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Old 01-12-2012, 07:52 PM   #46 (permalink)
DJBecker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tumnasgt View Post
Electric cars (not hybrids) have fewer parts than a fuel burning car, so I imagine that the price of a battery in ~10 years time would be comparable or less than the servicing and part replacement requirements of a normal car.
My experience doesn't support this theory.

I bought my BMW new about 13 years ago. Since then the engine has needed only yearly oil changes, occasional coolant changes, and one new sensor that cost $42.

Overall, gasoline engines are very reliable and cost little to service compared to the rest of the car. There are always examples of reliability screw-ups for specific models and parts, but much of what goes wrong is elsewhere in the car even if it "feels" like it's the engine.

For instance my friend's Audi eats A/C compressors. It's averaging a new $550 one almost once a year. Yes, it's attached to the engine, and people might lump it in with engine repair costs. But an EV would need similar functionality. And odds are that a new design needed for EV use would be less reliable than a *typical* highly evolved compressor on an ICE. The same thing with power steering, the brake booster, heat, etc.
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