Stay friendly with your local mechanic for suspension components, brakes, body panels and interiors
http://ecomento.com/2014/09/24/why-electric-cars-are-cheaper-to-service/ Why electric cars are cheaper to service September 24, 2014 – Scott Huntington [image http://ecomento.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/electric-car-servicing-costs.jpg video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8jRAwIzPTM EN | Bosch Regenerative Braking BoschAutomotive Mar 9, 2012 Regenerative braking is the recovery of kinetic energy during braking. In a conventional vehicle, a majority of the kinetic energy is converted during friction braking into heat and emitted unused into the environment. Hybrid and electric vehicles can use the electric motor to recuperate at least a portion of the kinetic energy for reuse. Regenerative braking enables an extended range in electric vehicles as well as lowering fuel consumption and improving CO2 balance in hybrid vehicles. Additional information: http://www.bosch-kraftfahrzeugtechnik.de/en/de/driving_safety/driving_safety_systems_for_passenger_cars_1/active_safety/active_safety_2.html ] By now, we’ve all seen the numbers on the cost of ownership for an electric vehicle. The savings on fuel costs and government assistance programs can help you recoup the extra cost of the car in the first three or four years alone. Once you reach that break-even point you start making your money back. Electricity prices are regulated by the government, so while you will certainly use more electricity once you own an electric vehicle, you won’t have to suffer the same gas price spike that forced me to get rid of my Mercury Mountaineer back in the day. At this point, the numbers are in and they have been verified time and again. An electric vehicle costs less than a traditional gasoline-powered car in long-range operating costs. But what about maintenance and service? If you believe some reports, your electric vehicle is nothing more than a blender on wheels. That may not quite be true, but electric cars are far simpler than gasoline cars in mechanical terms, which fewer parts to go wrong. Let’s take a look at the things your electric vehicle does not have: Alternator Clutch Belts Spark plugs and wires Radiator Timing and serpentine belts Fuel injectors and pumps We could keep going, or you can look at the parts for a regular car (a Ford Focus) and check out the average prices for those parts you’ll never have to deal with. There’s also going to be less wear and tear on the parts it does have. Sophisticated regenerative braking systems are designed to recapture the energy normally lost during braking. In a traditional car, if you wish to reduce your speed, you press the brake pedal, which engages the brake pads and rotors. The pads and rotors use friction to turn your kinetic energy into heat and the car stops. The friction wears material off the pads and rotors, so you have to replace them fairly often. In a regenerative braking system, the first layer of retardation is an electric motor. Instead of using the motor to power your wheels, your wheels power the electric motor as it runs in reverse. As you decelerate, the electric motor captures kinetic energy and convert it into electricity, which is then stored in the battery for later use. Traditional pads and rotors still provide backup when more forceful stopping power is necessary, but using the motor initially puts much less stress on those pads and rotors, so they last longer. Check out the clip above. Stay friendly with your local mechanic To hear electric car advocates tell it, you will hardly ever have to take your car in for service. After all, the electric drive motor that powers your wheels is, at its very core, not much more complicated than the electric motor that powers your ceiling fan. Sure, the electronics that are connected to it to control every aspect of its operation are more complicated, but the motors have very few moving parts, resulting in fewer opportunities for failure. “Wiper blades and tires” is a popular refrain when discussing the potential repair costs for an electric vehicle, but this simplifies it a bit too much. While it’s true that any other service issues will require more sophisticated equipment than a normal shop carries, electric vehicles still have suspension components, brakes, body panels and interiors, so don’t think that your days of waiting at the garage are completely over. Still, in the long run, they’re going to be much cheaper to service with greater reliability. 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