The grim truth about the costs of electric cars is coming to light as the fleet ages. Initial promises of drastically cheaper maintenance give way to a much more complex financial reality, a recent study by the consulting company Roland Berger showed.
Initially, forecasts were optimistic and promised a reduction in servicing costs of between 25 and 50 percent compared to conventional cars. Today, real data shows much more modest savings - only between 15 and 20 percent. The main reason is the shift of the financial burden to the later stages of the vehicle's life.
In the first eight to ten years, owners of electric models do enjoy lower costs. The absence of engine oil, filters, timing belts and clutches, together with the reduced wear on the brakes thanks to recuperation, saves between 20 and 40 percent of the usual maintenance costs. With standard internal combustion engines, these periodic costs are predictable and evenly distributed over time.
However, the big financial trap appears after the eighth year
That's when the cost curve for electric vehicles jumps sharply upwards, and repair prices can range from 5,000 to a heartbreaking 25,000 euros. Infrequent visits to the workshop in the first years often allow minor technical problems to go unnoticed and over time develop into serious damage. When components such as the high-voltage battery, the power electronics or the electric motor itself fail, the repair costs become astronomical. Further complications come from rapidly aging software and deeply integrated parts, the replacement of which requires specific and expensive procedures.
The situation is also complicated by the state of the independent service sector. After the warranty expires, owners are looking for more profitable alternatives to official dealers, but independent service stations are still struggling to meet technological requirements. Although qualifications and diagnostic capabilities are developing, currently specific activities such as full diagnostics and battery repair are mainly carried out by highly specialized companies.