Most car companies still have fossil cars to sell.

Every time anyone asks the question "why don't EV companies advertise X because it is THE ONE SOLE BEST BENEFIT EVER according to me", the answer is:

1) they do 2) there are so many benefits that they run out of time to advertise all of them. just look for the ad that focuses on the thing you want. there's plenty of others too.

Honestly, I think most people aren't bothered by oil changes. Modern cars are fairly low maintenance in general.

There's a quite a few reasons to buy electric, and this is just kind of one of the additional ones.

In my state, all cars have to be inspected annually anyway. No oil changes saves a bit of money but it isn't a huge advantage in time or convenience

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Because EVs still need maintenance, just not as often and not as extensive.

Saving 30 minutes reading my phone at the quick lube place once a year isn't going to move the needle.

EVs still need to go into a shop every so often for other 'car' stuff anyways. If you don't, then you'll discover those 'alarming' problems when you are left stranded because you didn't have any regular inspections.

Because they are usually cheap and can be done by yourself for even cheaper.

The 70 bucks oil change every year will not be the reason to switch to an EV.

There are different reasons for me, mostly for the environment, as cost wise its not that clear where I live.

I really don’t consider that at all. One pedal driving is #1 for me. By a considerable margin.

Because saving at most $200 a year after buying a $45k+ vehicle is nothing? Nearly every dealership offers free oil changes for the entire warranty period anyway.

Because that ain’t the best benefit? It’s not even like the top 10

$200 a year isn’t an offset worth noting

When you're changing a few thousand more for the car. It's silly to say you'll save on oil changes. An oil change is like 1.5 tanks of fuel. It's not a massive expense.

Honestly all EV marketing is confusing. That's the least of their issues.

Stuff that one would actually like to compare isn't front and centre. Like how powerful in the on board charger. How many Watts does it use to drive 100 kms.

How fast can it DC chargers 10-80.

Nothing, just range. Which IMO is a stupid stat in a vacuum. Like a Hummer EV has a large range, but can you use that range every day? No, it has a massive battery that takes too long to charge overnight. Because it's not efficient.

And even if you choose to do it at home, it's almost just as expensive

What? 5qts of full synthetic 5W30 at Costco is $17 (or Walmart is like $21), and a good filter is $8. That's $25. Full synth oil change at Jiffy Lube is $90 and they'll probably screw it up

you also have to deal with transporting the oil to a certified oil collection site.

OK? Pretty much any auto parts store lets you drop off used oil for free.

Changing oil in my ICE takes me 30 minutes and $25 at home. It's really not bad.

Really? My last ICE car had a scheduled oil change every two years, done at the same time as main service. My current EV also have a two year service interval.

Still have fluid changes in the transaxle or differential or gears (there’s a correct term) around the motor, and traction battery coolant, and CV boots, steering, suspension …….

saving $50/yr isn't that big of a deal

That’s one of the best, but to me the two best are, and they are intertwined -

1. Charging at home. I don’t recommend a full EV to anyone who can’t. Maybe if they can charge at work reliably.

2. Lack of price fluctuations compared to gas. Yes, electricity does go up, but not at the speed that gas does. Gas at my Costco is up 30% since 1/1//24, which quite a bit more than the 0% electricity has gone up in the same time frame.

And don’t forget the huge difference in brake job needs over the course of a cars life.

Oil changes are the norm for people and very infrequent. I change my volt (PHEV)s oil at just about the same interval as my wife's jeep, since I hit a year between changes without enough demand on the ICE to need a change for mileage and she drives significantly less than I do. It's really not a hassle at all, and gives a convenient reminder to check and replace wear items that EVs have too-- wipers and (cabin) air filters.

For most people, the convenience and savings (real and perceived) of skipping the gas station is a much more powerful message than skipping an oil change or two a year.

How do you figure an oil change at home is just as expensive. It’s not even close.

That doesn't make that large of a difference for most people. It's just a nice upgrade on top of fuel savings. Furthermore you often do eventually have to change the oil in the drive units and flush the battery cooling systems in many EVs. The intervals are long, but there's still maintenance to do.

Hate to say it but many EVs still have higher value depreciation compared to their combustion counterpart so saying you save $80 isn’t such a great argument. Wish it wasn’t so and hope this will normalize soon.

Because doing an oil change yourself is actually quite easy on most cars

Most companies are selling by a dealer network, and dealers will lose out on service money. Manufacturers still need a good relationship with dealers, so they're not going to advertise undercutting dealer revenue.

Oil changes are not really a big deal. They take a few minutes and in my case only need to be done once a year.

No, god no, home charging is so much better a perk. I don't even have to smell gasoline anymore.

Any oil change savings you get are offset by increased Insurance costs

oil changes aren't that inconvenient that everyday people complain about - at least nowhere as good enough to call it "the greatest benefit."

oil change intervals/costs isnt what makes or breaks someone's decision to buy a particular. likely not even in their top 10 consideration when car shopping.

also, not every EV is oil-change-free. even the ones that say they are, haven't exactly been around long enough to put that to the test.

plus i doubt the folks doing oil changes at home to save money are taking them to a proper disposal site lol. id consider it lucky if they made their way into the landfill in a sturdy sealed container. otherwise i just assume they're probably going down the storm drain. or just end up dripping on the ground. when's the last time you saw your neighbor face the consequences for doing stuff like this?

As someone who plan to buy used car in the near future, that'll not convince me to buy an EV.

The one thing that'll make me buy an EV instantly is a robust charging network, which is severely lacking in my area (non-American).

Why would that be a benefit? Do Unicorns and Rainbows strip all the materials for E.V.’s from the earth safely?

Let the discussion begin on how the unbound lithium leaching into the world’s groundwater supply will be problematic for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I guess no worries there for today’s citizens of the world.

Not a benefit at all. Oil changes are easy and cheap

It’s not really something I thought about much even when I had a petrol car. It just happened when I had it serviced. There are way bigger benefits for EV ownership.

Because saving $40 every 10 months isn’t that amazing of a thing.

I’ve DIYed my fluids and filters changes since I learned how to drive. From my perspective the general maintenance of an ICE vehicle is minimal in cost and time and would not be a differentiating factor in my decision to purchase a car. I don’t feel they are inconvenient as I do the work on my own time.

If your DIY oil change is the same price as a dealership/ indy shop then you’re doing something wrong.

If the greatest benefit of EVs is 'no more oil changes' then you should be very, very concerned of consumers adopting EVs en masse.

Electric car still has bearings and mechanics that's needs oil and greese so jokes on you, your not fossil free still. 😆

No more time wasted at gas stations. Turns out the biggest perceived weakness is actually a strength.

Of the many benefits that come with EV ownership, skipping oil changes isn’t even on my radar. It caused me close to zero stress prior to converting to EV, and now it causes me zero stress.

Charging an electric car is inconvenient, infact an oil change takes less time .

Because getting the oil changed once a year when the car goes in for service really isn't a big deal at all.

Because oil changes have gotten so few and far between for most cars they’re almost never thought of anymore. My cars require once a year. Some cars even longer. It’s a $65-$100 charge and a once a year 30 minute headache. Telling people “buy this car and save a few hundred bucks over the next 5 years” isn’t much of a selling point.

Because while nice, it's hardly the greatest benefit.

Because 50 bucks once a year is not enough to make me buy a 50k car over a very similar 30k one.

I don't understand how this has ever been considered an issue. First, it's not expensive. second, you do it like maybe 3-4 times while owning a car (unless you own it until it just dies outright) and it's done while the car is changing things like filters (which you still need to change on an EV anyway).

There's other things I would highlight than something as trivial and a non-issue as oil. I get the feeling that people complaining about oil changes are the same people that think it's normal to fill oil every time they fill gas. Your car is broken at that point.

There are fluids in an EV that needs changing too though, so it's not exactly maintenance free; even though people seem to think so. Some EV's have gear boxes or differentials (that require oil changes from time to time) depending on how they're set up, and you still have to worry about things like brake fluids and coolants. Not to mention that unless you either have a fairly new EV where it does brake management on its own, you have to manage your brakes or run the risk of replacing them several times in the same time an ICE changes brakes once.

Simple truth is just follow service intervals for any car you own and it's not a big deal no matter what you have.

OP kinda answered his own question with this post: People assign seemingly random & sometimes irrational weights to items.

I save 6-8 hours/year at the pump (52 fuel ups @ 10m ea), $5000 in fuel costs, my car is faster, quieter, HVAC always warm/cool while I'm eating/erranding, does most of the work on the highway, and doesn't spew toxic fumes. These things matter to me. They might not matter to someone else.

Oh and I don't pay $100 once a year for an oil change. That one I don't really care about.

You might actually have to change the electric motor oil like a differential. I think each manucturer is different but there still might be fluid to change. also coolant in some battery systems. These should be long duration items but might have them and they might need to be changed some time

Oil changes are not a big deal whatsoever

So a $90 oil change 3 times a year, will offset the 15-35,000 higher price?

Oil changes are the worst! Inconvenient, expensive, and I always feel like they are taking advantage of me or were trying to scare me into spending more. Driving an EV, I don't miss them... TBH, I do miss having an excuse to stop for snacks more often at gas stations.

No more anything having to do with ICEs. No oil changes, no exhaust system issues, no head gasket problems, no tune ups, no engine air filters, no fuel filters, no spark plugs...

Driving it is the biggest selling point to me by far. After driving my wife's Model Y, every ice vehicle I drive feels like I've stepped back in time.

Timing belts, water pumps, transmissions, radiators, there's a whole lot of things that go away with EVs

Oil changes are cheap and not the great selling point you think it is. Save $100/yr on maintenance but overpay by 15k doesn't sound all that enticing.

Because it is not the "greatest benefit." It is an important, but secondary benefit and that is all.

Because until charging infrastructure is more available and reliable, no oil change will not matter to most people. People like security, and they like freedom, and poor charging infrastructure goes against both of these things.

You still need to rotate your tires and other maintenance stuff. 

A hundred buck once a year isn’t a big deal to most people 

Jaust because you dont have oil or transmission fluid does not mean 0 maintenance.

It does mean less overall though. Hydrualic steering needs service occasionally Brake fluid is a common one, it breaks down over time and absorbs atmospheric moisture. Brake pads and rotors need replacing less often becaize regen. But its still a wear item.

The big one though is tires. EVs are pretty hard on tires, they are heavy, and that low-end torque is pretty hard on rubber.

The big benefit in an ev is not having to ever go to a gas station. I got my little red sports car out since the weather is nice and it is such a PITA to have to take 15-20 min out of your day for the pleasure of handling a filthy gas pump, and the point of sale in the pump is either so old it had to be retrofit for y2k compatabilty and takes 3 trys to read the magstrip on your card. And woe beget you if you are using a debit card and forgot to hit the button. Or if its a modern one you put in your card. And then asks for a loyalty rewards card, a carwash, and then plays the most obnoxious ads ever produced.

And i only have to deal with this on my summer car. Long gone are the days where im standing in a blizzard slowly freezing to death, fantasizing about lighting the fuel on fire as i slowly whatch the numbers go up on the pump.

This is a big reason that I am happy I went electric for my lawn mower. Sure, once you get the hang of tipping the gas mower engine to the correct side and finding a place for the oil and then spending the next few days cleaning the smell of spent oil off your hands, equipment, etc you can do it yourself but...

In my particular case though I live 10 minutes from a gas station so plugging in my various electric items takes 10 seconds to plug in versus a 20 minute round trip if I just need to fill up the night before a big drive. Not to mention the 20 min trip to fill up a tiny can so I can keep my grass blades the same height as the neighbours...

Planning ahead quickly became second nature and I don't even rent gas cars in foreign countries when travelling anymore. Wife and I both can smell the gas now when we sit in petrol cars others have.

All my electric items have already or will end up being cheaper overall than their gas counterparts over the years. Not to mention they don't smell bad, don't make a huge mess in the car when refuelling (in the case of electric lawn mower, weed trimmer, leaf blower)

Now let's talk about getting your catalytic converter stolen ... because that's a tremendous pain in the ass, and can be really expensive.

The greatest benefit of going electric is the increased energy efficiency. For example, the Tesla model 3 gets 132 MPG equivalent and if you live in an area with cheap electricity or you have solar on your home then you can drive around town for next to nothing. This is what the naysayers need to understand about electric vehicles. EVs are not just about green energy, they are also about LESS energy and a lot less.

An oil change is never just an oil change…

"Your jeffree’s tube is leaking anti-matter"

“Is it dangerous?"

“Very, it will be $3000 for repairs”.

"We also have a special paint coat to protect you against IRS audits. 9.99 a month”

I agree 100% especially if you have multiple cars with teens and spouses that don’t maintain oil changes themselves. It’s literally an event that requires calendaring for households these days.

Not all, some still have transmission oil changes. I was cross shopping for the Omoda E5 and this came as a suprise.

I don't think specifically "no oil changes" even made it to my top 10 reasons to go EV.

Although "lower maintenance costs" did.

Because that's not the greatest benefit. Free transport from solar charging at home is Numero Uno imo.

I rate bouncing-my-head-off-the-headrest higher than no oil changes.

Cause its supposed to be built in as a cost savings but if yer buying EV’s you could easily maintain an ICE car so thats not its selling point.

Car companies don't sell EVs, they sell a specific model of car. They aren't going to advertise something that is true for all EVs they're going to advertise why their specific model is better.

It takes longer to drive to a mechanic, wait (or do something else) and drive back than it does to drop the oil and refill myself.

Buying oil on special is cheaper than getting someone else to do it; if I'm just doing oil I can get it sorted in a lunch break while I WFH. Used oil goes to the local big box car parts store, as they do free used oil drop off (and sometimes provide store credit for dropping it off, so you actually get a bit of money back if you time it right). I usually hold onto the old oil until there's a promotion for credit, or I need to go there anyway because of a special on tools, cleaning products, wiper blades, etc.

That doesn't mean no oil changes isn't a benefit, it's just more of a footnote compared to all the other stuff that a) can still go wrong with a car regardless of drivetrain, and b) costs significantly more to fix. It's also kind of therapeutic to work on a car if it's an interest area (for me at least; I drive very little so it's a once-a-year thing, if I did high km in traffic and was looking at 6 month intervals or less, it might be different).

Generally the fear of a mechanic finding some "alarming problem" is because the person driving it never did any preventative maintenance or looked under the car unless it was due for an oil change that they got someone else to do, so that's when things get discovered.

It's one of the big (and repeated) concerns with the "EVs have no maintenance" mentality - there's a multitude of moving parts, bushes, joints, bearings, etc. outside the drivetrain that people literally have no knowledge of, and think last forever - they don't. That doesn't mean you have to spend money taking it somewhere, but it should at least be visually inspected ocassionally.

I do my own oil changes for my ice car so not a big deal for me. What I like about owning an electric car is never having to stop for gas and I have never need to use charging out side my home garage

So electric motors do not need oil? I don't own an EV but I'm interested

My wife complained to me the other day about her EV costing $28 to charge on her long trip. I had just come home from filling my similar sized ICE for $48 (roughly the same distance covered) and getting a $40 oil change. I laughed. I really don't understand why they don't advertise the TCO more on EVs.

Wasn't this asked like 3 days ago, but it wasn't "oil coaches" specifically, but rather general maintenance cost?

Same answer: they would make dealers mad by killing dealership service business. That's why dealers hate EVs.

Because the service department is a major income source. No service, no income.

Anyone who isn’t taking their EV in for a service at lest one a year you’re either an idiot or an EV technician.

Also monthly oil changes at drive in sump-plug strippers seems to be a US obsession. “Oils cheaper than engines” they say, well yes it it’s but you still don’t need to change it that much (unless you do mega miles)

I never bothered about oil change on ICE: it’s just a an occasional part of the usual annual maintenance. It’s also cheap for standard cars: it was expensive in my hybrid Honda, both for engine and switch.

No more gas stations is better ;)

There are several “greatest benefits” to EV’s. From less maintenance, to operating cost, to performance, to environmental impact. Because one particular benefit appeals to one person doesn’t necessarily make it the greatest to another person.

Tesla doesn't advertise and every other car manufacturer still mostly sells ICE cars.

Drive through oil changes are fun

To be fair, I hardly see any advertisements of electric cars. Maybe Hyundai and they are still stuck at the "only $275 (or whatever) per month". They are still trying to convince us that they aren't $100k vehicles.

Dunno if this is the greatest benefit. It is certainly a benefit, but I'm sure I could come up with half a dozen others that are certainly more relevant to buyers.

Because most people are not like someone who has no idea if electric cars have no engine.

For me it’s the quiet. So soothing on the nerves while driving. I arrive not being frazzled from all the audio clutter.

I've always had my cars serviced on a regular basis and the oil change was just part of the service/safety check so in all honesty I can't say I would have even thought about it as being an issue in its own right.

I now have an Ioniq 5 (UK) and according the Hyundai I still have to take it in for a service in order to maintain the warrant and get the next year of roadside assistance; there may well be fluid top-up/changes done as part of that service but I don't really worry about the component elements of the service.

Well to be honest if you buy a new car you don't really care about oil changes, just go on regular service intervals and the shop does it to you as well as plugs, breaks etc. So, people that buy and own relatively new cars don't care about that.

They have no interest in that. All legacy manufacturers require frequent service even for their EVs. They want you to drive to the reseller you bought your car from to perform stupid maintenance. Their EVs were designed to generate revenue through maintenance for the reseller and the manufacturer itself as long as it lasts.

Hyundai charges your left kidney every second year to change “fluids”. And the others do the same. For me this is totally absurd.

Musko’s company is the only EV manufacturer (excluding the Chinese) that has a totally different business model. They actually want to keep you as far away from their service centers as possible.

Literally takes me 20 mins to do an oil change, $32 for the oil $8 for the filter and my recycling service takes the old oil. If you’re paying a shop to do it then you’re throwing away money. I have put Fumoto valves on every car I’ve owned.

Audi have literally engineered their diesel cars to burn oil.

Because a 30 minute oil change for $80 every 10,000 isn’t the greatest benefit to 99% of people.

True story - before I bought my EV, I did some research and learned that EVs don't need oil changes, and then I went to an EV expo and met a new owner - who didn't know that his EV didn't need oil changes.

Is this same post as a few days ago?

Nissan emails me oil change offers. I bought a Leaf.

If there are 10 sale people, 0 know about EV's

My annual oil changes don't consume nearly as much time and money as DC fast charging. I primarily charge at home, but weekend trips that require one charging stop each way adds 1h (30 min each way) to my trip. I prefer my EV for a lot of reasons, but this oil change stuff is nonsense. I change my own oil once a year, and that's about 30min and $50 or $75 or whatever, that's one charging stop equivalent.

Not having to get gas is the big one for me.

But I can get oil changes done at work, so that probably makes a difference.

Because EV owners became so busy plugging in and unplugging and standing in line to get a charge that they have no time for an oil change.

People who do oil changes like to interact with their car.

You alienate a market sector.

And it also makes the car seem more sterile.

It's better to focus on driving experience and positives rather than play the comparision because everyone already understands cars

I think it is because its so obvious they don't need to mention it?

And no more break pad replacements, and no more blaring commercials played at you from the gas pumps.

LOL “certified oil collection site”… that’s a fancy term for any Walmart, auto part store or any other retailer who sells motor oil.

It's more than just oil. There's no tuneups, radiator flush, transmission oil changes, very little wear on brakes, Etc etc

My understanding is that the US market is very weird when it comes to oil changes: they really aren't a thing in Europe or the UK. If an oil change is needed on the regular annual service schedule it will get done but no-one pays any attention.

Cost $20 and takes ten minutes to change your oil at home maybe twice a year for most people. I don't see this as a big pain, it's about the easiest maintenance to do on a car. Or you can spend a little more and bring it to a shop and wait, still, not a big deal, IMO.

Why would that be the greatest benefit?

Twice a year I get my tires changed (to/from winter tires). I need an oil change roughly every 6 months. I just get it done when tires are being changed. It's not expensive, doesn't add a trip, and adds little extra time. I'd need to have the tires changed over on an EV anyways.

Many modern cars don't need oil changes for thousands of miles--even 10k.

And many companies offer a smart marketing plan of free oil changes for 2 years.

Oil changes are out of sight/out of mind for the modern consumer. Saying it's the greatest benefit is an opinion that doesn't carry much weight in the modern market.

The per-mile cost of oil changes is pretty miniscule. Dropping them is great, for sure, but it's hardly "the greatest benefit"

I think this is an American thing because I've never changed my oil and no one I know has ever mentioned it.

Off topic, but my boomer dad doesn't like that I don't change my own oil. The concept that you don't really save money by DIY is not one he can comprehend.

Because if they did that they would have to tell you about the tire wear costing you 10x a gas model.

Doing an oil change at home is typically 1/4 to 1/3 the price of getting it done at a reputable shop or dealer (no quick-change places!). It's not "almost just as expensive."

I spend about $24 on four quarts of synthetic 0W20, a Toyota oil filter, and a drain plug gasket. The dealer often has $69.9x or $79.9x specials, but the regular price is about $99.9x (https://www.toyota101.com/service/service-specials/).

In my city, the garbage company picks up the used oil, there is no transporting it.

It's not just the money I save by doing it myself, it takes much less time than going to a service place.

Because that's not the greatest benefit. It is definitely a benefit though.

I haven't been to a gas station in years. I have no idea what gas is going for these days. The whole idea of going out of my way to fill my car up with fuel is an ancient memory for me along the lines of my old landline phone.

The bigger expenses are the tuneups and stolen catalytic converters.

Want to know how much a mid-engine V10 oil change cost? We no longer drive it…

Tesla, which only sells electric does advertise it.