Škoda wants to convince people about the benefits of switching to EVs by going after the dreaded maintenance and service intervals needed to keep ICE cars running. The Czech carmakerclaims that counting miles will be unnecessary for EV servicing schedules, due to their mechanical simplicity. The only thing you’ll have to remember is a two-year time period in between shop visits.
It doesn’t matter if you drive 12,000 miles or 120,000. Škoda says your EV won’t care; the only measure needed to track upcoming service is going to be time. The Škoda Enyaq IV, which is like the VW ID.4’s cousin, will need to visit the shop every couple of years, according to the carmaker:
For the customer, though, these cars are in fact a relief as far as regular servicing goes.
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“The ENYAQ iV is the first ŠKODA whose service frequency is not influenced by mileage. The car ought to be serviced regularly every two years,” says Karel Starý, Head of After Sales at ŠKODA Czech Republic. So the electric SUV’s owners don’t have to keep an eye on their mileage at all.
The carmaker’s claim is not that revolutionary; fewer parts need fewer shop visits. And even though Škoda is touting the benefits of owning the Enyaq IV, the list of maintenance items it mentions applies to many other EVs.
When it’s laid out, the maintenance items are relatively few. Škoda lists the following items as those its techs will look at during infrequent shop visits:
…there’s no need to change the oil, oil and fuel filters or spark plugs. The only standard tasks left are changing the interior dust and pollen filter, brake fluid, and checking the air conditioning, wipers and other consumables. Electric cars also have to have their coolant changed after a few years, but even this is cheaper than similar servicing for conventional cars.
Notice coolant flushes are still in there, along with brake fluid. Škoda says that EV braking systems will see less wear, though, which means replacement of its components will be required less often. Meanwhile, other “wear items” will be gone altogether:
And an electric car saves on service costs in other ways, too. “Thanks to recuperation, electric cars go easier on the braking system, and there is no need to replace worn parts such as timing belts, injectors, the clutch, dual-mass flywheel, particulate filters, EGR valve, turbocharger and other parts,” says Karel Starý.
Of course, Škoda admits that battery degradation will happen, but it’s being a little optimistic about the need for those repairs. The carmaker says that when the battery goes bad, it’s rarely the whole thing that needs replacing and swapping out the battery module that degraded most is fine. The cost of that service will allegedly be about the same as replacing an ICE car’s turbocharger.
The funny thing about all this is that most people already take a “time-not- miles” approach. Outside of car enthusiasts and the most responsible owners, people just ask when their last service was instead of trying to guess their car’s odometer reading at the time. I’m just happy that responsible car ownership is going to get easier. No more oily napkins with Sharpie-scribbled numbers. No more faded stickers in the corner of the windshield. Suck it, mileage!
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