Essential Components of Electric Cars That Require Regular Checks
SOLO, KOMPAS.com - Electric cars are known to have lower maintenance costs compared to conventional cars because they do not require many routine service components such as those found in petrol-powered vehicles.
However, electric vehicle owners still need to pay attention to several important components to ensure the vehicle’s performance and lifespan remain optimal.
Service Advisor at Hyundai Solo Baru, Arif Nugroho, said that one of the reasons people are starting to be interested in using electric cars is because the maintenance costs are relatively lower.
“Electric cars do not need regular oil changes, whether engine oil or transmission oil, at most there is only battery coolant, so in terms of maintenance, it is actually less,” Arif told Kompas.com, recently.
In addition to coolant replacement, other maintenance that needs to be considered is brake pad replacement when the vehicle has travelled approximately 100,000 kilometres.
“For replacing brake pads on the Ioniq 5, the price can be said to be comparable to other conventional cars in its class, around Rp 3 million to Rp 5 million, that is a reasonable price,” said Arif.
Arif added that Hyundai electric cars receive free service starting from 1,000 kilometres to 75,000 kilometres. During this period, consumers generally do not need to spend on routine maintenance.
“There are no materials and spare parts that need to be replaced during the free service period, except for consumables such as wiper rubber, tyres and the like, for the Ioniq 5 there is free AC filter replacement every periodic service,” said Arif.
For periodic service and AC filter replacement on the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the maintenance schedule is carried out every 15,000 kilometres or once a year.
“If it’s an electric car, the maintenance is simple. Yes, the oil is only gear oil, brake oil, coolant, and AC compressor oil,” he said to Kompas.com.
According to Lung Lung, the absence of an internal combustion engine means that electric cars do not require routine maintenance of components such as spark plugs, oil filters, and fuel injectors.
In addition, the transmission system of electric cars is also simpler because it generally only uses one gear, so the periodic service process is shorter and less frequent.
However, he emphasised that electric cars still require routine maintenance, especially on the battery cooling system and the vehicle’s electrical system.
“What is often forgotten by EV owners is the coolant for the battery system. If the battery cooling system has problems, it can affect the battery life and performance,” he said.
Lung Lung also reminded that the main battery condition needs special attention. Improper charging habits can accelerate battery degradation and reduce the vehicle’s power storage capacity.
Therefore, even though electric car maintenance is simpler than petrol cars, vehicle owners are still advised to regularly check the coolant and cooling system so that the vehicle’s performance remains optimal and the battery life is longer.