When the first wave of electric vehicles (EVs) hit the roads, many drivers marvelled at the silence, the instant torque, and the sense that they were stepping into the future. But one of the quieter revolutions in EV ownership has unfolded not on the road, but in the garage.
For decades, car servicing followed a familiar rhythm: oil changes every few thousand miles, regular spark plug replacements, timing belt concerns, exhaust system repairs—the list went on. These scheduled rituals were almost sacred in the ownership experience. With EVs, that calendar is getting torn up and rewritten.
Fewer Moving Parts, Fewer Problems?
The average internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle contains hundreds of components that are subject to friction, combustion, and heat—each one a potential point of failure. Electric drivetrains are inherently simpler. There’s no oil to change, no fuel filters to replace, and no exhaust systems to rust out.
Instead, EV service schedules tend to revolve around just a few key items: tire rotation, cabin air filter replacements, brake system checks, and software updates. Some of these can even be handled remotely or skipped entirely for long stretches. It’s a leaner, lighter approach to maintenance—one that’s catching traditional garages off guard.
For car owners, it can feel like a relief. Fewer trips to the mechanic. Fewer mystery warning lights. No more trying to decode whether that new rattle is benign or a small fortune repair waiting to happen. But this shift also carries implications for how the entire auto service industry operates.
The Brake Dust Paradox
One unexpected twist in the EV maintenance story is brake wear—or the lack of it. Thanks to regenerative braking, which uses the electric motor to slow the vehicle and feed energy back into the battery, physical brake pads are used much less frequently. In some cases, EV brake pads can last up to 50% longer, or more.
But this has led to an odd new issue: corrosion. Because the brakes are used less, especially in city driving, the components don’t heat up as often or get the chance to wear down rust. Pads can stick. Discs can pit. Garages are now having to advise EV drivers to occasionally use their brakes more aggressively—simply to keep the system healthy.
This is the sort of nuance that never existed before. It’s a different kind of maintenance altogether. And that requires a new kind of owner awareness.
Software: The Invisible Service
Perhaps the most revolutionary shift in EV service schedules isn’t about hardware at all—it’s software. Increasingly, cars are being updated like smartphones, with manufacturers rolling out performance tweaks, efficiency improvements, and even entirely new features over the air.
It’s hard to overstate how radically this departs from traditional car ownership. Previously, if your car had a hesitation in acceleration or a glitch in the infotainment system, you might have had to book an appointment, wait for diagnostics, and then schedule a fix. Now? You wake up to find your EV has had a quiet, invisible “service” while you slept.
This model has upsides and downsides. On one hand, it’s effortless for the driver and helps ensure the vehicle stays up to date. Regulators still require a physical workshop visit for any update that affects legally controlled safety systems—such as air‑bag control units, ABS modules, or high‑voltage battery hardware—so certain recalls must still be completed in person.
The Impact on Independent Garages
For years, the neighbourhood workshop thrived on a predictable diet of oil changes, timing belts, and exhaust repairs. Electric drivetrains quietly erase much of that work—taking a sizable chunk of revenue with them. The resulting skills gap is stark: dealer groups and EV‑specialist chains already wield high‑voltage tools and certifications, whereas many independents hesitate, deterred by the cost of insulated equipment and uncertainty over when local demand will justify the outlay.
That pause has real consequences. Drivers who once championed the friendly local mechanic now find themselves trekking back to franchised service centres simply because someone needs the credentials to remove an orange safety plug. To stay relevant, small garages may need cooperative investment in diagnostic gear, fast‑track retraining programmes, and perhaps regional “EV hubs” they can share. Without those moves, Britain could drift toward a two‑tier service landscape that sidelines the very businesses that have long kept its motoring culture alive.
Scheduled… Or Condition-Based?
One of the subtler evolutions in EV service is a shift toward condition-based servicing. Rather than changing parts or fluids based on a fixed mileage interval, some EVs now monitor their own health and recommend maintenance only when it’s actually needed. Sensors track everything from battery performance to tire pressure trends, brake system behaviour to cooling system efficiency.
In theory, this means fewer unnecessary garage visits and more proactive fixes before real problems emerge. However, this approach requires trust—trust in the vehicle’s diagnostics, and trust that drivers will respond promptly when issues do arise. It’s a more data-driven, less calendar-driven model of maintenance. But as vehicles become more connected, this is likely the direction all cars—not just EVs—are headed.
Still Very Much Required
Even with fewer service needs, electric vehicles aren’t exempt from the rules of the road. MOT testing remains a legal requirement in the UK once a car hits its third birthday, and EVs go through the same basic checks as petrol or diesel cars.
That means suspension, steering, lights, and structural integrity are all still under scrutiny. The difference is that emission tests are no longer applicable—and some testers have had to update their equipment and protocols accordingly.
For drivers, it’s easy to assume an EV might “pass with flying colours” simply because there’s no exhaust system to worry about. But brakes, tyres, lights, and visibility issues can still trip up a test. The core safety principles remain unchanged, even if the propulsion method has shifted.
The New Rhythm of Ownership
So what does all this mean for the average driver?
In some ways, EV maintenance is easier and less intrusive. There’s less to remember, fewer consumables, and fewer chances for things to go mechanically wrong. But in other ways, it demands a different kind of attentiveness: keeping an eye on software versions, understanding new service indicators, and being proactive about issues like brake use or tire wear.
And as these vehicles age, we’ll begin to see new patterns emerge. Battery longevity. Inverter reliability. Thermal management systems. These aren’t common watercooler topics yet—but give it time.
The service schedule of an EV isn’t just a trimmed-down version of a petrol car’s checklist. It’s a different philosophy altogether—one that blends software maintenance, occasional mechanical attention, and a more data-informed approach to vehicle health.
