Guide to Electric Vehicle Maintenance Solutions
If your dealership or shop services hybrid electric or electric vehicles, educating your customers and setting them up with an appropriate maintenance schedule is essential. Since hybrid electric vehicles have combustion engines, maintenance requirements are similar to conventional vehicles with a few extra services. All electric vehicles require considerably less maintenance, but regular service is still important to maintain safety standards.
Recommended Electric Vehicle Maintenance
Although electric vehicles require less routine maintenance than their conventional counterparts, a regular service schedule is still recommended. The US Department of Energy recognizes that they require less maintenance because:
- The battery, motor, and associated electronics require minimal maintenance
- Fewer fluids require regular maintenance
- Brake wear is significantly reduced due to regenerative braking
- There are far fewer moving parts relative to a conventional fuel engine
So, what regular maintenance should you schedule for your customers?
Related: Guide to Hybrid Vehicle Maintenance
Battery Protection
Batteries and battery terminals require periodic inspection and maintenance to ensure proper performance and maximum lifespan. A properly maintained and strong battery is vital to today’s electronically dependent vehicles.
Battery system service is important for the following reasons:
- Extend battery life
- Promote a consistent delivery of power
- Prevent costly repairs associated with battery corrosion
The service requires the technician to apply battery cleaner, neutralizer, and leak detectors. Then, they will clean the battery posts, inspect the battery terminals and cables. And install anti-corrosion battery terminal protectors.
Start Battery
Electric vehicles still have a traditional start battery similar to an I.C.E.* system. The battery connects to the vehicle’s electrical system in a conventional manner with a positive and negative battery terminal. It is crucial that you inspect and maintain the battery connection surface to prevent the formation of corrosion. Poor and dirty connections can cause the vehicle to experience hard start and performance issues. Maintain your battery’s connection and health with MOC Products battery service kits.
*Internal Combustion Engine
Drive Battery
A typical cooling system service may not remove all the old, depleted coolant. As a result, new coolant added during the service blends with the old. This makes fortification of the blended coolant mixture very important to help ensure maximum system protection after a service. Independent lab testing confirms standard OEM coolant, on average, can have up to 5 mg of metal loss throughout its lifecycle. When adding MP Protect™ after a service, the metal loss is lowered to just 1 mg, fortifying and extending the service life of the new coolant.
One of the key challenges EV battery systems continue to face is regulating temperature under increasingly extreme operating conditions, such as ultra-fast charging and in all climates. Currently, most electric cars have either air-cooled or indirect liquid-cooled battery systems.
Adding MP Protect™ EV Battery Coolant Additive can help regulate battery temperatures assisting the system in running cooler and extending the charge distance where applicable.
Brake System Service
Due to the unique demands of electric and hybrid vehicles (EHV), EHV hydraulic brake systems require a long-life, low-conductivity formula fortified with special additives and esters for enhanced protection and moisture tolerance. EV and HEV brake systems need superior brake fluid with high dry and wet boiling points to absorb the stress of large, heavy batteries in most EHV vehicles. Regenerative brake systems help extend the service life of brake pads and related components, and wear to the friction material happens slower. This can lead to delamination from the backing plate caused by rust and corrosion. Our Premium MP EV Brake Maintenance service kit includes 5.1 Low Conductive Brake Fluid, Premium Lubricant to maintain proper operation, Parts Wash, and Quiet Brake.
HVAC Efficiency
Improving the efficiency of HVAC systems will draw less from the electric vehicle’s batteries. Arctic Blast is a supplement that enhances the heat transfer properties of the HVAC system, which improves the system’s efficiency, resulting in greater comfort and improved system performance.
Charge Port Cleaning
One of the most overlooked and important maintenance items on electric vehicles is charging port cleanliness. The average EV charges 3 to 4 times a week at multiple charging sites. The charging connectors are in the exposed environment, and usually not maintained on a regular cycle and can quickly become dirty, transferring that dirt to your EV receptacle. This dirt and grime can lead to slow and incomplete charge cycles. The MP Charge Port Maintenance service thoroughly cleans and conditions your charging port to ensure proper charging. We recommend this service should be performed at every maintenance cycle. Our Maintenance kit includes a 4 oz charging port cleaner with our 1-time use replaceable male/female tips for our dual cleaning oscillating, non conductive tool.
Differential Service
Using a sequence of gears, differentials work in conjunction with an electric vehicle’s motor to deliver power to the vehicle’s axles. Extreme temperatures and severe conditions can cause premature wear, gear noise, and slippage. Regular maintenance and replacement of old fluid is recommended to avoid costly repairs in the future. MP’s premium synthetic gear lubricants and conditioners are recommended for electric vehicles.
Comfort & Safety
Airborne Defense
Maintaining electric vehicles includes maintaining cabin air quality and safety. Airborne Defense deodorizing kit is an HVAC ventilation and vehicle interior deodorizing service that will rid vehicles of impurities, mustiness, pet odors, smoke smells (of any type), or any other vehicle odor in 20-30 minutes. The Airborne Defense Fogger reaches throughout the vehicle’s interior, penetrating hidden spaces to eliminate odor safely and effectively.
Vision Glass Care Kit
Vision Glass Treatment forms a chemical bond with vehicle glass that will shed water and mineral deposits to maintain clear, sparkling glass, especially on the windshield. Even after months of normal use in all types of weather, Vision Glass Treatment reduces glare, minimizes mineral deposits, and maintains clear, safe vehicle glass.
Appearance
Help customers to maintain the appearance of their vehicle by recommending MP Armour. Electric vehicles protected with Armour Ceramic Coating will maintain a deep, brilliant shine, enjoy water sheeting, be swirl resistant, and resist dust and dirt. Armour is designed to provide years of protection against UV rays, environmental hazards, bugs, bird droppings, and anything else that will typically break down vehicle paint surfaces.
As electric vehicles become more prominent in the auto industry, creating a maintenance package for electric vehicle customers is imperative and MOC Products is here to help.
