Electric vs. Gas Maintenance Costs | What to Expect in the First 150,000 Miles 

EVs have a reputation for being easier to maintain than a gas-powered car. But is that the truth? We check it out. Read our full article here: www.carmax.com/articles/electric-car-maintenance

Imagine how hard its gonna be to resell a car like that when the buyer has to consider that in a few years the battery is going to need to be replaced

340$ for a cabin filter?? ..I replaced mine for 29$ ..seriously.

With gas vehicles, you can shop around for a mechanic. There are only a few EV shops and even minor work requires a specially-trained software guy with specialized tools. Which do you think costs more?

A fairer comparison would be Corolla versus bolt. The higher upfront price of the vehicle should be included with the car decision, also if the car was financed, that higher price is increased due to paying for interest of the hire price.

I haven’t read too much about people replacing batteries at 150,000 miles. Old Tesla batteries seem to be good for 300,000 from what I’ve read. Plus in ten years, battery costs should be at least half of what they are now.

I think the likelyhood of a battery losing that much range at 150,000 miles should have been mentioned here. Tesla's batteries have been holding up really well over the years.

Easily understandable comparison. However you missed out 1 more tire change on 50K to 100K mile range. If you replace it on 30K, then the next replacement is 60K and 90K (2 replacements). Next will be 120K and 150k (2 replacements) plus battery replacement (big ouch at current price of say 10K USD or more). EV battery warranties have a number of exclusions (due to flood etc) and you maybe out of luck before it expires. Of course the good thing about EV when it reaches 150,000 miles mileage is that it has lesser carbon footprint than an ICE car.

There are a good amount of Teslas on original batteries at over 300k miles. And many close to that with nearly 90% of the original capacity. And batteries will continue to drop in price. Put a new battery in when it dies and keep going. The drivetrain is good for 1M miles.

Rented a Tesla Model 3 in LA for a few days. Incredible car with incredible tech. It really does feel like your driving in the future. The system is impressive and the acceleration pulls you into the seat. And charging the car at a supercharger for $10 is nice on the wallet. I’m a F150 owner and was a little disappointed when I had to return the car. I feel everyone should get behind the wheel of one before making an assumption on EVs - the tech really has come along ways.

I'm 49 years old, and I do my own maintenance most of the time. I just prefer gas power still. Cost can be kept down with DIY, and understanding the older systems just feels better. An Eav would need a whole new set of tools,Know how, and I'm just too old

I did many hours of research on Prius this week: very important to clean the battery fan air filter regularly to extend battery life! The other good news is that hybrid battery prices have come down and there’s a new niche of mechanics installing rebuilt batteries at reasonable cost.

Less than 1% of evs have needed a high voltage battery replacement. I expect over time that number will go up . But they either fail very early , or they last a really long time .

I had a 96 Pontiac Grand Am I parked it over 300,000 miles I don’t remember changing any belts. Brakes on the other hand about every 30,000 miles. With the structural battery packs on the model Y I believe it is not replaceable at all the car becomes scrap. Please correct me if I’m wrong?

You gotta do one of these for hybrid as well. Great video btw!

Tire rotation shouldn’t be a cost. Those are free services in places like Discount Tire.

Insurance costs installing at home charger $2000:00, waiting time while charging turning an 8 hr journey into a 12 hr journey add another $400.00 each way per trip. Depreciation @ 40% p/a

So what about a Toyota Hybrid, which uses regenerative braking, and no belts to replace, and gets very high mpg's. The battery costs about $3,000 to replace if it's outside it's 10 year 150,000 mile warranty?

I’ll stick with Toyota any day! Even the hybrid which I’ve owned! Any day of the week! No questions and no reservations or hesitation!

Most old EV battery even after 150K degrade less than 15% and your chance is slim it needs a new battery replacement. So many car owner trade in their car every 5 years.

To make a more appropriate comparison you needed to include total cost of fuel in this. The battery replacement might not look so bad once you have factored that in.

Agree i shop around for a mechanic. Most maintenance on ICE I do myself. I have lifetime brake pads from Autozone so I replace them in 1/2 hour. Oil changes cost $50 at jiffylube. EVS can be carostrophic to have repaired. You cant shop around for EV repairs because you go thru tesla or the warranty is gone.

I have a 2013 fusion, I haven't spent your "estimated" repairs. 220k miles

I've been researching cost of ownership between ICE and EVs, and with the help of AI I did a rough estimate from info found online between a Honda Accord(gas & hybrid) and a Tesla Model 3. Assuming that I pay 30k for either vehicle, I found that the Hybrid is slightly cheaper to own than the gas version over the 15 years. It is the cost of insurance and battery replacement that unfortunately kills it for the EVs at the moment. The gas ends up being around 29-30k cheaper than the Tesla The Hybrid ends up being around $3k-4k cheaper than the gas

I currently have a 2022 Honda Accord Sport for $32,000 and I’m leasing it so, I want to replace it, next year, for a 2024 Acura Hybrid or Honda Accord Hybrid.

My Model 3 maintenance is much lower. Just set of new tires and a front windshield replacement from a rock chip.

When I had my 2019 mustang I looked at the cost of replacing the motor. It’s $14,580 new and that doesn’t include shipping, installation and then all the setup. Replacing a battery is very close to the same cost as replacing a motor. Even the eco boost is nearly $7k just for the motor. And yes you can get a used motor for cheaper. But looking at real cost Apples to Apple new replacement it’s very close to the same cost for both.

In florida i pay $750 for 6 months insurance on lexus nx hybrid and got lowest quote of $1800 for 6 months on model y. Thats your answer

Does the cost of replacement battery also include the cost of labour?

Tesla battery warranties may be 100k miles but Tesla batteries can go 250,000 or more. There are not too many data points since Tesla didn’t achieve mass production until 2018 or so, but Model S/X taxis report 400-500k miles. And that’s with lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-aluminum chemistry. The newer LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) chemistries show DOUBLE life testing in the lab. They are expected to last 1 million miles - the car will wear out first! Contrary to the case of a battery powered flashlight, in the future you may keep the battery and replace the car instead.

This video makes the statement, "studies show that electric vehicles cost less to maintain than their gas-powered counterparts". Precisely which "studies" and which EV models is this referring to? Most EV models that exist today don't have a track record anywhere near long enough to support the statement. Also, the purchase price of EV's (even minus government rebates) is so exorbitant vs gas powered cars that the total cost of owning an EV is higher.

That battery dropping to 70% capacity after 150k miles is an assumption that kinda came out of nowhere. In the video they said they take the number 70% because that's what manufacter warranty is, but it has nothing to do with 150k miles.

We also have to take into consideration that EVs seem to depreciate faster than many similar gas vehicles. That cost of depreciation should be factored in if you're going to resell the vehicle.

A better comparison would be a hybrid vs an EV. A Toyota Prius lasts a lot longer than 150,000 miles. 10,000 mile oil change intervals will not get you to 150,000 miles. That will shorten the life of your engine.you also did not factor in the battery being shot !

And this is in perfect conditions. Factor in nature and real life. And gas will exceed ev in all factors. Taking a vacation somewhere? Im sure you dont wanna stop and wait at multiple superchargers. Towing anything with ev? Watch range drop to about 50% or less. Now.... new gas powered vehicles have planned obscelecence built in. But a real mechanic wont burn that much in repair costs. Especially if the vehicle is taken care of vs running it into the ground.

In Africa we don’t buy tires for 2000$ at most 4 sets might cost you 100$ so ev still wins for me here

I think it’s also worth noting that we’ve been mastering petrol engines much longer than EVs in terms of large scale production so EV batteries are only getting better and better. They will hypothetically be able to outlast the car soon with new battery chemistries. That being said, if you want to buy a great cheap reliable car that won’t require much maintenance you should still buy a Toyota. If you want to be an EV adopter and get that great acceleration at a normal price, but more expensive than a Toyota Corolla, get an EV like an LFP rear wheel drive Tesla Model 3. That should last you a very long time assuming you are doing the basics of battery maintenance (not letting the battery sit at too low a state of charge for too long). Otherwise just wait and the cost of batteries will reduce, the battery degradation will be improved, the battery life will improve, and the source of electricity will become more sustainable. By then, it will be silly not to consider daily driving an EV.

Weighing more? A Tesla model 3 weighs the same as BMW M3. So not all are heavier so cannot use that as a general guide.

I have to wonder what cars you are looking at. Tesla has an annual brake inspections and lube, also the bi annual a/c service? Where is this? Why would a gas car have twice the tire rotation cost, and why would you pay for it? Annual brake inspections are $236 alone, A/C service is over $500, drive battery can exceed the cars value. They run thru tires at 3 to 4 times the rate of gas cars. They have battery and inverter coolants. EVs still have lubricant, 12 volt batteries, wipers, air filters. Belts should last 100k these days. EV brake inspections exceed all my ICE maintenance, so do the tire replacement. But this is all moot due to Elon Musk, had realized hydrogen is way better and is switching over, and the EV hype is over.

I was told $20,000 for new battery on some ev battery replacement, and dealership try to weasel out of as many warranty clams,because manufacturers refuse them

The video did not compare the price of gas to electric. If your power in your electric vehicle at home during the night we get electric prices are cheapest. You’re saving a lot of money per mile on the price of fuel.

good vid

I had a 1986 Dodge van that had 325,000 plus miles on the original motor. Replaced trans @ 200k diesels can get much more then that

What about the cost to insure for both?

high quality video ty carmax

258 miles at full capacity??? That’s terrible I need a gas car

Two conserns. If the car cost 2x as much to buy up front is that a savings or a loss over all. 2nd phone battery and chargers change quickly i worry abit about the car being the old styal battery and not being charge able at the upgraded station when the inabital advances come. Added idea personal one person bike lane like cars electric camuters and gas being your work hores bigger car for bad weather,jobs, and trips.

Good presentation in ROUTINE SERVICE less maintenance. After the warranty when electronics problems arises, charges for repairs are street time that might give you a heart attack. 😂 Advice is keep your old car until your dying day. 😮

What is the cost of an engine and transmission rebuild? Its not cheap

It depends you can rebuild a engine and entire car for alot cheaper than rebuilding the battery

But lets say you pay $10,000 for a New Battery. Youre good for another 150,000 miles roughly. Where as in a Gas car at 150,000 miles you might need a new transmission or something else expensive. And No one speaks on it but you may need a new Engine after 200,000 miles. That could be $5,000 - $10,000 so they keep you paying the same amount just when you pay is the difference.

love it

In addition to the battery, aren't the electronic and electrical components also an issue for the EV? I know ICE cars are also becoming technically infused, but the the EV is stillore complex. Also, I can't exactly find a trusted mechanic who would charge me reasonable prices to fix my EV, unlike my ICE car.

2020 Tesla Model 3 LR; 35k miles, one set of tires, free rotation; cabin filter and washer fluid. Period. Oops, also $650 for home charger.

Who keeps a car for 10 years? I don’t!

I have had my EV for over 5 years…. No breaks , no oil changes, one tire change, 2 services one at 2 yr and 4 years at about $250 per service. You are also counting the time waiting and going for oil changes. I don’t know how many Saturdays I wasted waiting for an oil change. About 6% range loss so far. I think you may be overstating the battery replacements and making it sound scary for people who do not drive EVs and are already skeptical and scared.

I think by the time 15 years is up, a replacement battery pack will be much less than it is today. The price of lithium has dropped significantly, and as retired packs are recycled, that influx of materials will cause a glut of the base materials, making production of new cells a much less expensive operation. Still, after 15 years, will this generation of EVs be ready to be retired due to the advances in design Tesla and others come up with during the next 15 years? I bet there will be way better EVs to have as primary vehicles, but just like the classic cars we have today, there may be a nostalgia that develops, but electronic tech of late, does not age well like the Old Time antique radios did. How many people are hanging onto a 25” Color TV as opposed to a 1941 Zenith Radio?

Cabin air filter $255? Wt????

Pretty close if you don’t include barge of 300 bucks a month on fuel savings lol

Teslas at 40-60k miles are having coolant motor seals leaking fluid into the motor and destroying them costing owners thousands!!! In areas where they have a lot of water especially salt water getting by the battery hermetic seals causing the battery packs to go into arc weld fires!!! Yikes!!!!

Consider the environmental impact of making a gas vs EV. Then consider that a gas car can be worked on by people with general mechanical experience, but not an EV. And consider the environmental impact of disposal of both. I have no problem with EVs. I just don’t want one. It’s a personal choice everyone should make. I think we all know that the government is pushing EVs very hard and their data might not be the most reliable. I say, be honest with the data and let the market do the rest. Give the climate change mess a rest, and let people decide what’s best for them.

What car cabin air filter costs $255 to change out?!?! Just get a K&N once and be done with it!!

Don’t forget the cost of insurance is more on BEVs than it is on ICE cars. Tesla body work is notoriously expensive. Not to mention that, in the practical world nearly all your charging is going to be done at home, which means that you have a single supplier for your power. Don’t like the rates? Tough, better move to a new home in a different market. Care to take a guess how many times the (highly regulated) utility has LOWERED the cost of electricity in the past 100 years?

what about the time and hassle of charging and the issues at charging stations!!!!!

Its not this simple, you compare fuel cost of 30mpg car like a Camry and 100mpge of a bolt and its a different result

There’s a lot of factors that you can’t add into this. Not all vehicles need to be fixed at 150k. We also don’t know what fuel is going to cost in 10 years compared to electricity. If I was going to guess, I’d say fuel is going to continue to get more and more expensive while batteries and electricity will continue to get cheap.

If you keep your EV in mint condition and have had no major accidents replacing the battery is a no-brainer. Way cheaper than buying a new car.

My cousin has a tesla and I have a honda. We compare costs and the EV cost is much higher.

I guess EVs are nice for Industrial Work and People who drive less than 30 miles a day. They seem to balance out no matter what.

should have been the corolla hybrid vs bolt camry is a much bigger car

Good video, but just a few points. Battery technology is improving every year. LFP batteries not only don't have controversial cobalt, they last a lot longer than current NMC batteries. Musk has called them the battery of the future. So another advantage for EVs. And there are now tires on the market made specifically for EVs that are stiffer and last a lot longer. Not a good ride for gas cars, but a good ride for heavier EVs. And they don't cost anymore than regular tires. Technology is addressing some of the concerns for EVs. ... And not only that. There are more and more Teslas with 200,000 miles that are not only on their original battery, but also on their original brakes!

Plus gas vs electric plug in cost

EVs make sense as long as they're under warranty Once they're out of warranty or near the end of warranty you start getting hit with massive repair bills because nobody but the dealership works on them because of the batteries. And when you go to trade in or sale your EV, you quickly realize they are almost completely and utterly worthless and you have absolutely no equity in them because their battery is such a massive liability. Plus they just don't age well. A lot of gas cars can run decades just because they don't get high mileage use. An EV battery degrades regardless of use.

I'll keep my gas. I'm not paying 10k for a battery that would be 20k already on the jeep. i own that's 250k miles. It's already a new car at that point, and the jeep starts and drives just fine

Using a Tesla battery as example. The degradation of the battery is not down to 70% on the average. On the average after 10 years of life you still have over 85%.

The current REAL authority right now would be HERTZ, just on the first year a little over double than a gas power.

I find that It is incorrect on the Evie Battery problems stwrite around 60 to 70000 miles I know I bought one Add battery issues then it burned out because of the battery Maintenance on the EV is 3 times as much as it would be for a gas I know they Because mine was costing me a fortune it was a Tesla

Ev tires wear out faster because of insane acceleration I just can't resit.

Tire rotation $1325????? Wtf?

The comparison I don't think is that realistic. Most of the cost on the gas powered cars are never spent, And the price comparisons are in an ideal world, and most people do not drive in an ideal world. (Who changes their cabin air filter, at the ridiculous prices?). Another huge factor is that EVs do not perform well in extremely hot or extremely cold weather. In my opinion they still have a long way to go before the technology perfects them. And in California good luck charging them during the rolling blackouts.😂

Wait till you have to replace catalytic converter- oxygen sensor and have to deal with check engine craziness 😂😂 on gas car I’m assuming electric won’t need them

As usual, EV promoters leave out details…. like the cost of recharging i.e. cost of having a home plug installed and the cost of an EV charging station on the road. A Wall Street Journal writer rented an EV from Boston to New Orleans and stopped 18 time to recharge… gas is a 15-20 minute stop while an EV stop is at least several hours. Bottom line, she said an EV was off her list of things she’d tolerate!

What about nuclear?

10k for a replacement battery is still cheaper then buying a "new" used car.

Cost to fix almost as much as the car

So replacing a Battery vs replacing a Engine seems a little cheaper with electric vs a car engine. Because after 150,000 miles the engine will go bad by having belt issues and all.

This is BS. How do they explain how a gas vehicle costs $2385 for tire rotation and inspection? That's ridiculous.

Don’t forget your insurance company and possible battery fires due to battery charging and fires !!!

Replacing batteries is a "personal decision"? EV batteries outlast the car: 200k-300k miles or more.

Rented a Model Y while in Germany. I loved it. But the range was very poor. I went from 92-28 % SOC in 91 miles. Also, using a fast charger to charge it back to over 90soc cost 50-60 Euros. About 75 dollars. Would charge it back over 90SOC in a little over an hour. So. Drive an hour, charge an hour. Also I would lose 1-2 percent SOC over night while parked. Ambient Temp at night was around 5-10 C. So, Cost to operate is around 75 dollars an hour on just Electrons. With Insurance, tires, brakes and such and being that this car is so freekin heavy, you will be going through brakes and tires fast!! And the car costs over 73k Euros or around 85k dollars. So. Adding that in, the cost per hour to operated or cost per mile is off the scale!!! Someone do the math for me!! Yikes!!! Now. If you go and buy a used Toyota Camry for around 5 grand or less, well. Do that math on that. Also with the Camry you can take a trip to see grandma and get there in a day or 2. The Tesla. Well.. Lets just say.. You can do it if you want to make the trip to Grandmas a major part of the trip! Basically , the Tesla is a rich mans toy/commuter/virtual signal emitter. Also EV's are not as efficient as a ICV. Axiomatic

The old man in me perfer ICE but... I have an ebike. I know I'd perfer the ebike over a combustible engine on it. So I'm in process of retraining my brain. 😊

Wrong! My tesla battery has lost only 2% in 4 years. Don't offer this FUD

Now isn’t the time to buy a electric car wait till they figure out how to charge them most any where the grid can’t charge too many cars

This is overproduced and under researched. Yikes

WOW, you save $5,000 on driving an EV, but pay $30,000 more up front... lolololol

Very unfair comparison. You should’ve compared a hybrid with an EV. Nobody I know debates whether an EV costs less to maintain than a full petrol vehicle. And if you’re replacing an engine or transmission at 150k, that’s just a crappy car (probably a Nissan or Mercedes). This video was literally useless.

To travel long distance . Camry gas for sure

I got dumber watching this. I've owned a Chevy electric car since 2015, and there's unequivocally no way I could have spent less with a gas car. I've saved thousands of dollars. If you have to get to work every day, drive electric and save money. Oh, also, they are zippy. Super fun to drive. Smarter can = fun

Scumbaggery. Yes regen braking but also heavier. Also, the Camry is a bigger car as they said. They couldn't take Volvo or any other make that makes the exact same model of car in both BEV and ICE. Scumbaggery.

Duh, yes!