One of the interesting and less-considered points Who Killed the Electric Car? raised was how much you spend - and the automotive industry profits - from repair and maintenance of the gas engine in your car. This year was a particularly expensive one for me when it came to car expenses: over $2200. My Maxima, while generally reliable, is 9 years and 87,000 miles old, and parts are simply wearing out.
What’s amazing is that all but $65 of those parts and expenses are directly related to the gas engine, its fuel system, and the exhaust system that keeps it from completely destroying the environment. This year was more expensive than most, but the pattern holds that the majority of expenses are engine tune-ups, fluid changes, and obscenely expensive electronic exhaust sensors.
Compared to $2000-3000 every five years for a battery pack, an electric car could easily break ahead of a gas one in terms of maintenance expenses. Hybrids will likely offer a middle ground, with a smaller and less-used gas engine or generator costing less to maintain than a large, primary engine.
