The Truth About EVs

Author: rosserla06

Can Any Mechanic Work on an Electric Vehicle?

July 6, 2026 /

One of the biggest misconceptions about electric vehicles is that they require a dealership for every repair. In reality, many of the maintenance items on an EV are very similar to a gasoline-powered vehicle.

Here’s a quick breakdown.

Repairs Most Independent Shops Can Handle

Most suspension, steering, tire, and brake work doesn’t change simply because the car is electric.

A qualified independent repair shop can typically perform services such as:

  • Tire replacement and balancing
  • Wheel alignments
  • Brake pad and rotor replacement
  • Brake fluid flushes
  • Ball joints
  • Tie rods
  • Wheel bearings
  • Control arms
  • Struts and shocks
  • Suspension bushings

These components function much like they do on conventional vehicles, and many experienced repair shops are already familiar with servicing them.

One interesting difference is that EV brake pads often last significantly longer thanks to regenerative braking. Because the electric motor helps slow the vehicle, the traditional friction brakes simply don’t get used as often.

Repairs That Usually Require EV Training

Where electric vehicles become more specialized is anything involving the high-voltage electrical system.

These repairs are generally best left to a dealership or an independent shop with EV certification and proper safety equipment.

Examples include:

  • High-voltage battery pack repairs
  • Battery cooling systems
  • Inverters
  • Onboard chargers
  • High-voltage wiring
  • Drive motors
  • Battery management system diagnostics

These components operate at voltages that require specialized training and insulated tools.

The Bottom Line

Owning an electric vehicle doesn’t mean every repair has to be done at the dealership.

For tires, brakes, suspension, steering, and many routine maintenance items, a trusted independent repair shop can often handle the work just as they would on a gasoline-powered vehicle.

The dealership—or a qualified EV specialist—becomes much more important when the repair involves the vehicle’s high-voltage electrical system.

As electric vehicles become more common, more independent repair facilities are investing in EV training. That means owners will likely have even more service options in the years ahead.

What Happens If You Lose Your EV Key Fob While Driving?

July 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments

One thing I recently learned the hard way with my 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S is that your EV will continue driving even if the key fob is no longer in the vehicle.

Here’s what happened.

While loading my daughter into the car, I accidentally set the key fob on the roof and forgot about it. We drove away as normal. Somewhere along the drive, the key fell off the vehicle.

The ID.4 kept driving without any major warning that the key was gone.

The real problem came after I reached my destination.

Once I shut the vehicle off, it would not restart because there was no authorized key present.

At that point, there wasn’t much I could do.

I had to call an Uber, ride home, grab my spare key, and then return to the vehicle.

Ironically, my spare key’s battery had died, so that wasn’t much help either.

Fortunately, an incredibly kind Uber driver agreed to retrace my route. Against all odds, we found my original key fob lying in the road after it had apparently been run over by traffic.

Believe it or not, it still worked well enough to get us home.

Lessons Learned

If you drive an EV—or really, any modern push-button-start vehicle—it’s worth remembering a few things:

  • Your vehicle may continue driving even after the key leaves the vehicle.
  • Once you turn the car off, you may not be able to restart it without another working key.
  • Carrying a spare key (or at least making sure your spare has a fresh battery) is more important than many people realize.
  • Before driving away, take one last glance to make sure your key isn’t sitting on the roof.

Final Thoughts

In today’s world of smart keys and connected vehicles, I was surprised there wasn’t a better recovery option once the fob was gone.

Thankfully, this happened in Michigan—not somewhere remote or in extreme heat. I also had help from an Uber driver who went above and beyond to help us recover the key.

If you own an EV, learn from my mistake. It only takes a few seconds to double-check that your key is actually in your pocket before you pull away.

© 2026 The Truth About EVs

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑

en_USEnglish
en_USEnglish