The costs for maintenance and repair of cars have risen again in 2023. That is according to director Bas Wintjes of data specialist WESP, which has more than 1,200 affiliated car companies. And that is due to aging cars.
The financial increase is mainly due to more expensive service, according to Wintjes. For example, more maintenance has been carried out compared to 2022. ‘The average garage has generated 13.5 percent more turnover ,’ he says. ‘That is partly because the prices of maintenance have increased, and in particular the prices of parts. But also because we have had to do more maintenance.’
And that has everything to do with the ageing of cars, which means that maintenance has to be done more often, he says. ‘New cars are more complex and more prone to failures’, Wintjes continues. ‘That means that fewer repairs are done, but more research and readings are needed to find out what a possible cause is. More modern and better does not always mean cheaper maintenance . ‘
Low maintenance
Although he does not think that there is one specific period that is best for cars when it comes to maintenance, according to Wintjes it is evident that the complexity of a car plays a very important role. ‘The more complex a car is, the more maintenance it needs’, he says. ‘You can now see that parts of maintenance are no longer required for fully electric cars. For example, there is hardly any oil in them. But tires for electric cars are much more expensive. That increases the costs again.’
He also emphasizes that mechanics (for electric cars) may be less available in the future. ‘That will also play a role in the future.’
Hybrid the most expensive
One thing is certain according to Wintjes: hybrid cars are the most expensive to maintain. Where you spent an average of 605 euros per year on service and maintenance for cars with a combustion engine, the amount for hybrid cars was 622 euros. ‘That’s all hybrid cars together, plus all plug-in cars ‘, he continues. ‘If you look purely at EVs, you come to an average of 506 euros per year. They are a lot lower.’
But that comparison doesn’t really work, Wintjes thinks. It’s a matter of comparing apples and oranges. ‘The average of EVs includes a lot of business traffic and few entry-level cars. And among all the cars with combustion engines, there are a lot of Aygos and C1s. They are cheaper, and that’s why we expect that the price for maintenance of an electric car will eventually be lower than for traditional cars.’
Source: BNR Nieuwsradio
