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It seems you can’t go five minutes today without hearing about electric vehicles (EVs). Television commercials, news reports about subsidies or tariffs, podcast ads, and much more all feature EV content. But what we don’t hear as much about is EV auto body repair. Are EV repairs difficult for automotive technicians? More expensive? Do EVs need a lot of repairs?

This article will answer those questions. Here, you’ll find out how repairing EVs differs from repairs for traditional vehicles and learn about the unique challenges EVs pose for collision repair. You’ll also learn the importance of finding a good EV repair shop.

EV collision repair

To begin, it’s worth noting that EV collision repair and traditional collision repair are pretty similar. Sure, an EV doesn’t have an internal combustion engine (ICE), but apart from that big difference, there are mostly similarities. Both will suffer flat tires, incur dents and scratches, require the occasional windshield replacement, and so on.

That doesn’t mean the differences that do exist aren’t noteworthy; they are. But with the increase in EV sales and their importance to the economy and our climate going forward, it’s important to remember that they’re still automobiles. They’re the same basic machines, so EV collision repair is, for the most part, the same.

How is EV collision repair different?

Their similarities notwithstanding, there are some significant differences between traditional collision repair and EV collision repair. It’s valuable to know about these before you purchase or lease an EV. There are many factors to weigh if you’re considering getting an EV and if you know a little about EV vehicle repair, you can make a more informed decision.

Some of these differences are fairly obvious and some are things most people wouldn’t even think about before getting an EV. Here are some important ways in which EV auto body repair differs from traditional vehicle repair:

EV’s don’t need engine repairs

An electric vehicle will never need an engine repair because it doesn’t have an engine. Right? Well, this delves into semantics. An EV has an electric engine, also known as a motor. The electric motor will occasionally need repairs and perhaps even replacement. But the replacement parts and maintenance it needs is quite different from what a combustion engine requires.

Spark plugs, fuel filters, mufflers, and oil

How do you repair the spark plugs of an EV? How do you replace the fuel filter? How often should you check the oil? If you guessed, “never”, you’re right! EVs don’t have these things. It’s obvious when you think about it, but not having to worry about any of these parts is a big change if you’re used to driving an ICE vehicle.

EV brake repair

All commercially available EVs and many hybrids have regenerative braking. This is a system that allows the battery to recapture some of the kinetic energy that is normally lost to heat when braking. This helps you save on energy, but what kind of toll does it take on your brakes?

It actually lessens the burden on your brakes. The brake pads only come in contact with the rotor when the driver pushes down hard on the brake pedal to make a hard stop or to remain sedentary. For the rest of the time, the regenerative braking process slows the vehicle down. The upshot of this is that EV collision repair involves less brake service. EV drivers have reported needing less brake maintenance and repair.

Common EV auto body repairs

So far, we’ve looked at what repairs EVs need less often or not at all. But what are you more likely to need for EV vehicle repair and maintenance? Some common EV repairs and services include:

Air conditioning maintenance: Air conditioning systems seem to need more care than those on ICE vehicles. Air conditioning repairs are common for EVs about every two to six years.
Brake calipers: It’s wise to have a technician check your EV’s brake calipers once a year to be safe.
Brake fluid test: A brake fluid test is good to have about every other year for an EV.
Cabin air filter: It’s common to replace the cabin air filter in an EV every other year.
High-efficiency particulate air filter: Three years is a good lifespan for an EV’s high-efficiency particulate air filter.

Is EV collision repair more expensive?

But what of the repairs themselves? You may have seen that traditional collision repair is cheaper than repairing an EV after a crash. And that seems to be true, but there are caveats to add.

One report found that EV collision repair costs about 20%–30% more than traditional collision repair. That’s significant, but these increases don’t seem to apply to all models. Tesla repair appears to be much costlier than repairs for other EVs.

Furthermore, for whatever reason, EVs are l ess likely to be involved in a collision. So, EVs appear to be safer, and this might be because many of them have advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). ADAS make driving safer and easier, but they can also make collision repair more expensive because they’re difficult to calibrate properly. Therefore, EV collision repair may not cost that much more than traditional collision repair on an ICE vehicle that also has ADAS.

Last, some auto repair shops just don’t have the materials, equipment, or expertise to repair EVs efficiently. This can drive up costs. To keep EV collision repair affordable, you need to find a competent EV repair shop.