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Electric Cars Are Getting Cheaper to Maintain, Study Shows That Electric Cars Already Offer Affordable Maintenance and Good Cost-Benefit.
Electric Cars Reduce Maintenance Costs in the USA
Electric cars are becoming cheaper to maintain. According to the 2024 EV Collisions Insight Report from Mitchell, the average repair cost of electric vehicles in the United States in 2024 was virtually the same as that of the latest combustion models.
This change reinforces that the maintenance of EVs is no longer a major obstacle for buyers, offering a more competitive cost-benefit today.
EV Maintenance Now Rivals Combustion Cars
For years, battery replacement was the main argument against electric cars. After all, just this component can cost around US$ 15,000 (R$ 87,000).
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Peugeot publicly acknowledged the errors of the PureTech engine, which caused serious failures in hundreds of thousands of cars, and introduced the new Turbo 100 as a definitive solution, a 1.2 turbo tested for over 3 million kilometers that replaces the faulty belt with a more durable chain.
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Automatic cars become ‘cheap’ in Brazil, and models from Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, and Honda appear for R$ 65,000 with up to 120 hp, CVT transmission, 482 liters of trunk space, keyless entry, and six airbags to tackle traffic without a clutch.
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Honda revives a classic from Brazilian streets with a new name, TFT panel, and reprogrammed engine in the 2027 lineup; see the first impressions of the CB500 Hornet, which arrives with 49.6 hp, 4.5 kgf.m torque, 6-speed gearbox, 175 kg, and Showa suspension on Brazilian streets.
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Without relying on an outlet, without a cable, and without the gasoline engine driving the wheels: Nissan created the Note e-POWER, a hatchback that always runs on an electric motor while a combustion engine works only as a generator, delivering to Japan a type of “electric without recharging” that Brazil is almost unfamiliar with.
However, recent data shows that last year, the average repair cost of EVs was US$ 6,236 (R$ 36,000), a figure practically equal to that of newer combustion cars, which stood at US$ 6,127.
Additionally, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) recorded an average cost of US$ 5,583 (R$ 32,400), while combustion models in general had an average of US$ 5,066 (R$ 29,000).
Downward Trend: Electric Car Maintenance Gets Cheaper
Even with high figures, the maintenance of electric cars has been getting cheaper. The Mitchell report indicates that there was a 3% decrease in EV repair costs compared to 2023.
This trend is modest but indicates that the technology, previously considered unviable for many consumers, is beginning to solidify with more competitive prices.
Total Losses and Insurance Claims Increase
If, on one hand, EV maintenance is cheaper, on the other, the number of vehicles classified as total loss has increased. In 2024, the rate of EVs deemed irreparable rose from 8% to 10.2%, reflecting record sales in the United States.
The frequency of insurance claims has also increased: it jumped to 2.71%, representing a 38% increase compared to 2023.
Tesla Dominates Insurance Claims
Among the models, the Tesla Model Y led the insurance claims, accounting for 31.43% of cases, marking a growth of 7.58%. Following closely is the Tesla Model 3, with 29.86%, although it showed a decline of 4.67% compared to the previous year.
Next are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, with 6.37%, the Tesla Model S, with 5.53%, and the Tesla Model X, with 4.58%. These numbers demonstrate Tesla’s strong presence in the EV market, both in sales and in loss statistics.
Electric Cars: Cheap Maintenance and Increasing Cost-Benefit
With the decrease in average repair costs, electric cars are beginning to establish themselves as an attractive cost-benefit option for drivers concerned about maintenance.
Although challenges still exist, such as the rise in total losses from collisions, the data indicates that the transition to EVs is becoming financially more viable, approaching the reality of combustion vehicles.
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