Electric cars are slowly becoming more prevalent on British roads and the number is sure to increase considering the government’s plan for all new vehicles to be electric only from 2030. For some though, these cars are still a bit of an enigma. The costs of purchase, the ways to charge and how to maintain are areas of confusion for many.
A common thought is that everything is more complicated and more expensive. The cars are more costly to buy and the maintenance more complicated to carry out being two such examples of the worry people have.
Luckily electric cars provide more simplicity than first thought. With fewer mechanical parts than an internal combustion vehicle, there is every chance that you’ll be spending less time and money on repairs and maintenance than you may have first thought.
Think about the times you have had to have oil changes, replace cambelts or get new spark plugs. Has it been often? Even if you have had to do it just twice, that is still more than if you were to own an electric Jaguar.
Then look at all the other times you have attended a garage or service centre seeking help. How many of them have been related to the engine? Has the radiator needed an inspection? Did the fuel injector develop a fault? Perhaps the water pump has broken? Each of these can be avoided with an electric Jaguar!
What electric Jaguars are there?
There is currently only one all-electric Jaguar and that is the stunning I-Pace. An SUV that delivers world-class design fused with sports car performance. Agile, sturdy, efficient and of course, an exhibition of pure Jaguar engineering. With more scheduled to be released, including a £100,000 GT in 2024, the choices will suit all types of drivers as well as budgets over the next few years.
It isn’t the only foray into electric vehicles for Jaguar. There are Plug-in Hybrids as well as Mild-Hybrids. Each exhibiting environmental benefits as well as the style that Jaguar encompasses so well.
There are currently two models in the Plug-in Hybrid class, the F-Pace and the E-Pace whilst in the Mild-Hybrid collection you have both the E and F-Pace whilst two sleek saloons are added to the mix with the XE and the XF.
From 2025 though Jaguar will become an electric-only brand
What parts of an electric Jaguar need servicing?
With less requiring attention, electric Jaguars only have a few parts that need servicing. Of course, there will still be the standard items that require an inspection such as tyres, wheel alignment and a few others. Jaguar servicing specialists like RCV can take care of these as well as the remainder of the electric Jaguar and ensure it is fully roadworthy and safe for you to drive.
Diagnostics check
Cars, no matter whether they are electric, or petrol can be complicated creatures and faults can develop under the hood that you will often not notice until it is far too late. By taking your electric Jaguar for a service, you can benefit from a diagnostic check that will pick up any fault codes. This then helps the engineer find a problem and then find the solution. Thanks to the few parts within the vehicle, the problems are few and far between and if any are found, can often be easily fixed.
The battery
The battery in an electric Jaguar will also undergo a little check to ensure that there is no damage.
High voltage cables
The cables are normally checked for signs of damage and faulty connections. This is a regular check but less regular is finding faults with the cables. They are well-protected and durable so should not pose any problems when having your electric Jaguar serviced and maintained.
Transmission
Whilst it will certainly be looked at to ensure your Jaguar is at peak condition, it is a unit that requires little, if any work at all.
Fluid levels
Keeping fluid levels within your vehicle at a sufficient level is key whether you have an electric vehicle or not. As long as you or your servicing engineer top them up as and when required, you should not encounter any faults here.
The remaining parts of the car are more or less on par with combustion engine vehicles so any other maintenance or servicing will be similar to what you may have already experienced with other cars you have owned.
That being said, the weight of an electric vehicle can often mean that some parts do suffer more wear than they may when part of a combustion engine car. For example, the braking system employed by electric cars results in the brake discs and pads being used less but when they are used, they work much harder. Likewise, this same weight sees higher tyre wear, so keeping on top of tyre maintenance will be important to ensure your tyres remain compliant. If you think your tyres are not at their best and do not pass the test for minimum tread depth, seek out the advice of a tyre and wheel alignment specialist.
How often should you get an electric Jaguar serviced?
Whilst there is less to go wrong with an electric car and fewer parts for an engineer to check over, the items such as tyres, suspension and brakes need to be checked just like they would be on any other type of car.
The Jaguar I-Pace, currently the only all-electric Jaguar on the market, requires a service every 2 years or 21,000 miles, whichever comes first. To some, this may be seen as a rather long period but the Jaguar I-Pace collects information all the time via its systems. This information is then transferred to the servicing engineer via diagnostics checks at the time of service. This allows them to then find faults and rectify them.
The service schedule for the I-Pace indicates that you should also have your electric Jaguar serviced at 63,000 miles or every six years too.
There is some maintenance you can do yourself though to ensure your Jaguar remains in its best condition in between full services.
It should be noted that with the introduction of more electric Jaguars over the coming years, the service schedules for them may vary. Always consult your handbook, dealership or a Jaguar servicing specialist to check how frequent any inspections of your vehicle should be.
How you can maintain your electric Jaguar
You will have a service booked according to the requirements of the model you own but there are a few things you can do at home to help keep the car in its best condition.
Once a month, check the following:
- Tyre pressure
- Tyre condition
- Windscreen washer fluid levels
Once you have reached 7,500 miles, you should:
- Check battery coolant level
- Check the steering and drive shafts for any wear
- Check the lights both internally and externally
- Check the cabin heater, power inverter and charger modules
- Check the brakes, steering and suspension for any unusual signs of wear or damage
You should also consider having the tyres rotated at this stage but, understandably, this is a job many would prefer to leave to a service centre. At this point, it should also be noted that if any of your own inspections lead to you discovering faults that could be dangerous, contact an engineer so you can have your vehicle maintained by a professional.
When the mileage hits 15,000 miles, consider changing the windscreen wiper blades and once it reaches 36,000 consider the cabin air filter being replaced.
If you have any questions regarding the maintenance of your Jaguar, contact our team of experts at Roberts Country Vehicles. With over 40 years of experience across Land Rovers, Jaguars and Range Rovers, we can lend an expert hand that ensures your vehicle is at its best all of the time. Our Jaguar service prices are among the most competitive throughout the UK, and where we only work to the official Jaguar service schedules and use only parts that are approved genuine parts or OEM, you can remain confident that your Jaguar is in the safest hands.
Operating out of Kent, we are happy to welcome Jaguar owners from all over the country and look forward to seeing you whether it be for a service, a Jaguar MOT or a tyre and wheel alignment. Contact us today and see how we can save you up to 40% off main dealer prices!