Report: Electric Vehicles Cost Half as Much to Maintain

"Electrics just don’t need as much maintenance as gas-powered cars."

Long Game

Over a lifetime of use, electric cars are vastly cheaper to maintain than cars that run on gas.

That's according to a new report by Consumer Reports that found that electric vehicles (EVs) cost roughly half as much to maintain as a gas car, and that the savings were about the same regardless of whether the car was a hybrid or entirely battery-powered. The bonus could help offset the fact that many EVs are still prohibitively expensive.

Slow Burn

On average and broken down over the course of a vehicle's lifetime, Consumer Reports found that ICE cars cost about $0.061 per mile in maintenance and repair fees. Meanwhile, battery-electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf, cost about $0.031 per mile and plug-in hybrid vehicles, like the Toyota Prius, cost $0.030 per mile.

"Electrics just don’t need as much maintenance as gas-powered cars, and even though repairs won’t necessarily be less expensive, they are less frequently needed," Gabe Shenhar, associate director of the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, said in a press release.

Cleaning Up

The high initial cost of an EV is still a deterrent to more widespread adoption. But knowing that they'll spend less over time could be enough to sway more drivers into making the switch, which would go a long way toward curbing carbon emissions.

"In addition to being easier and cheaper to maintain," Shenhar added, "many EVs deliver better acceleration compared to gas-powered vehicles, and don’t pump harmful pollution into our air."

READ MORE: Electric vehicle owners spending half as much on maintenance compared to gas-powered vehicle owners, finds new CR analysis [Consumer Reports]

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