EVs do not use oil in the traditional sense, as their electric motors generally do not contain oil that needs to be changed like gasoline engines, but EVs may use other lubricants that should at least be checked periodically.
Related: Your Guide to EV Batteries: Premature Death, Range Loss, and Conservation
Most EVs have some form of gearbox (almost all are single speed) that contains a lubricant that may need to be checked and maybe even replaced – although replacement, if necessary, is not usually done very often. If and when the transmission lubricant needs to be checked or replaced can be determined from the maintenance section of the vehicle owner’s manual.
Three of the most popular EVs are the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Nissan Leaf, and the Tesla Model 3. Of these, only the Leaf’s maintenance schedule even mentions checking the transmission oil level (referred to as “reduction gear oil”), and while that’s meant to be done annually, it can just a visual check for leaks. Other manufacturers, meanwhile, may include this as part of a dealer review, even if it’s not specifically mentioned in the maintenance schedule. Over eight years or 120,000 miles – as far as the maintenance schedule goes – there are no recommended reduction gear oil changes for the current generation Leaf.
However, besides oil, there are other fluids that may need to be changed. One is the brake fluid, which Nissan should change every year or two (depending on the model year) on the Leaf; Tesla recommends checking and “replacing if necessary” every two years (how this is determined is unclear); and Chevrolet recommends replacement every five years.
Chevy also recommends that you “drain and fill vehicle coolant circuits” every five years, which provide cabin air conditioning and so-called thermal management for the battery and charger. This coolant is often similar to regular engine coolant. Not all EVs specify this interval: the Tesla Model 3 manual states, “Your battery coolant will not need to be replaced for the life of your vehicle under most circumstances.”
While electric vehicles generally require much less maintenance than petrol ones, they are certainly not “maintenance free” – even if traditional oil changes are not among the requirements.
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