EV owners of today and tomorrow

[CloverKnollFarms]

Oh. I forgot... One might get dirty too.

 

[Dftodd]

honestly though it's not just turning a wrench, and you know it:

0. (once) buy appropriate funnel, collection pan, jack, jack stands, car lift, whatever you're going to use to get under the car that's got 6-7" of clearance
1. buy oil & filter, gloves
2. get car in position and raise it so you can get under it, hopefully you've got a good spot for this, lots of people don't; get oil collection in place
3. "turn a wrench" Like... One wrench, to remove oil drain plug
4. turn another wrench, like, an oil filter wrench, to remove oil filter
5. make a mess, probably
6. wait just a bit
7. "turn a wrench" Like... One wrench, to put the oil drain plug back in place
8. turn another wrench, after putting a bit of oil on the gasket of the oil filter
9. fill car with appropriate amount of oil
10. take the used oil to the recycler

You know, for a lot of people, $80 is worth it. Some people don't have flat ground to work on their cars, or they live in an apartment or otherwise aren't allowed to work on their cars where they live.

Some people like me work on equipment all day long. The last thing I want to do is go through the hassle of doing an oil change on my truck.

One thing they didn't figure in when doing an oil change on an ice vehicle.

My truck has a metal skid plate that needs to be dropped out of the way in order to do the oil change.

Another thing not figured into ice vehicle maintenance. My wife's car has free oil changes for 3 years from date of purchase.

So that actually drops the maintenance cost for the first 3 years down to almost zero. Granted that's not figuring in wiper blade replacement or topping up the windshield washer fluid between trips for service.

 

[DK35vince]

My truck has a metal skid plate that needs to be dropped out of the way in order to do the oil change.

And my truck has no metal skid plate needing removed.
Doesn't need lifted to get under it for oil change, has a Fumoto EZ drain valve (no need to remove the drain plug, simply flip the valve open)
Super simple to change oil

 

[Dftodd]

And my truck has no metal skid plate needing removed.
Doesn't need lifted to get under it for oil change, has a Fumoto EZ drain valve (no need to remove the drain plug, simply flip the valve open)
Super simple to change oil

Mines not that fancy

Mine sits high enough. I frankly just don't want to screw with it since I'm working on stuff all day long.

The $40 over what it costs me for oil and filter is worth it to me, to not have to deal with it

 

[Grumpycat]

Taking no sides and likely some may say this report is biassed in some way.

Beyond the Sticker Price: The Cost of Ownership of EVs v. ICE Vehicles

Price is always a significant factor in choosing a new vehicle, as is the total cost of ownership. Combining purchase price with a cost of ownership estimate has always been a helpful way to evaluate whether a certain vehicle is right for an individual, especially when thinking about cost in...

www.nada.org

There is a lot to nitpick about that article.

First it lumps all EVs against all ICE, including $17,000 Kia/Hyundai, then claims lower finance charges for ICE, and lower gross depreciation. The Kia can't depreciate more than $17,000. And then one takes into account Tesla's massive new car price cuts, that cuts the same off owner's used cars. "Bad Tesla! Cutting new car prices! Hurting your loyal customers! GM would never cut prices!"

"Without costs like regular oil changes, EV owners spend about $300 less on maintenance than their ICE peers in five years ($4,246 to $4,583)." Where the heck are they finding $4,246 in maintenance? On my 2013 I paid Tesla $8000 up front for 8 years of extended warranty and maintenance. They might have aligned the wheels a few times, got new windshield wipers every year. Changed the drive unit oil once. Didn't give me new tires. But I did have a factory warranty on a new and untried vehicle.

And once again they are lumping Teslas in with lesser vehicles.

 

[Fixastuff]

For me it’s dealing with the used oil that most annoying.

 

[Grumpycat]

And my truck has no metal skid plate needing removed.
Doesn't need lifted to get under it for oil change, has a Fumoto EZ drain valve (no need to remove the drain plug, simply flip the valve open)
Super simple to change oil

My F-250 was that way as well. But the F-150 drain comes out the back (not center bottom), gushing oil hits suspension anti-sway bar, and there is a big fiber panel the width of the vehicle and about half the width long. One learns to keep the big yellow plastic drain plug half in the hole while draining. A strategically cut section of 3/4" PVC holds it in place so one doesn't burn one's hands. Took 2 guys over an hour the latest oil change.

Subaru Outback oil exited the side of the crankcase. Big drain hole, gushing oil could hit the left front tire. Then as flow slows move toward the center. Big mess. Fumoto valve to the rescue again, drained much slower through a 1/2" vinyl tube I affixed to the nipple on the Fumoto. Drained much cleaner. But was such that the Fumoto was not in a place I could see without lifting the car. Learned to do it by feel.

Prius oil change was easy enough. Drain could be reached by reaching around right front tire. Tried a Fumoto valve but immediately removed it for fear it stuck out and would be the first thing hit on a curb or something. Removing the drain bolt wasn't a hassle, it was in a place I could see. Drained this one cold, the cold oil filter came off clean, no spill. Spilled if hot. Engine held exactly 3L of oil. I refilled empty motorcycle oil 1L bottles from 5 qt Mobil-1 jugs.

Yamaha FJR1300 is pretty easy to drain but requires contortions to pour oil in the dip stick hole. I use a long skinny funnel and a length of solid #8 aluminum wire bent to hook something on the bike and hold the funnel in place.

 

[Grumpycat]

For me it’s dealing with the used oil that most annoying.

Around here we can leave used oil in obvious oil jugs by the street and within a week a scavenger will snatch.

 

[Grumpycat]

That actually mostly solves it. The Tesla screen always correctly displays my car's location on the map and parked at the actual address. It is just that the navigation when speaking gives the other direction. It does use the travel lines to the wrong side of the road too.

Initially Tesla/Google got my home correct then for a number of years insisted my car was parked across the street in neighbor's driveway no matter the satellite view (picture taken months earlier) clearly showed it in my driveway. It was bad enough they planted the car icon in neighbor's driveway.

My mailbox is beside my driveway, the neighbor across the street's mailbox is beside their driveway.

Then I realized I was backing the car into my driveway, pointed at neighbor's house, so Tesla thought it was parked across the street. When I would drive straight in they showed it in my driveway. You'd think when one is expected to back into a Supercharger they'd get backing in correct in the location?

Eventually they got it right again.

Am sure I could have contacted Tesla and scored this as a "reliability ding" on Tesla's reputation.

 

[Grumpycat]

Interesting article but the maintenance cost difference should be. Each oil change can easily cost $80.
Using 15,000 miles/ yr that could approach close to $200/yr.

The article serves to teach the author's biases. Without saying what the EV needs in maintenance to rack up those expenses the article is just lame words. The author selects and choses his facts.