If you’re a Canton driver interested in making the switch to electric, you may have questions about what’s going on under the hood of your future vehicle. After so many years of having a general knowledge of traditional gas-powered vehicles, there’s a lot to learn about what electric car service and maintenance looks like. Read on to find out more about how EVs work and what services they need with this list of the most common questions asked about electric car service at Fred Martin Superstore’s service center.
No, electric cars do not need oil. Oil is used in traditional gas-powered vehicles to lubricate the moving parts of the engine. In an electric car, that engine has been completely removed and the car is powered only by a batter and electric motors. None of these components require oil, so when you switch to an all-electric vehicle you can kiss oil changes goodbye!
That said, if you have a hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicle like the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, these vehicles still utilize a gas-powered engine in conjunction with electric motors. In these cases, you will still need to perform oil changes.
Yes, electric cars have horsepower. Many manufacturers will list it as “combined horsepower” or as “KW,” but all these terms are meant to describe the same thing: the power output of the electric motors. If you see an electric vehicle for sale in Medina that lists the horsepower as “KW”, you can search “kw to hp” in your favorite search engine and find a quick conversion calculator.
Electric vehicles do have transmissions, but not the kind with multiple speeds or gears. In order to output varying ranges of power, gas-powered engines have gears and gear ratios that are built to create the power needed for certain speeds. Electric cars, on the other hand, produce the same amount of power and torque regardless of RPM almost immediately, and gear ratios are precalculated. This means that drivers will never see a manual electric car, or have to switch between gears for differing power outputs.
No, electric cars do not have alternators. Instead, they equip a DC-to-DC converter which recharges the 12-volt battery using power from the battery pack.
Electric vehicles do not have catalytic converters. The purpose of a catalytic converter is to remove byproducts from an internal combustion engine, which EVs do not use.
There are no exhaust systems in electric vehicles. One of the biggest advantages of EVs is that they are zero-emission vehicles, creating no exhaust that is released into the atmosphere. With no exhaust, there is no need for an exhaust system.
Electric cars do have heating and cooling systems, though they may work slightly differently than on traditional gas-powered vehicles. Since these systems are run solely by the car’s battery, the overall efficiency and design of your EV’s heating and cooling systems can impact the range of your vehicle.
While EVs haven’t been around long enough to predict their average lifespan in comparison to traditional gas-powered vehicles, EVs do require less overall maintenance and repairs due to the simplified drivetrain system. The lack of moving parts required to run EVs may greatly increase their overall longevity.
Still have more questions about electric car service and maintenance? Contact Fred Martin Superstore’s service team! Our trained technicians will be happy to answer your questions about EVs, plug-in hybrids, and more. Learn more about the different types of electric vehicles and their upkeep with Fred Martin Superstore, your local Barberton/Norton dealership.
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