Do electric cars have brake fluid
7 Car Fluids That Electric Vehicles (EVs) Still Need
7 Car Fluids That Electric Vehicles (EVs) Still Need
One thing EVs and ICE cars have in common is the need for specific fluids. Here are seven fluids that apply to both vehicle types.
Published on
EVs are becoming increasingly popular, leading many consumers to wonder how their maintenance needs differ from those of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. There are some significant differences between the two vehicle types, but they also have many similarities. One thing EVs and ICE models have in common is the need for specific fluids. Wondering which fluids apply to both? (Hint: Oil isnt one.) Read on to find out.
Brake fluid
Motor and Wheels has laid out the basics of which fluids you can expect your EV to use, and brake fluid is one. Its used in hydraulic brake and hydraulic clutch applications in electric vehicles. Of course, its important to note that EVs brakes likely get less use because of regenerative braking. That means you might not notice your vehicle is low on brake fluid until its too late. So its crucial to keep an eye on brake fluid levels even in an electric car.
Coolant
Coolant is necessary to keep your vehicles temperature in check, whether in an EV or a gas-powered car. The thermal management needs of the latest e-motors and batteries are already significant, but they are expected to increase as manufacturers employ even larger batteries and as charging speeds of those batteries continue to increase, LubesNGreases explains. Mechanisms for thermal management are still very much in a state of change, but the use of coolants to transfer heat is already one of the main approaches and is expected to remain so.
Grease
Just because EVs dont use engine oil doesnt mean they dont need grease. Thats because electric cars still have moving parts requiring lubrication to prevent excessive wear and tear.
Steering fluid
Steering fluid is necessary only to power hydraulic power steering, which is becoming less common in the automotive industry. Newer vehicles are likelier to feature electronic power steering. Nevertheless, you still might come across an EV that requires steering fluid. And when you do, youll want to ensure it stays at an appropriate level.
Transmission fluid
You might have to change the transmission fluid in your multi-speed or direct-drive transmission during your electric vehicles life. But its difficult to say how often this maintenance might be necessary because these fluids are usually designed for long life, and auto manufacturers set different expectations. So consult your EVs owners manual.
Thermal fluid
Its no surprise that batteries heat up when theyre doing the work of powering electric vehicles. Thats why you need a way to cool them. Thats where thermal fluid comes in. As with a traditional gas-powered car, you want to ensure your EVs battery doesnt overheat.
Windshield wiper fluid
This solution functions the same in an EV or ICE vehicle. Keeping your cars windshield free of dirt, grime, and streaks provides a safer driving experience. So its always a good idea to keep an eye on your windshield wiper fluid level. The last thing you want is to run out when you need it most.
So there you have it: seven fluids that EVs and gas-powered vehicles have in common. Who would have guessed there were so many?
Do Electric Cars Have Normal Brakes? (Explained)
Most potential buyers wonder if electric cars (EVs) use standard brakes. If youre one of them, dont fret. Youve come to the right place.
This article answers some frequently asked questions about EV brakes for EVs.
Do Electric Cars Have Special Brakes?
Brakes for Evs work almost the same way as any traditional brakes. The only difference is that EVs use brake-by-wire technology that powers your brakes with electricity. If your car loses power or fails, your EV will switch to a typical hydraulic system.
But before we dive in, lets start by answering this crucial question:
How do brakes for electric cars work?
Brakes for EVs work differently from standard brakes.
For example, Gas-powered cars use what we call hydraulic brakes. If you dont know what that is, here is a brief explanation: Hydraulic brakes use hydraulic pressure to push a braking surface against a metal rotating part.
If your car has a disc brake, it usually has a caliper that squeezes two brake pads against an iron rotor.
Your electric car will have brakes that are powered by electricity. But there are backup systems in place in case the power fails (similar to the hydraulic brakes on standard gas-driven cars).
Do electric cars use special brakes?
Your EV comes with a brake pedal, hydraulic brakes, and disc brake calipers that clamp your brake rotors to help your car slow down or stop. Still, your EV has a totally different electronic braking system.
It has a brake pedal, hydraulic brakes, and disc brake calipers that clamp your brake rotors to help your car slow down or stop. Still, your EV has another electronic braking system.
An EV uses a regenerative braking system.
The electronic braking then uses a system of electric motors to stop or slow down your car.
The same electric motor is responsible for powering your car by sending electricity from the battery. You dont have to switch buttons for the regenerative braking system to work.
It works automatically.
Do electric cars have brake pedals?
EVs come with one pedal for braking and one for accelerating. You can use it to reduce the speed. Read more here about how many pedals electric cars have.
Or to stop your car.
For instance, you can lift your foot off the accelerator to slow down your vehicle.
Why does your EV use regular hydraulic brakes?
Your EV still uses standard brakes because your regenerative braking system alone cant stop your EV quickly. For instance, lets say youre about to crash into another car, and your battery runs out.
Your electric brakes wont be able to stop your vehicle quickly.
Hence, your EV still comes with hydraulic brakes.
What are the most common brake systems in electric cars?
When buying an EV, you should expect one of the most common brake systems.
First, your electric car will come with a hydraulic system. This brake system is a standard that uses brake fluid, friction, and cylinders.
One of the advantages of having a hydraulic braking system is that it can generate impressive pressure and stop your car.
When your regenerative braking torque is insufficient to help your car slow down or stop, the hydraulic will kick in automatically. The regenerative will then apply braking torque.
- Electromagnetic braking system
Then you get an electromagnetic braking system.
You can find electromagnetic braking systems in many hybrid cars.
This system uses electromagnetism to achieve frictionless braking.
EVs with an electromagnetic braking system are not likely to use traditional brakes often. However, their brakes are likely to rust quicker than conventional brakes.
The brake fluid of the EVs is expected to degrade even when youre not using it regularly. Check this article for a list of fluids in electric cars (it differs from gas-driven cars!)
Do electric cars use special brakes?
Yes, most new EVs use special brakes.
EVs use a regenerative braking system to help them reduce speed and to stop the car.
Do drivers have to use the brakes differently on electric vehicles?
Yes. Most EVs use one-pedal driving, which enables your cars regenerative braking system.
When you lift your foot on the pedal, the regenerative system converts your motor into a generator, which converts the kinetic energy of your cars speed.
Remember, if youre new to driving an EV, you must adjust your driving style. Naturally, how you drive your EV significantly impacts energy regeneration and the eventual degradation of your battery.
So if you apply little braking force, youll allow your car to accelerate.
Cars such as the Nissan Leaf come with an e-pedal brake system, too. This system can apply regenerative braking in e-Pedal mode when you release the accelerator.
Do they have power brakes?
EVs come equipped with powerful brakes.
The power brakes system work similarly to a generator. It uses the friction from your EV, which means as your car goes, it charges your battery.
Do brakes on electric cars need electricity?
Yes! The brakes on all EVs need electricity.
EVs use regenerative braking, which allows you to reuse the energy.
Because your EVs use electricity and a hydraulic system simultaneously, your brakes wont depend only on the availability of electricity. The electricity on your EVs causes the motor of your EV to run backward or slow down. So when the engine runs backward, it will also work as electricity.
Do electric cars have engine braking?
The simple answer is no. You cant engine brake your EV because it doesnt allow you to change down gears. This is because EVs come with an electric motor instead of an engine.
That doesnt mean the brakes of your engine are not efficient.
Besides, EVs usually dont come with a shift lever. And they dont have a gearbox.
Instead, of a gearbox, most EVs come with a single-speed transmission. Though some electric cars do have gears and transmissions.
Drivers use engine braking to slow down a car by taking off the foot on the accelerator and shifting down through gears. Engine braking in engine-powered cars happens when you utilize the retarding forces within your engine. Once engine braking occurs.
It will slow down the motor of your vehicle.
The benefits of engine braking include:
- Reducing wear and tear on your brakes.
- Protecting your car against harm.
Final Thoughts
Outside, most EVs look more or less the same as ordinary gas-powered cars.
Yet, EVs come with a battery instead of a gasoline tank. And they use a totally different brake system.
EVs dont have engines or gas tanks, except for PHEVs, which are usually powered by electricity and gasoline.
PHEVs come with a battery, an electric motor, a gasoline tank, and an internal combustion engine. The braking system on most PHEVs works differently from the regular braking system.
But for that, they will need good batteries.
Battery
EVs either use lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries. Because of their high energy density, they are often quite pricey. So its crucial that you take good care of them.
How long an EV battery holds power will largely depend on its size. And how you take care of your battery. To ensure that your battery lasts you for years, use one of the following tips:
- Avoid overcharging your battery. The battery of your EV is likely to degrade faster, mainly if you recharge it more frequently.
- Dont expose your battery to extreme temperatures. Parking your EV in a spot that exposes your car to direct sun will degrade your batterys quality.
- Charge the battery of your EV properly.And by this, we mean keeping your batterys state from zero to 80%. If you charge too low or extremely high, it will reduce the lifespan significantly.Experts recommend keeping your battery charged between 20% and 80% of the onscreen capacity.
- Dont overuse your air conditioning.When you overuse the aircon and heater in your EV, itll impact the energy efficiency of your car.
- Pay attention to eco-features. Most EVs come with eco-driving features that can increase the driving range up to significantly.
- Use a timer when charging.After charging, allow your battery to cool down. This will minimize battery use when the cells voltage is still high. Wait at least 30 to 60 minutes before driving your EV.
Did you find wrong information or was something missing?We would love to hear your thoughts! (PS: We read ALL feedback)
Electric Car Maintenance: What Fluids Does Your EV Need?
By now its well understood that EVs require much less maintenance than their ICE counterparts, but sadly, that does not mean they are maintenance free. In order to keep your EV in great shape youll have to follow the recommended maintenance schedule. One part of regular upkeep is changing the fluids used to keep the car running smoothly. In some ways, maintaining the fluids in an electric car is a lot like doing so in a gas powered car. The main difference is that there are - thankfully - no oil changes!
So what fluids do you need to worry about? Electric vehicles require windshield washer fluid, brake fluid, coolant, and transmission fluid.
Transmission or Gearbox fluid
Because electric vehicles do not have transmissions like internal combustion engines, the drivetrain requires less maintenance. EV transmissions have only two gears: forward and reverse. Technically, this is still a transmission, in the sense that they move the car in one direction or the other, but you do not need multiple, differently sized gears to accelerate. In fact, youll often see electric cars listed as single speed or one speed.
An electric vehicle is propelled by the electric motors which are capable of spinning at up to 20,000 revolutions per minute. When the electric motor spins it interacts with the transmission directly to turn the wheels and propel the car. Therefore, EV transmissions have fewer moving parts and less to lubricate and maintain. Some EV manufacturers dont even have recommended intervals for changing the transmission fluid. For example Tesla's Model 3 owners manual does not list transmission fluid in the scheduled maintenance, nor does my Mercedes electric drive (which has a Tesla drivetrain). The Nissan Leaf does list gearbox fluid inspection at intervals of up to 120,000 miles - which is a lot of miles for a single owner. If youre buying a used EV with significant mileage, this may be something you want to check.
Newer EVs such as Hyundai and Kia recommend changing the gearbox fluid every 80,000 miles. Check the manufacturers recommendation for the correct type transmission fluid. Although there is not generally a special fluid for EV transmissions, each manufacturer has its own specifications and not using the specified lubricant can void the warranty, just like in any gas powered vehicle.
Coolant
The battery coolant is arguably the most important fluid in an electric vehicle. The EV battery cooling system not only preserves the batterys longevity by preventing it from hitting damaging temperatures, it also helps the car optimize battery performance in the day to day. Batteries generate electricity from chemical reactions that happen between the various battery materials. The rate of chemical reactions changes depending on the temperature. Both internal temperature, which can rise if youre using your battery, and the surrounding ambient temperature can affect the rate of these reactions. The battery is most efficient within a temperature range of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.
The temperature of the battery also must be regulated during charging, not just while the vehicle is running. Faster charging (and higher currents and voltages) generate more heat and the battery coolant helps offset any potential damage this can cause.
Although it would seem that the importance of the coolant would make it imperative to change frequently, this is not necessarily the case. Coolant in an EV does not interact with the air and other car parts the same way as antifreeze does in an ICE. In most systems, the coolant is isolated in metal tubes that flow over the battery modules to regulate their temperature.
Since these tubes are sealed off, the chemicals in the coolant dont break down or become less effective over time. Maintenance schedules vary significantly between the different manufacturers. Tesla states that the coolant never needs to be changed. My Mercedes-Benz states that coolant should be checked and possibly replaced at intervals of 124,000 miles. Hyundai and Kia both show recommended maintenance times of 80,000 miles.
Again, always consult your manufacturers specifications if considering changing the coolant yourself. The batteries generally have long warranties over 100,000 miles, but using a different coolant than specified risks voiding the warranty.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid in another of the important fluids in an EV. Most EVs use what is called regenerative braking, which helps them to recycle lost energy. Because of this feature, regenerative brakes typically have a much longer lifespan than their gas powered counterparts. This does not mean, however, that you should neglect regular brake pad and fluid maintenance. Brake fluid levels should be monitored and topped off as needed. If you notice the following it may be time to change your brake fluid:
The brakes feel spongy or soft
It is taking longer to come to a stop
Your dashboard brake light turns on
At 4 years and 57,000 miles I have noticed my own brakes getting a little soft, and Ill be having my fluid changed soon. Tesla recommends checking the fluid every two years, but most drivers report that it doesnt need to be replaced that often. Again, check the manufacturers specifications if topping off or replacing on your own.
Power Steering Fluid
Automobiles have come a long way since rack and pinion steering. Most EVs as well as ICE cars now come with an electric power steering system as opposed to the hydraulic system. The electric system is not complicated, and as a matter of fact is so simple that it eliminates the need for belts, pulleys, tubes, and fluid. Since the steering system is controlled electronically, there is no fluid to change or check and no moving parts to replace. If youre old enough to remember having to change the power steering pump when it began to leak fluid well, there is no more of that.
Wiper fluid
We saved the easiest one for last, since you don't technically need to check this one and you can replace it easily on your own.
If your windshield gets dirty and you push the little button to release wiper fluid and nothing comes out: dont worry. There is no difference in the wiper fluid used for an EV. Your local auto parts store will have a perfectly acceptable washer fluid that you can pick up and replace on your own.
The more you know about electric cars, the more you should like them. Cars have been around for over 100 years and this new technology is bringing advancements fast and furious. The systems running electric vehicles are eliminating the need for moving parts, and the fluids to make them work. Gasoline, motor oil, and hydraulic fluids are becoming a thing of the past. However, even with these advancements, EVs are still not maintenance free. Check your manual and follow the recommended maintenance schedule for changing the fluids and youll keep your car running smoothly and clean for a long time.
