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The world of sustainable mobility is recently wondering whether electric cars will be subject to maintenance. Online you can read articles in which it is stated how electric cars do not require maintenance. All of this is obviously false… and in this article we will explain why.
- Premise
- The engine
- The batteries
- Technology
- Conclusions
- YouDriver
Premise
The progressive transition process from thermal engines to electric ones is introducing changes also for the maintenance sector.
Many people, who are embracing the world of electric, are wondering if, even in the absence of cylinders and pistons, electric cars are still subject to maintenance. Many of those who are supporters of the ecological transition, say, in fact, that electric cars will not be subject to maintenance, with an immediate benefit in economic terms.
We are probably listening to the biggest hoax and inaccuracy in the automotive world in recent years.
Electric cars, in fact, do not move with the air and therefore need a necessary maintenance on components other than thermal cars. In fact, let's not forget that, with the exception of the motor, our car is made up of many other components that are subject to classic wear.
Think, for example, of all the moving parts, such as suspensions and brakes. The suspensions will still be stressed, especially if we travel on roads that are not well built. The brakes, on the other hand, are and will be used in advance less and less, as regenerative braking will be used more and more.
The engine
As we said, the electric car engine also has moving parts. The latter are subject to wear and therefore require maintenance. Let us also remember that often all these components are assembled together and therefore there is a need to observe and carry out maintenance on these assemblies. In fact, there may be internal breakages, which must be avoided.
All moving parts need to be lubricated in order to slide freely. Obviously the lubricant is not eternal and, sooner or later, it will have to be replaced. Alternatively, the lubricated organs will need to be changed.
An important and extremely technical aspect, which almost no one considers, is the “electrical” factor of the engine. Even if the latter is very isolated from the rest of the car, it suffers greatly from humidity, as well as from water, oxidation and corrosion.
Furthermore, the hot / cold cycles are very deleterious for the duration and health of the batteries. Each car designed has obviously been the subject of careful analysis during the design phase. In real practice it is used in all climatic conditions. Although car manufacturers make suitable cars for every part of the world, the same model can be used in a warm environment, or in cold, dry, humid and so on.
The batteries
The heart of the electric car is clearly the batteries. The latter are cooled, together with the engine, by coolants and by ad hoc systems. Obviously, even in this case, wear is important and is present in a clear and clear way.
To keep the batteries working efficiently, we will need to replace the coolant. If the latter deteriorates, the batteries overheat and the potential yield drops.
The risk is premature damage and a decrease in mileage. Therefore, if we carry out a timely replacement of the coolant, the batteries will have an optimal efficiency in terms of performance and autonomy of the car.
In the sustainable automotive world, the key factor for development is, in fact, autonomy. The latter will be the most revolutionized over the next few years, also in consideration of the arrival of the famous solid state batteries.
Technology
Modern electric cars are extremely technological. Old cars were more mechanical than technological. Now the components, such as control units and electronic instruments, are the masters.
These latter components are also essential for proper functioning, especially if we are talking about autonomous driving and driving assistants. Obviously, radars, as well as the various automatic braking systems, can face problems at an electronic and engineering level. In order to prevent these driving assistants from functioning incorrectly, maintenance is required.
Conclusions
To conclude this article, we can clearly say that maintenance in electric cars is, and will be, always present and absolutely fundamental.
A very clear and indelible memory is that linked to the transition between leaded and unleaded petrol. On the occasion of this passage, the first catalytic cars were seen. The sellers, often and willingly, claimed that the cars born for leaded petrol would not work with the green and could explode engines with apocalyptic scenes. Despite everything, the historic cars still drive perfectly.
Now, people's fear of not being able to circulate and having to change cars by going to electric is absolutely not founded. The reality is that the sellers clearly want to sell the new cars, in a saturated sector that has been in crisis for several years.
The mechanics, on the other hand, must remain absolutely calm as they still have a lot of work . Clearly the type of work could change, as well as the way of relating and communicating with the customer. Maintenance interventions will therefore be much more sophisticated and much more complex to carry out.
The scope of the diagnosis will be fundamental in order to be able to quickly understand what the problems are.
YouDriver
YouDriver is the perfect application for all passionate people of the Automotive world. Each individual mechanic can highlight his own characteristics and diagnostic systems on the entire workshop card, as well as the types and areas of intervention he can carry out.
With the expansion of the sustainable automotive market, it is in fact essential to have the ability to embrace these new cars, which are climbing the sales charts.
credit photo FREEPIK
