The surprising rise of EVs at service stations
Despite the popular belief that electric cars require less maintenance than cars with internal combustion engines (ICE), the reality is more complicated. A study by CDK Global shows that electric car owners visit dealerships more often for repairs and wait longer for them to be completed.
Top Speed wrote about it.
Mass appeals
A study by CDK Global found that 85% of EV owners have visited a service center within the first year of owning their vehicle. It suggests that while EVs don't necessarily break down in the traditional sense, they do require ongoing maintenance, mostly software-related.
The wait time for repairs has also worsened. In 2024, only 28% of EV owners were able to pick up their car from a dealership the same day, compared to 40% in 2023. More owners are waiting an extra day, sometimes up to three days. Mobile service requests have also increased, from 14% to 19%.
Additionally, EV owners are more likely to visit a dealership with the same issue: 52% of non-Tesla respondents stated it took them two visits to resolve a single issue, and 21% stated it took four to five visits. The time it took to service an EV was longer than their previous gasoline-powered vehicle: 23% for Tesla owners and 34% for other brands.
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Long-term advantage
Despite the more frequent and longer service visits, there is some good news. A survey of electric vehicle owners conducted in late 2024 and early 2025 found that maintaining an electric vehicle still costs less than maintaining an internal combustion engine vehicle. Among non-Tesla electric vehicle owners, 53% agreed, compared to 41% of Tesla drivers.
The main reasons for the problems lie in the increased technological sophistication and complexity of modern electric vehicles, unresolved software issues released by automakers, sometimes hard-to-find parts, the general decline in the quality of modern cars, and the lack of experience of dealers.
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