While average car buyers pay more attention to the sticker price of a new car, fleet owners focus on lifetime costs (maintenance, fuel, and ancillaries). They want to know every penny they’ll be spending over the course of a decade or so to keep their vehicles going.
Now that fleet owners in New York City have been using a variety of electric, hybrid, and gas-powered vehicles, the city has released the first analysis of its kind that analyzes fuel and maintenance costs for the year 2018. It found servicing costs with all-electric vehicle models was far less than for gas, hybrid, and hybrid plug-in models. The city found that while electric vehicles have a higher initial price, the city actually saves money over time through minimal service costs. For instance, the Nissan Leaf saved the city $8,478 in maintenance costs when compared to the gas-powered Ford Fusion, despite slightly higher initial prices.