Are electric or hybrid cars more difficult to repair?
Both hybrid cars and electric cars come with a wide range of benefits. They run on a cleaner fuel that will eventually reduce urban air pollution and will probably enable most owners to reduce their overall fuel costs. Although electrical recharging is more tedious than topping up a tank, the newest models can greatly exceed the range of equivalent petrol-driven vehicles.
This page includes:
An electric motor also has far fewer moving parts than a traditional petrol driven engine, which makes them somewhat easier to maintain. However, hybrids are slightly more complicated because they combine both systems so might require a little more work to maintain. However, generally speaking neither hybrid cars nor electric cars are significantly more difficult to repair than a petrol driven vehicle, and sometimes much simpler.
Finding a garage
Although problems with electric and hybrid vehicles are often straightforward to fix, finding somebody to work on them for you could be more difficult. The reason is that handling their electrical components presents a range of hazards that ordinary mechanics were never trained to deal with. In this respect, neither the electric car nor the hybrid car is more problematic: they both contain high voltage parts so they both require specially qualified engineers and an electric car garage equipped with the necessary tools.
Comparing engines
Servicing electric cars is simpler in many respects than petrol powered equivalents. Hybrid car servicing, on the other hand, is less so. The combination of an engine, a battery and motor into a hybrid means they simply have more parts that could go wrong. Common problems in both vehicles include the battery and high voltage cables, both of which are easy (but sometimes costly) to repair. Hybrids have a myriad of additional components. In addition to the internal combustion engine, electric motor and battery the systems surrounding them are far more complex, and therefore inevitably more difficult to repair. Fully electrical cars are less likely to develop problems in the first place owing to their simplified engines and supporting systems like regenerative braking, which spares the brake pads.
Shared issues
Of course, there are some common issues in every type of vehicle. Things like lights and windscreen wipers can always malfunction, and tyres are a major issue on all cars. Tyres are, in our experience, one of the most likely parts of a vehicle to require repair or replacement. Fortunately, they are easy to replace, and our qualified fitters will be able to help you choose the best tyres for your vehicle. We stock a wide range of high-quality tyres from reliable brands including Sumitomo and Pirelli, so you’ll always have peace of mind.
Book with Protyre
In the long run, hybrid cars will be more difficult to maintain than their all-electric counterparts, mainly because of the more complex nature of a hybrid engine. Whichever vehicle you choose, you should always bear in mind that both require a specialised electric and hybrid car garage willing and able to work with electric motors.
If your vehicle is due its annual service, our specialised mechanics here at Protyre are ready to assist. Book a service online now or give us a call to speak to one of our engineers.