09:19 23-11-2025

EV maintenance cuts dealer profits: what buyers should know

Car dealers often view electric vehicles with skepticism—and the sticking point isn’t batteries or supposed buyer anxieties. The real issue is simpler: EVs require roughly half the maintenance of gasoline cars, cutting dealers off from a core profit stream.

New-car sales deliver slim margins, while service and parts can account for up to half of a dealership’s income. Oil changes, spark plugs, belts, suspension work—these bring repeat visits and steady takings. Electric cars, by contrast, pull much of that traffic out of the service lane.

Consumer Reports and AAA point out that EV maintenance comes in at about half the cost. There’s no engine oil or turbochargers, far fewer intricate mechanical assemblies, and regenerative braking noticeably extends brake life. Over eight years, an internal-combustion owner sends far more money to the dealer than an EV driver. That erosion of a major profit pillar is exactly what unsettles showrooms.

Out on the lot, staff readily dwell on how batteries are expensive or repairs are complicated, but they’re less inclined to mention that the core EV checklist is mostly a cabin air filter, brake fluid, and tires. It shows in how conversations are often steered: concerns get airtime, while the routine maintenance reality stays in the background.

When choosing between a gasoline model and an electric car, ask the dealer for the official 5–8-year maintenance schedule. The figures speak quickly: for the driver, an EV is the cost-friendlier path, while for the dealership the calculus is the opposite.