Mechanics and Service

  • Map of Tesla service center locations in the U.S., December 2016

    My 2013 Tesla Model S is now approaching 75,000 miles on the odometer. That happens to be the mileage benchmark for my next scheduled Tesla service. So I called my local Tesla service center, in Paramus, New Jersey, to set up the appointment. No problem, the service rep said. The first available slot is...a month from now. Whoa. DON'T MISS: Tesla to charge for Supercharger parking if charging is over, sometimes Good thing I’d called well in advance of my annual cross-country drive to our winter getaway in California, scheduled five weeks later. If I’d called with my usual lead...

  • Joe Ferrer, owner of BS&F Auto Parts in the Bronx, New York
    Mechanic's Worry: Electric Car Brakes Will Ruin My Business

    Talk to any independent auto-repair mechanic, and you'll learn that the single most important item that keeps a shop in business is brakes. But hybrids and electric cars use their friction brakes far less aggressively than regular cars. That's because when the driver presses the pedal, some or all...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf Software Update
    Got a 2011 Nissan Leaf? Here’s What Your 6 Month Service Is Like

    While some lucky 2011 Nissan Leaf owners have had their cars now for nearly 8 months, most are in the magic six-month honeymoon period of owning their new electric hatchback. But what happens when you get to six months of ownership and it’s time for your first Nissan Leaf service? As...

  • 2012 Ford Focus Electric
    2012 Ford Focus Electric: All The Parts It Doesn't Have...

    A few days ago we told you what you needed to know about Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt servicing. After all, an electric car doesn't have many of the serviceable components you associate with a fossil-fuelled vehicle. Not one to be left out, Ford are now extolling the virtues of simple servicing...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt
    What You Need To Know About Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt Servicing

    A few months ago we asked the question, what exactly do you have to service on a 2011 Nissan LEAF? After all, the LEAF doesn't even contain many of the items that require regular attention on a regular car, such as oil changes, spark plugs, filters, transmission fluid and muffler parts. Brakes...

  • Shenyan Chevy Dealer
    How Are Car Dealers Getting Ready to Service Electric Cars?

    As we've discovered, some car dealers are less than enthusiastic about the prospect of selling and servicing electric cars. Luckily, others are more game. Either way, what can you expect from your local electric car dealership when you take your shiny new EV in for a service? Training You'd be...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf

    In 2011 a crack task force was sent to the United States by a Japanese manufacturer for a car that's making headlines. These men were promptly trained to be experts in their field. Today, wanted by thousands of owners, they survive as a rapid response unit. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire The N-Team. ...cue the music. We suspect that if you were to call out Nissan's new rapid-response task force to fix a problem with your new LEAF electric car their entrance probably wouldn't be anything like as dramatic as everyone's favourite...

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