Fleet electric vehicle maintenance: how to plan

Electric vehicles are emerging as a way to reduce environmental impacts, mainly by avoiding the emission of toxic gases common in fuel combustion.

They can also contribute to a more efficient operation, provided their acquisition is carefully planned and carried out, considering range, recharging, usage profile and available technical support.

This is because electric vehicle maintenance tends to require fewer routine maintenance items, as there are fewer moving parts and fewer fluids, such as engine oil, that need regular changes.

At the same time, this maintenance should not be treated as simple or automatic: the battery, motor, associated electronics, brakes, cooling system where present and energy management need to be part of the fleet plan.

For a deeper understanding of how to maintain this vehicle type, read on:

• How to plan electric vehicle maintenance;
• How to carry out electric vehicle maintenance;
• How to manage electric vehicle maintenance.

How can electric vehicle maintenance be planned?

Planning electric vehicle maintenance is not so different from planning for the other fleet vehicles. The main issue lies in the maintenance processes performed, since electric vehicles have unique characteristics.

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating your fleet's electric vehicle maintenance plan:

1 – Understand vehicle characteristics

Understanding vehicle specifics will make it easier to determine where you should focus your servicing.

You can create an inventory of vehicles and describe all the characteristics needed to identify each one, such as make, model, manufacture year and acquisition year.

Also include information about operation, such as motor type, vehicle range, time needed for a full charge, battery type, manufacturer requirements and operating conditions.

This data helps separate what is routine for the fleet from what depends on the specific model. For electric vehicles, for example, range and recharging time directly influence the planning of use, stops and maintenance.

2 – Identify the main problems and their intervals

Based on this, and by keeping track of vehicle performance, you will also be able to identify the main problems faced in the operation. Electric vehicle maintenance usually requires attention to the electric motor, battery, associated electronics, brakes, cooling system where present and energy management.

Naturally, some of the necessary corrective work is more likely to be electrical or electronic than mechanical, although items such as tires, suspension, brakes, bodywork and safety components remain part of the routine.

The electric motor and battery normally require less regular maintenance than equivalent components in combustion vehicles, but this does not mean no inspections. Some battery systems use coolant to maintain safe temperatures and may need regular checks.

It is also worth including regenerative brakes in the plan. They significantly reduce brake wear, but do not eliminate the need to inspect pads, discs, fluid and other system components.

3 – Identify professionals and suppliers who can meet the needs

As this vehicle type has different needs, it is fundamental to have professionals and workshops specializing in electric vehicle maintenance services.

If your operation has an internal team of professionals, you can consider training programs or adding new members who are already trained. If you choose to outsource maintenance, it is important to identify workshops near your operations that are qualified to meet these needs.

This assessment should confirm whether the internal team or suppliers can service fleet models, follow manufacturer recommendations, record services performed and guide the correct response when a failure arises. Even when routine maintenance is lower, a poorly planned intervention can cause unavailability and high costs.

4 – Define and acquire the necessary tools

If new tools need to be acquired for your fleet, this is the time to plan for them too. Understand which tools will be needed and the process and budget for acquiring them.

Tools should be defined according to fleet models and the maintenance recommendations applicable to each vehicle. Beyond acquisition costs, consider how these resources will be controlled, who may use them and which service types they cover in the plan.

5 – Set the monthly budget for electric vehicle maintenance services

It is fundamental to set a budget limit for monthly electric vehicle maintenance, just as for the other fleet vehicles. This will allow better organization of service approvals and maintenance planning for these vehicles.

Although electric vehicles have fewer moving parts and fewer fluids needing regular changes, the budget needs to allow for specialized suppliers, occasional electronic components, brake items, cooling systems where applicable and the possibility of significant out-of-warranty battery costs.

Many manufacturers offer warranties of 8 years or 100,000 miles for electric vehicle batteries, but replacement outside warranty tends to be a significant expense. Therefore, keep track of warranty terms applicable to the fleet and record any service that could affect this coverage.

6 – Determine and delegate maintenance activities

Clearly establish the activities and processes needed for electric vehicle maintenance and delegate responsibilities as you consider most appropriate, whether to drivers, the maintenance team or external suppliers.

Drivers can report symptoms, noises, dashboard alerts, perceived loss of range, charging failures and visible damage. The maintenance team can organize inspections, open work orders, keep track of history, validate priorities and contact specialized suppliers when necessary.

The clearer the division of responsibilities, the less chance of a simple incident becoming a long stop because no response was arranged.

How can this maintenance be carried out?

After everything is planned, it is time to put it into practice and carry out the established tasks.

Remember that a clear focus is needed, and it is even possible to set some smaller goals for each activity or professional involved. This ensures everyone always knows the purpose of their activities and how it contributes to the overall objective.

In general, execution simply means following what was established in the plan. Therefore, as long as you follow the defined steps, you will be carrying out electric vehicle maintenance correctly in your fleet.

In practice, this means respecting manufacturer-specified intervals, recording inspections and services, referring alerts for technical assessment, keeping track of replaced parts and maintaining each vehicle's cost history.

It is also important not to wait only for failures. Even with less routine maintenance, electric vehicles remain subject to wear on tires, brakes, suspension and auxiliary components, as well as depending on a consistent recharging and checking routine.

How can electric vehicle maintenance be managed?

Electric vehicle maintenance management involves:

Maintenance plan

Clearly, establishing your maintenance plan and objectives for the department is fundamental before putting anything into practice.

The plan will generally make all necessary assessments of the fleet's electric vehicles and establish everything you should know and do to ensure these vehicles operate without problems.

This plan can consider maintenance by date, mileage, vehicle type and manufacturer recommendation. What matters is that it is specific to the electric fleet, without automatically copying the plan used for combustion vehicles.

Once you have this in hand, you can move on to the next steps.

Vehicle inspection

Within maintenance management, the vehicle inspection stage is indispensable. Through it, you as a manager will identify the best course of action for vehicles based on the problems found.

During inspections, record what was observed, who made the record, when the inspection happened and what response was defined. This control helps turn an isolated observation into useful maintenance history.

Maintenance records and history

Keeping a detailed record of all maintenance activities performed is essential. This includes service dates, replaced parts, associated costs and other relevant information.

These records generate maintenance history that helps understand your fleet's operation and make informed decisions.

For electric vehicles, history should also distinguish preventive and corrective services, battery interventions, cooling checks where applicable, brake items and costs per vehicle. This makes comparisons between models and routes fairer.

Electric vehicle maintenance analysis

This maintenance analysis involves constantly assessing vehicle performance, collecting energy consumption data, recording incidents and understanding maintenance trends.

This will give you valuable insights to improve maintenance strategies, optimize operational efficiency and make informed decisions about when to carry out preventive maintenance or corrective maintenance.

By implementing these best practices in electric vehicle maintenance management, you will be on the right path to optimizing your electric fleet's efficiency and reliability.

However, if you want a complete, simplified solution to effectively control all fleet maintenance, consider the Prolog App Maintenance Management System.

With the platform, you can record and control fleet maintenance costs, create maintenance plans tailored to vehicle type and organize work orders by mileage or date.

Do not put it off; start improving your maintenance management today! Schedule your free demonstration to learn more!