EV Repairs Are Cheaper Than Gas Cars, but There’s a Catch, Says Study

A rather surprising statistic

According to data from Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book, sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) remain steady, even as sales during the second quarter of 2025 saw a 6.3% year-over-year dip. Overall, over 607,089 new EVs left dealer lots through the first half of 2025; a 1.5% increase year-over-year.

These numbers show that new EVs are still joining the roads, which means that service departments will have more EVs to repair and maintain throughout their lifespans. However, according to a new EV Ownership Study published by CDK Global, most EV shoppers mistakenly believe EVs are more expensive to maintain.

In reality, the dealer software specialists found that 53% of non-Tesla EV owners found it less expensive to service their electric car than a gas vehicle, while 41% of Tesla owners felt the same. However, while basic periodical maintenance like tires and oil changes is less frequent for electric vehicles (which is largely due to the fact that they don’t have gas engines), 85% of EV owners said they had to return their vehicles to the service department for repair or maintenance within the first year of ownership.

Though the study’s statistics show that EV owners are taking advantage of dealer-offered services like pick-up and mobile services, CDK data revealed that it takes more time for dealers to fix an EV than the gas cars they usually fix. Per CDK, Tesla owners said they had to wait nearly 23% longer to get their cars back compared to a gas car, while non-Tesla owners reported they had to wait 34% longer.

According to CDK data, most of these EV jobs take multiple days, which can burden those with tight schedules or busy lifestyles. Their data from 2023 shows that 40% of people who took their EV to get fixed had a same-day turnaround, but in 2024, that number dropped to just 28%. During the same time, the number of EV owners whose cars had to stay overnight at the shop went up from 21% to 29%.

To make matters worse, CDK reported that 71% of Tesla owners said that their issues were resolved in just one visit, while just 65% of non-Tesla owners said the same. Among the non-Tesla owners who needed multiple visits to fix their issue, 52% said it took two visits, while 21% said they needed four or five visits back to the service department.

“We know dealers are prepared for EV service, but our most recent findings show EV owners are waiting longer to have their cars serviced, and it’s taking multiple visits to have their issue resolved,” CDK director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst David Thomas said. “The fact that these numbers are getting worse is not a good sign, as more non-Tesla EVs are on the road than ever before.”

Final thoughts

As someone who attended a vocational technical high school to train as an automotive technician, I can imagine the kind of additional training one would need to get certified for working on EVs, in addition to gasoline-powered cars.

From what we know, Tesla has the advantage of having service centers that exclusively work on other Tesla EVs. However, as Tesla gives more of its market share to traditional automakers like General Motors, Ford, and even Hyundai and Honda, dealers and service departments that rely on routine maintenance jobs, such as tire, brake, and oil changes, must take on the additional task of servicing the EVs sold in their showrooms.

Electric cars are still a relatively young industry compared to the petrol-powered brethren they compete against. Hopefully, these growing pains show traditional automakers that this sector is growing.