EV vs Petrol : Inflation in fuel prices and rapid acceptance of electric vehicles (EVs) among consumers has given many Indian buyers of cars and scooters to ponder- Should I buy an EV or continue with petrol? EV maintenance is believed to be cheaper, but what about the initial cost? Is that a truth? Let us take a simple calculation of both the electric car and petrol vehicle maintenance costs over time to compare between the two.
A petrol vehicle comes with an engine that has multiple moving parts-spark plug, engine oil, filters, clutches-just about everything that also calls for consistent servicing, oiling, and perhaps costly repairs as the car or bike climbs up the age scale. On average, petrol cars and bikes go in for maintenance after every 5,000-10,000 kilometers.
Throughout the years, however, these amounts add up. A petrol car’s routine servicing would still range anywhere from ₹4,000-7,000 per service. Two-wheelers, although cheaper, do require oil changes and some parts to be replaced.
Next, coming to the EVs? Electric vehicles work on electric motors which, in comparison to a petrol automobile, have far lesser moving parts. There are no engine oils, clutches, or spark plug therapies, which lowers the wear and tear. The basic servicing of an EV involves software updates, brakes checks, and tyre rotations.
With respect to an electric scooter or an electric car, maintenance costs on average are much less-usually, below ₹2,000 per service. Regenerative braking, meanwhile, reduces the wear and tear on brake pads.
Then again, battery maintenance is problematic! A modern-day automobile battery has a life of about 7-10 years at maximum. Replacing the battery will cost anything between ₹60,000 and ₹1.5 lakh more for most models. However, most EV manufacturers give an 8-year warranty on their batteries, which mostly eliminates this cost as a worry for the owner.
Thus, maintenance over the long term turns out to be cheaper for electric vehicles. Electric cars are initially expensive to buy; these considerations weigh in the long run with servicing costs. On the other hand, petrol cars are cheap to buy but would start piling up costs within 5-7 years by way of maintenance costs and fuel.
Put briefly, EVs are the way to go if you want a car that will serve you for many good years, in terms of savings and maintenance.