More people are buying electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia, but if you’re making the jump from a petrol or diesel car you may be hung up on servicing requirements.
You’d be familiar with the typical service intervals on internal combustion cars to change their engine oil or service transmissions, but EVs don’t have any of that. There are fewer moving parts, which means maintenance information is different.
You’ll still need to have wear and tear items checked like your brakes, tyres, and joints, but each brand goes about servicing their EVs differently.
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Tesla Model Y
Tesla, Australia’s current best-selling EV manufacturer, doesn’t outline complete service intervals or pricing at all, while BMW only details pre-paid service packages for its EVs.
To help clear it up, we’ve compiled the top six best-selling EVs in Australia so far this year and broken down their respective servicing and warranty information.
We’ve chosen to look at six because the top two are both Teslas, which don’t have representative service information.
Range figures quoted have been taken from the European WLTP testing cycle.
BYD Atto 3
| Make/Model | Service intervals | Capped-price servicing | Yearly avg | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y/Model 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| BYD Seal (excl. Performance) | 12 months or 20,000km | 11 years | $380.81 | $4189 |
| BYD Atto 3 | 12 months or 20,000km | 11 years | $341.27 | $3754 |
| MG 4 (excl. XPower) | 24 months or 40,000km | 7 years | $557.86 | $3905 |
| BMW iX1 | Pre-paid packages | N/A | N/A | $1537 |
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Tesla Model Y and Model 3
As mentioned, Tesla does things differently in the servicing department.
The electric vehicle manufacturer does not publish service intervals for the Model Y or Model 3.
It recommends a brake fluid check and cabin air filter replacement every two years, HEPA filter replacement at three years, and an air-conditioning service every four years – in addition to standard wheel balancing and tyre rotation.
For the Model 3, Tesla recommends having the air-conditioning filters changed every two years, and checking the tyre tread, balance, and rotation every 20,000km.
It also recommends brake fluid is checked every two years, and the pads and discs lubricated every 12 months in colder climates.
| Ownership program | Tesla Model Y/Model 3 |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 4 years or 80,000 kilometres |
| Battery warranty | 8 years or 160,000km (RWD models) 8 years or 192,000km (AWD models) |
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MORE: Everything Tesla Model Y • Model 3
BYD Seal
Unlike its Tesla rival, BYD outlines an average annual service price of $380.81 for 11 years of servicing, adding up to a total of $4189.
That figure is only for the Dynamic and Premium variants of the Seal, though the entire range is covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery pack warranty.
12 months of roadside assistance is included with each new BYD vehicle, which can be extended at the time of purchase or at each scheduled service – both for an added cost.
BYD outlines service intervals of 12 months or 20,000km for the Seal range.
The range-opening Dynamic and middling Premium are both rear-wheel drive, with 64.1kWh and 82.5kWh batteries respectively. BYD claims a range of 460km for the Dynamic, while the Premium is capable of 570km.
| Ownership program | BYD Seal (excl. Performance) |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 6 years or 150,000km |
| Battery warranty | 8 years or 160,000km |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months (extension purchasable) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 11 years |
| Average annual service cost | $380.81 |
| Total capped-price servicing cost | $4189 |
The hotted-up Seal Performance requires servicing as often as its less powerful counterparts, but it costs an average of $422.64 annually over 11 years. That totals $4649 over the same period.
BYD packs an 82.5kWh Blade battery in the Performance, and it features a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup with a claimed range of 520km.
| Ownership program | BYD Seal Performance |
|---|---|
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 11 years |
| Average annual service cost | $422.64 |
| Total capped-price servicing cost | $4649 |
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MORE: Everything BYD Seal
BYD Atto 3
Unlike the Seal, all variants of BYD’s Atto 3 share the same service requirements. The annual service cost over 11 years is $341.27.
The Atto 3 is covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.
12 months of roadside assistance is included with the purchase of new Atto 3 models, which can be extended at the time of purchase or at each service for an added cost.
Servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first. The total service cost over 11 years is currently $3754.
The base Standard Range variant is fed by a 49.92kWh battery for a range of 345km, while the Extended Range has a 60.48kWh battery and a claimed range of 420km.
BYD outlines additional warranties for the Atto 3, which are as follows:
- Electric motor, high-voltage assembly, motor controller: 8 years or 150,000km
- Lights, tyre pressure monitoring module, suspension, ball joints: 8 years or 100,000km
- 12V battery: 12 months or 12,000km
- Air conditioner filters, button battery, brake pads, clutch discs, tyres, wiper blade assemble, bulbs and fuses: 6 months or 10,000km
| Ownership program | BYD Atto 3 |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 6 years or 150,000km |
| Battery warranty | 8 years or 160,000km |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months (extension purchasable) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 11 years |
| Average annual service cost | $341.27 |
| Total capped-price servicing cost | $3754 |
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MORE: Everything BYD Atto 3
MG 4
All MG 4 variants except the XPower are covered by seven years of capped-price servicing, adding up to an average annual price of $557.86.
All MG 4 variants are covered by a 10-year, 250,000km warranty and a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. 10 years of roadside assistance are also offered, maintained so long as you service your MG 4 within the MG dealer network.
Services are required every 24 months or 40,000km, whichever comes first. For the MG 4 Excite 51, Excite 64, Essence 64, and Long Range 77, seven years of capped-price servicing adds up to $3905.
Those four models all differ in range and battery capacity, so efficiency information has been broken down below:
| Model | Battery capacity | WLTP range |
|---|---|---|
| Excite 51 | 51kWh | 350km |
| Excite 64 | 64kWh | 450km |
| Essence 64 | 64kWh | 435km |
| Long Range 77 | 77kWh | 530km |
All the above variants offer a rear-wheel drive, single-motor setup.
| Ownership program | MG 4 (excl. XPower) |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 10 years or 250,000 kilometres |
| Battery warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 10 years (service-activated) |
| Service intervals | 24 months or 40,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Average annual service cost | $557.86 |
| Total capped-price servicing cost | $3905 |
Like the Seal Performance, the XPower is slightly more expensive to service. Warranties and service intervals remain the same, but seven years of capped-price servicing increases to an average of $581.43 per year.
That equates to a total of $4070, which means there’s a smaller gap between the XPower and non-performance MG 4s than there is between the equivalent BYD Seals.
The XPower offers a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup and is fed by a 64kWh battery, with a claimed range of 400km.
| Ownership program | MG 4 XPower |
|---|---|
| Service intervals | 24 months or 40,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Average annual service cost | $581.43 |
| Total capped-price servicing cost | $4070 |
Interested in buying an MG 4? CarExpert’s specialists can help you find a deal.
MORE: Everything MG 4
BMW iX1
BMW does things differently again, as it only offers pre-paid service packages for its EVs, including the iX1. The iX1’s cheapest pack is the four-year plan, which costs $1537.
All new BMW purchases are backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the brand’s EV battery packs are covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty.
Three years of complimentary roadside assistance is included as standard, and the longer six-year BMW Service Inclusive pack costs $2200 for the iX1. Both packs are covered for unlimited kilometres.
All three iX1 variants are fed by a 67kWh battery pack. The base eDrive20 xLine offers a single-motor, front-wheel drive setup and a claimed range of 475km, while the xDrive30 M Sport and xDrive30 xLine are dual-motor all-wheel drive with claimed range figures of 440km.
| Ownership program | BMW iX1 |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Battery warranty | 8 years or 160,000km |
| Roadside assistance | 3 years |
| Service intervals | Pre-paid packages |
| 4-year BMW Service Inclusive (unlimited kilometres) | $1537 |
| 6-year BMW Service Inclusive (unlimited kilometres) | $2200 |
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MORE: Everything BMW iX1
