How to Maintain Your Hybrid/EV

There are many benefits to purchasing and driving electric vehicles, like significant savings on fuel, reduced environmental output, and access to savings and incentives. And Toyota Chula Vista is here to help you get started. We carry the alternative energy vehicles you’re sure to love, and we’re sharing all the information you need to know about maintaining them so they continue to run right for a long time.

Alternative Energy Vehicle Maintenance Tips

When you purchase an alternative energy vehicle for your new Toyota, you’ll have fewer maintenance and service tasks to worry about. This is because alternative energy vehicles have fewer moving parts than gasoline-powered cars. That said, you can take a few steps to maintain your hybrid or EV model, including the following.

Consider Your Charging Style

There are three levels of charging, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 DC Fast Charging. Plug-in hybrid vehicles, or PHEVs, use Level 1 and Level 2 charging. Fully electric cars can use all three levels, with many EV owners gravitating toward DC Fast Charging for its higher voltage and faster charge times.

We suggest planning ahead and using Level 2 Charging where possible. Repeated use of Level 3 stations will reduce the battery pack’s capacity to hold a charge.

Service the Battery

Alternative energy vehicles depend on their batteries more than new and pre-owned Toyota vehicles with internal combustion engines. While you won’t need to schedule as many services or maintenance tasks for your alternative energy vehicle as a gasoline-powered car, ensuring the battery is in the best possible condition on every ride remains essential.

Service the Brakes

Alternative energy vehicles often have a feature known as regenerative braking, which captures the energy produced during the braking process that is typically lost to heat and stores it for later use. While this reduces the pressure on your brakes, there are a lot of Toyota parts in the regenerative braking system, and they should be serviced regularly for maximum efficiency.

When you’re ready to begin the transition to hybrid or EV ownership, Toyota Chula Vista is here to help. It’s easy to start the Toyota financing, servicing, and test-driving processes right here at our Toyota dealership.