One of the main selling features of electric vehicles is that there are fewer parts. So there are fewer parts to fix or maintain. We can all agree on that. But Skoda, a popular Volkwagen Czech subsidiary in other countries, has taken that given to an extreme. It says that the mileage of your EV doesn’t matter when it comes to service and maintenance. Your only visits to the shop will be for service intervals for things like wiper fluid and cabin filters.
And for those service intervals, it recommends stopping into your dealership every other year. Brake lining is lumped into what will need servicing as they wear down, too. But even these will last a lot longer than with current ICE vehicles. So whether you drive 5,000 miles or 205,000 miles, it is unimportant says Skoda.
“Service frequency is not influenced by mileage”
Skoda EV service and maintenance| VW
“The ENYAQ iV is the first Skoda whose service frequency is not influenced by mileage. The car ought to be serviced regularly every two years,” says Karel Starý, who heads up after sales at Skoda Czech Republic.
In those two-year maintenance intervals here is what Skoda does, “There’s no need to change the oil, oil and fuel filters or spark plugs. The only standard tasks left are changing the interior dust and pollen filter, brake fluid, and checking the air conditioning, wipers, and other consumables. Electric cars also have to have their coolant changed after a few years, but even this is cheaper than similar servicing for conventional cars.”
“Thanks to recuperation, electric cars go easier on the braking system, and there is no need to replace worn parts such as timing belts, injectors, the clutch, dual-mass flywheel, particulate filters, EGR valve, turbocharger, and other parts,” says Starý.
All of this flies in the face of some EV manufacturers like Tesla and Ford. Both require service intervals every 6,250 miles for both the Tesla Model S and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Ford even warns, “Do not exceed one year or 10,000 miles between service intervals.”
Typical maintenance intervals from other EV manufacturers is two to six years
Skoda EV maintenance diagnostics | VW
But Tesla’s Model X and Y are at different intervals. Both are recommended at four-year service intervals, and the Model 3 is recommended every six years. Those recommendations are aligning more with what Skoda is offering up. We might add, however, that some of the biggest complaints found on Tesla forums are about its Service Centers.
Porsche stretches those intervals out a bit more for the Taycan. “Porsche Taycan models require routine maintenance every 2 years or 20,000 miles. During your routine service visit, we replace your cabin air filter to ensure you and your passenger always breathe fresh air while cruising in your Taycan. We also flush and replace your brake fluid, which maintains your stopping distance.” And Rivian is similar. Brake fluid is flushed every two years, and the cabin filter is changed annually.
So if Skoda’s enthusiasm seems extreme, it does fit in with what other EV manufacturers recommend. If you’re considering an EV, this is one of the advantages you cannot overlook.
Keyword: Manufacturer Says Mileage Won’t Matter When it Comes To EV Maintenance: Really?!