With the monsoons here, vehicles will be at their dirtiest, as Indian roads are caked with dust, mud, and a host of other things. A common thing during such weather conditions is to wash the vehicle as soon as you get home, however, what if you own an electric vehicle? How do you wash it? Rather, can you wash it like a regular two-wheeler? Here’s a guide.
How to wash an EV?
It’s simple, actually, and involves a lot of common sense. We have been riding the River Indie for a few days now – and we absolutely love it – and thought it would be a great idea to demonstrate the process. The Indie had picked up a lot of dirt and the scooter finished in Winter White needed some care.
So one advisable tip to follow is to wash the vehicle in the morning, or before using it at all. This ensures crucial parts are cold, like the engine in motorcycles and in EVs, the brakes and other bits that can get hot.
Next, turn down the pressure washer’s setting to the lowest, and give the vehicle a thorough spray down. Don’t concentrate the water to one location as this may cause damage or water ingress — a method I follow for regular motorcycles as well. This ensures that vital connectors and exposed components don’t get damaged or are under any sort of pressure.
This is followed by a thorough shampoo wash using a bucket and a microfibre cloth. Get into all the nooks and crannies to give the vehicle a scrub and then leave it till the foam slowly brings down all the dirt. Don’t let it dry up though. The next step is simple, wash it down again with the pressure washer setting turned to the lowest.
Let the vehicle sit for a bit, until as much water drains and use a blower to get the remaining water away. Compressed air can damage sensitive parts, so the blower function on the vacuum cleaner is a better choice. Once done, give it a thorough wipe down using a clean microfibre cloth and that’s it, done.
You can take it a step further by giving the scooter a nice coat of polish, or even use dedicated sprays such as a brake cleaner to get the brakes cleaner and moisture-free. Overall, washing an electric scooter is an easy task.