An EV is for life, not just for Christmas: 4 quick EV maintenance tips

An EV isn’t just for Christmas - it’s for life. (Well… the life of your lease, at least).

And whether your EV spends its days on the school run, the commute, or the odd festive road trip, a few small habits can help keep it running smoothly, efficiently, and happily for years to come.

Here are four easy ways to give your EV a little extra TLC.

For everyday driving, keeping your battery between 20% and 80% is the sweet spot.

Charging to 100% every now and then (say before a long journey or during particularly cold weather) is absolutely fine. But doing it all the time can speed up battery ageing.

Top tip: If you’re on Octopus Energy's smart tariff - Intelligent Octopus Go, you can set your target charge level in the app. Tell it how much charge you want, and your smart charger will stop automatically. No babysitting required.

And if you need a top-up on the go, the Electroverse app will help you find compatible chargers wherever you are. Sorted.

Tyres often don’t get much love - but they can make a big difference to range and performance.

Under-inflated tyres create more drag, which means your EV has to work harder (and use more energy). Check your manufacturer’s recommended pressure (usually found in the manual or inside the door frame) and top them up regularly. Especially with:

• Cold weather, which lowers tyre pressure
• Heavy loads (hello suitcases, shopping, and festive gifts)

Want to get extra geeky and impress your family and friends at Christmas?

Many EVs receive over-the-air updates - just like your phone.

These updates can:

• Improve efficiency and performance
• Fix bugs
• Add new features
• Make your EV generally a bit smarter

It’s tempting to hit “remind me later” (we’ve all done it), but installing updates promptly keeps everything running smoothly - and can stop small niggles (like a laggy screen) hanging around longer than necessary.

Even though EVs have fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel cars, servicing still matters.

A once-a-year service helps spot wear and tear early, keeps everything in top condition, and reduces the risk of inconvenient surprises later on.

If you lease with Octopus EV, servicing and maintenance are already included - so there’s no reason to put it off. Easy, stress-free, done.

Want to learn more about living with an EV? Head over to our EV Hub.