Maintenance & Servicing Guide

Routine servicing and maintenance is included in your all-inclusive elmo subscription – we’ve got you covered. But there’s a few things you should do to help keep your car in tip-top condition.

This guide will walk you through some basic maintenance you should be doing for your electric car, as well as tell you how to arrange a service for your elmo EV and a quick run through of your responsibilities as a subscriber.

Don’t forget, if you need extra support or want to seek advice for anything mentioned below, we’re around Monday to Friday 0900-1700 and Saturdays 1000-1400 for support.

Young man getting into his salary sacrifice EV outside office

Basic maintenance for your elmo car

We love EVs at elmo and we hope you love yours too. To show that love though, it’s important we all do our bit.

Here’s a few things you need to keep on top of:

Battery state of charge

Windscreen wipers

Windscreen washer fluid

Tyre pressure

Tyre condition

Inside

Outside

General condition

You should make sure your electric car always has a good state of charge – avoid dropping it below 10% often, as this can degrade the battery faster over time

You should make sure your windscreen wipers are attached correctly and clear the windscreen sufficiently to give the driver a good view of the road ahead

Make sure your car is topped up with windscreen washer fluid. This is usually under the bonnet or next to the Frunk (if you’re lucky enough to have one)

Keep on top of your car’s tyre pressures – word on the street is you can lose 5% of your EVs total range if your tyres aren’t inflated properly!

We get it, skids are “cool”, but if you lose traction, it’s not safe. So, don’t go wheelspinning your EV. Your tyres look after you on the road, it’s your job to make sure you look after them. You’re responsible for punctures and sidewall damage

You should keep your car’s interior clean and tidy and avoid staining or ripping any seats or trim – if you do, you may be charged for repairs

Keep your car’s exterior clean. This helps keep the paint in good condition – use microfibre cloths and car shampoo if you can and avoid drive-through car washes where possible (it can scratch the paint!). Go on, you’ll feel better for it…

It’s obvious, we know, but please avoid chipping the paint or curbing a wheel – if you do, you may be charged for repairs

How to arrange a service for your elmo car

Book a service

This will take you to our Service Booking Portal

If you’re on an elmoFlex subscription and are likely to only keep it for a few months, you may not need to arrange a service for your vehicle. But, if you’re with us for the long-haul on elmoSave, you’ll need to get your car serviced.

Here are the steps for booking your elmo car in for a service:

Enter the registration plate of your elmo car on the portal above
Confirm the vehicle make and model
Enter your contact details (name, phone number and email) so our network of dealers can confirm your booking. You can also add secondary contacts if one of your additional drivers is handling the service
Select Service when prompted to choose what work is required
You then have the option to choose how you’d like your vehicle service to be arranged. This includes having your car collected from your address and returned to you, dropping the car off yourself, having a courtesy car included while yours is being serviced) or a while-you-wait service. The choice is yours, though they’ll each have different lead times, so do bear that in mind. It’s also worth remembering that your nearest dealership may not offer the service you require (for example, a courtesy car)
Choose your preferred booking date
Then submit your booking. The team will be in touch to confirm your service shortly

Our Technical Support team will contact you when your vehicle needs a service. The service indicator in the car will also be up-to-date, so should the light come on before we’ve reached out to you, it’s good to get the car booked in regardless (if nothing else for peace-of-mind).

If you have any questions or concerns about getting your vehicle serviced, email hello@elmodrive.com and we’ll do our best to help.

Your responsibilities as a subscriber

Warning lights

If you spot a warning light on your car and you’re not able to resolve it yourself, you must let elmo (or, if instructed, elmo’s vehicle partner) know as soon as possible. This includes if you suspect a mechanical or electrical fault or believe the car is not working the way it should be.

If you don’t inform us then we can’t help you keep your driving experience safe. And, if you return the car without reporting any issues, you may be liable for any damage that has been caused as a result. So, please let us know as soon as you identify or suspect anything unusual – we’re here to help.

Punctures

If you encounter a puncture while driving, you should stop the car where safe to do so or take it to your nearest Kwik Fit or Halfords (again, if safe to do so) as soon as possible. These are our preferred suppliers as punctures are not covered as part of your subscription. If there is a local supplier you’d prefer to use, please let us know first.
Punctures are not covered under your subscription, though we can support you to find your nearest tyre centre if you contact us.

What to do if you’re involved in an accident

If you’re involved in an incident with your elmo car, you should get yourself and the vehicle safe, then view our Emergency Guide and follow the instructions there.

This includes details on how to submit the information through the elmo Claims App, as well as how to inform our insurance company of the incident or get your vehicle recovered out of office hours.

Battery health & charging

Just like your laptop or smartphone, electric cars use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are proven to be reliable, fast to charge and able to maintain a good battery-health for many years.

The battery health of your EV is how much of its original state-of-charge it’s still able to reach (that’s why a phone that’s 3 years old may no longer last as long on a single charge as it did when it was brand new, because the battery health has deteriorated).

The good news is, there are a few simple things you can do to maintain the battery health of your electric car:

Tips for maintaining battery health in an EV

Frequent charges from 0-100% can degrade your car’s battery faster than normal. Keeping the car between 20-80% (so not either extreme of empty or full) will help keep your car’s battery health in good condition.

If you know it’ll be scorching hot outside, park in the shade or in a car park – your passengers will thank you later having not parked in the sun, and so will your EV’s battery. We know this isn’t always possible but, if you have the choice in front of you, choose shade.

Where you can, if you’ve been driving for long periods in very hot weather, let the batteries cool for 10-15 minutes before you plug it in to charge. No immediate damage will be caused either way – it’s just to preserve battery health.

We know you’ll need to use rapid and ultra-rapid chargers every now and then, especially if you’re on a longer journey taking a quick pit-stop for charge (and food-fuel of your own!). But, if you can, avoid relying on the super-fast chargers all the time. Using the slower chargers when you have time, overnight for example, is a really simple way of preserving the long-term life of your car’s battery.

And, finally, electric cars (even when they’re off!) use a small amount of energy to keep the onboard systems ticking over, and the battery in good health. If you leave your EV empty for too long, these systems will stop and it could damage the battery. So, just like you wouldn’t run your old petrol car out of fuel, keep your EV topped up.

Don’t panic! We know this technology is new, but modern electric cars are proven to maintain well over 80% of their original state of charge nowadays, even 8-10 years (and hundreds of thousands of miles) into being used. Tesla, for example, claim their batteries will happily exceed 300,000+ miles of driving before the battery health is seriously different from factory standard. The best bit? This technology is only getting better and better – and you can swap your elmo car regardless.

Tyres & tread depth

Just like any other car, its tyres are its only contact with the road. It’s really important they’re in good condition to help keep you safe and, also, efficient.

Our responsibility in covering the tyres on your EV is fair wear and tear that meets the BVRLA standard. This means that you are responsible should you encounter a puncture.

Tread depth

Sidewalls

Pressures

Age

If you think the tread on your elmo car’s tyres is below a safe standard, or close to the legal minimum limit, you should call us on 0330 165 4945

If there is any damage to the sidewall of your tyres (i.e. they appear sliced or there is cracking on the sidewall), you should seek to get the tyres replaced. These should be a like for like for the tyre previously fitted. If you’re not sure or need support, contact the team

Make sure your tyre pressures are accurate as detailed in the vehicle’s handbook or located on a sticker (usually found on the panel inside the driver’s door). Low tyre pressures can increase rolling resistance, making your car less efficient – and efficiency is key when it comes to ensuring range

Your EV will be new or nearly new, so it’s extremely unlikely you’ll have tyres that are deemed unsafe for being too old. But, if you’re subscribing with us long-term, do check your tyres regularly to make sure they’ve not perished with age

That’s all!

Go forth and enjoy driving electric. We hope you found this helpful – if you need anything, just reach out to the team.

Charging

Find out more about charging your electric car.

FAQs

See the answers to our frequently asked questions.

Any Questions?

Call us on 0330 165 4945

Email us at hello@elmodrive.com

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