission is a single speed and it’s certainly not a CVT. You don’t have a timing belt to change, or a serpentine belt to change, or an air filter to change. You don’t have to sweat an emissions problem, you don’t have to worry about error codes about running too rich or too lean. You don’t have to worry about your headgasket leaking. You don’t have a bay of stuff heated to around water’s boiling point for extended durations accelerating wear on various hoses. You aren’t going to have a belt tensioner go south, the DC/DC converter is less likely to lose it than an alternator. You won’t need to replace spark plugs, you aren’t going to have a turbo that screws you over.
Instead of all of that, you have a pretty bullet proof drive train except that the battery will chemically wear, but even that seems to be not as bad as believed with battery management systems babying the batteries. The car almost certainly weighs too much, which will manifest in handling and tire wear.
And of course, there’s gas v. electric. If (and sadly only if) you charge at home, an EV in my area is roughly like having a hybrid and $1.00/gallon gas. If you charge publicly… yeah that’s priced really high.
So at one point, there will likely be a huge single expense for the battery. However, that is instead of frequent oil and air filter changes, occasional belt replacement, and a host of likely repairs that a gas car generally incurs over that sime time. One very big expense at once instead of tons of little expenses and a few big expenses.
If the initial cost of the vehicle were competitive, hands down the EV is going to be the right choice if you can charge at home. Trickier question in an apartment or renter’s scenario.
That’s ignoring the very common issues multiple models have where the coolant leaks into the motor and you need a new motor/transmission unit. You really have to do your research on the exact model you’re buying.
And research battery pack repairability. New pack costs more than a used car, but in some, single cells can be replaced if needed. It’s rarely every multiple cells that fail, but if a single one does, the battery is nearly useless.
I talk about cost of ownership but the ICE and fossil hordes try to silence us. Hiding the truth is part of their business model: “Only look at the sticker price and buy a new car each year to max out depreciation losses.”
Can i work on it? It’s it as serviceable as my Subaru? Are the parts as cheap? Cost of ownership seems to be a topic no one talks about.
This is a big one, if I can’t fix it myself then I don’t technically own it and a LOT of modern cars are in the same boat of making parts availability hell and the ability to fix them requiring special software tools.
Good question but a lot of what normal people might work on doesn’t exist, like oil changes, spark plugs, belts, transmission etc.
As far as I know, my EVs brake system is fairly normal so there may be parts, you may be able to work on that. But they also last much longer so many EV owners will never need to worry about it
People talk about that topic all the time.
The drive train generally doesn’t need service. You don’t have to change oil, you don’t have to change transmission fluid, your transmission probably won’t grind itself into metallic dust because the transmission is a single speed and it’s certainly not a CVT. You don’t have a timing belt to change, or a serpentine belt to change, or an air filter to change. You don’t have to sweat an emissions problem, you don’t have to worry about error codes about running too rich or too lean. You don’t have to worry about your headgasket leaking. You don’t have a bay of stuff heated to around water’s boiling point for extended durations accelerating wear on various hoses. You aren’t going to have a belt tensioner go south, the DC/DC converter is less likely to lose it than an alternator. You won’t need to replace spark plugs, you aren’t going to have a turbo that screws you over.
Instead of all of that, you have a pretty bullet proof drive train except that the battery will chemically wear, but even that seems to be not as bad as believed with battery management systems babying the batteries. The car almost certainly weighs too much, which will manifest in handling and tire wear.
And of course, there’s gas v. electric. If (and sadly only if) you charge at home, an EV in my area is roughly like having a hybrid and $1.00/gallon gas. If you charge publicly… yeah that’s priced really high.
So at one point, there will likely be a huge single expense for the battery. However, that is instead of frequent oil and air filter changes, occasional belt replacement, and a host of likely repairs that a gas car generally incurs over that sime time. One very big expense at once instead of tons of little expenses and a few big expenses.
If the initial cost of the vehicle were competitive, hands down the EV is going to be the right choice if you can charge at home. Trickier question in an apartment or renter’s scenario.
Even that is mainly if you use trip chargers. If there are destination chargers you can use, it may not be much more than home charging
That’s ignoring the very common issues multiple models have where the coolant leaks into the motor and you need a new motor/transmission unit. You really have to do your research on the exact model you’re buying.
And research battery pack repairability. New pack costs more than a used car, but in some, single cells can be replaced if needed. It’s rarely every multiple cells that fail, but if a single one does, the battery is nearly useless.
Hmm discussed recently just on Lemmy here: https://news.mit.edu/2026/us-drivers-electric-vehicles-offer-emissions-benefits-cost-savings-0512
I talk about cost of ownership but the ICE and fossil hordes try to silence us. Hiding the truth is part of their business model: “Only look at the sticker price and buy a new car each year to max out depreciation losses.”