8 Electric Car Service Questions

Gas-powered cars have one big advantage over EVs: drivers feel comfortable with them. Owning a vehicle that you need to plug in and charge sounds daunting, and the idea alone dissuades plenty of people from taking the leap. The truth is that charging your EV is no more complicated than charging your phone!

Another roadblock for EVs is uncertainty around electric car service. Do electric cars need oil? Do electric cars have a transmission? Do they have horsepower? You may be surprised to learn that electric cars require less maintenance than conventional gas vehicles and hybrids. Below, Nissan of Florence answers eight electric car service questions to demystify the inner workings of EVs.

1. Do Electric Cars Need Oil?

No, because an electric car doesn’t have an engine. Motor oil’s function is to lubricate the moving parts within the engine and prevent friction and overheating. Without an engine, there’s no need for oil to keep things moving smoothly. (However, plug-in hybrid vehicles do use oil and require oil changes, since they have a battery and a combustion engine!)

2. Do Electric Cars Have Horsepower?

Horsepower is a unit used to measure an engine’s power output. You could measure an EV’s output in hp — so technically, yes, electric cars do have horsepower — but most automakers measure EV output in kilowatts. A quick search for “kw to hp” is helpful if you prefer the more familiar unit.

3. Do Electric Cars Have a Transmission?

In a gas-powered car, the transmission transfers the engine’s revolutions to the axles, which spin the wheels. Changing the gear adjusts the amount of torque produced by the engine. In an electric car, there’s no need for varying gear rations because electric motors produce a consistent amount of torque, regardless of RPM. That torque is provided instantaneously, eliminating the need to rev the engine or change gears.

4. Do Electric Cars Have Alternators?

No, there’s no alternator in an electric car. Instead, EVs and hybrids have a DC-to-DC converter that recharges a 12-volt battery with power from the battery pack.

5. Do Electric Cars Have Catalytic Converters?

The catalytic converter is another part you don’t need to worry about with an EV! In a gasoline vehicle, it removes the byproducts of the internal combustion engine. This isn’t necessary in a vehicle that has no engine.

6. Do Electric Cars Have Exhaust Systems?

Electric cars produce no exhaust, so there’s no need for a system that outputs it! An electric motor does not burn fuel to power the vehicle, so there are no exhaust gases.

7. Do Electric Cars Have Heaters/Do Electric Cars Have Air Conditioning?

Absolutely! Electric cars have heating and cooling systems that can keep you comfortable no matter the weather in Darlington and Dillon — they’re just built differently. Electricity stored in the battery is used to power the AC and heating. The efficiency of these systems will have a big impact on the driving range of the EV.

8. Do Electric Cars Last Longer Than Gas Cars?

Gas cars can drive further on a full tank of gas than electric cars can drive on a full charge — for now! Electric cars are catching up fast as automakers throw their resources behind EV development. One of the best perks of going electric? If you drive an electric car, service visits are fewer and further between. With fewer parts and components that can wear out, electric cars can spend more time on the road in Sumter and less time in the auto shop.

Nissan of Florence: Your One-Stop Shop for Electric Car Service

If you need clarification on any electric car service topics, we’re here to help. As your dedicated Nissan dealer in Florence, we aim to make EV ownership easy and accessible. Be sure to check out our current service deals before scheduling your next appointment!