Will your electric car use oil?

 If you're considering taking the plunge and becoming the owner of a new electric car (maybe the upcoming Orlando Toyota bz4x?) then it helps to at least know the basics of how an electric car works before you schedule your test drive. We can give you all of the information you need when you arrive at Toyota of Orlando, but we're also here with our auto service specialists to give you the rundown on one of the most common questions we get about these types of vehicles - do electric cars use oil? 

Do electric cars use oil under the hood? 

Long story short, nope. Electric cars do not use oil so you will never need to schedule an oil change if you decide to put this type of Orlando Toyota in your garage. Electric cars are powered by a battery and an electric motor; they don't have a conventional internal combustion engine under the hood and subsequently, don't need a lot of the fluids you see in that type of engine. 

Traditional internal combustion engines use oil to keep the engine itself cool and lubricated as it works hard to get and keep the car up and running; electric vehicles don't have any type of internal combustion going on under the hood and this lack of traditional engine means they simply do not need oil or oil changes. 

However, before you jump for joy, take a minute to consider what type of vehicle you actually have. TRUE electric cars that don't have a combustion engine will never need oil changes. Hybrid cars, on the other hand, do have an electric motor under the hood, but they also have a combustion engine to swap off and power the car. This means that hybrids and plug-in hybrids - although they are a type of electric car - do need oil changes just like a traditional gas-powered car. 

So if you don't need to schedule oil changes for your electric car, what routine car maintenance appointments will you need to make at Toyota of Orlando? Here's what our auto service specialists recommend: 

• Battery maintenance, inspections, and when necessary (which isn't often), replacements 
• Brake service to replace brake pads and do routine inspections 
• Tire rotations, wheel balancing and alignments, and tire replacements when needed 
• Transmission fluid (your electric car may or may not need this fluid - ask your Orlando auto service tech or check your owner's manual)
• Software checks to ensure your car is up to date. Most software updates happen over the air, but it's worth it to have our techs take a look to ensure your car has everything it should while you're at the dealership anyway for other routine maintenance. 

So yes, you will have to schedule some car maintenance appointments for your electric car at Toyota of Orlando. They're not zero-maintenance (what vehicle is?) but the lack of an internal combustion engine will definitely save you money in terms of car care costs. Plus, you'll be saving on fuel and that can make a huge difference in ownership costs, especially if you have a long commute. 

Schedule car maintenance for your electric car at Toyota of Orlando

Whether you need car maintenance for your electric car or have questions about what types of car care it will need, Toyota of Orlando can help. Call us today at (407) 298-0001 or stop by and see us at 3575 Vineland Road, just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall.