The answer is as often as the vehicle manufacturer recommends! This information can be found in your handbook or we can check for you.
People often neglect the oil in their hybrid cars because they wrongly assume that because they are using electric the oil will last longer.
Hybrid vehicles run on both electricity and petrol so they still rely on a combustible engine for part of the process and will still need regular oil changes.
The vehicle makers set out a service schedule that is determined by mileage and is based on age because the oil in the engine ages even if your miles are mainly electric. The oil will gradually oxidise and be less effective.
In standard combustion engine vehicles, the oil reaches a temperature and any condensation water and fuel will evaporate but in a hybrid the engine oil rarely reaches the temperate resulting in more water and fuel accumulating in the oil circuit. Because the hybrid has frequent cold starts it takes longer for the oil to reach all the parts in the engine.
It’s important to clean the oil circuit thoroughly when the oil is changed to remove any deposits.
Unless the manufacturer recommends a specific type, you can use conventional or synthetic oil in your hybrid but we would recommend synthetic. The hybrid engine often needs a lower weight oil to ensure proper lubrication so it is best to use what is recommended.
Contact us to discuss your service schedule for your hybrid or electric vehicle at our Stowmarket branch or any of our centres in the region.
