EV Vehicle health Check
At Soul Garages we are EV trained and experienced to work on Electric Vehicles, using specialist diagnostic equipment and all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), following manufacturer guideline, to the letter, we will service your vehicle to the highest of standards expected at Soul Garages. Including a Vehicle Health Check at every visit.
This newly created check sheet is the most comprehensive on the market, covering a thorough check on all key component to ensure you drive safe, legal and optimising the running of your EV vehicle. You are in safe hands when trusting your Electric Vehicle to Soul Garages.
EV Car Battery Checks
A car Battery Management System (BMS) check is essential for maintaining the health, safety, and performance of a vehicle’s battery. The BMS monitors battery voltage, temperature, charging cycles, and overall condition to ensure the battery operates efficiently. Regular checks can detect early signs of wear, charging faults, or electrical issues before they lead to breakdowns or expensive repairs. This is especially important in modern vehicles, hybrid cars, and electric vehicles where battery performance directly affects reliability and fuel efficiency.
Whether you are buying, selling or maintaining an EV car you must have the battery checked for peace of mind and in the same way you would have checked your oil level on a combustion engine, EV cars need their batteries checked regularly too.
There are several advantages for the driver.
Who are CARA?
CARA stands for the Car Remarketing Association – Europe. In the context of EV (Electric Vehicle) battery checks, CARA is the industry body that sets the standard and guidelines for independent, transparent EV battery health testing.
CARA-Europe +3
Their “Battery Health Check CARA Approved” standard ensures that any Battery Management System (BMS) testing—which evaluates cell voltage balance, historical data, state of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH) — is standardised, unbiased, and trusted across the used-car market.
Why EV Battery Health Matters
Electric vehicles are no longer new to UK roads. In fact, EVs have been around for many years, and as technology continues to evolve, so does the way drivers maintain their vehicles. In the past, motorists regularly checked engine oil levels to keep petrol and diesel cars running smoothly. Today, EV drivers must focus on something far more important — battery health.
The battery is the heart of every electric vehicle, and ensuring it performs at its best is essential for reliability, efficiency, and long-term value. That’s where a Battery Management System (BMS) check becomes vital. A professional BMS check monitors battery condition, charging performance, temperature control, and overall system health, helping to identify issues before they become costly problems.
Using a specialist company such as Soul Garages of Olney ensures your EV receives expert attention from technicians who understand advanced battery technology. Regular BMS checks can help extend battery life, improve performance, and provide peace of mind for drivers who rely on their electric vehicle every day.
As vehicle technology changes, maintenance habits must change too. Yesterday it was checking the oil — today it’s protecting your battery investment with a professional BMS health check.
Sample EV Battery Health Check Report
Understanding Warning Lights
Much as range anxiety is a cited decision factor for ‘new to electric’ owners, so too is the concern of technology and what things can go wrong. At Soul Garages we completely understand this concern and take every opportunity to both show and explain to you the warning lights or characteristics you should come to expect with your ev vehicle.
The engine management lights, vary vehicle to vehicle, but typically displayed on an ev or hybrid vehicle they can look like these:
EV/Hybrid Warning Lights in Detail
- Auto Glide Control
Indicates the AGC feature is active. AGC works to slow down the forces of deceleration whilst continuing to improve fuel economy. - Battery Charge Level Warning
Indicates that the charge left in the battery of a hybrid or electric vehicle is low, there is action here for the drive to charge the battery as soon as possible. For hybrid vehicles, it also means the engine may have to take over until the battery is charged. - Battery Temperature Warning
In the way a petrol/diesel vehicle will light up when temperature is too high. So, an ev // hybrid vehicle will show you when the battery temperature is too high. It is important that you stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so and allow the battery to cool. - Eco Mode
Illuminated to show you that economy drive is in operation. This optimises the battery usage and helps improve the range you can drive. You will notice a change in acceleration and certainly the overall performance is reduced to varying effect. - EV mode indicator
More applicable to hybrid drivers, this symbol shows you that, as above, your vehicle is operating electric-only mode. This is more for information and the driver cannot affect this computer-controlled selection. - Electric Issue
This indicates there is a problem with the electrical system. Regrettably you cannot see from the symbol alone what the fault is, but generally if it is Amber then it is a warning, if it is Red you should contact us straight away. - General Issue
Another general symbol, that manufacturers use to cover a range of warnings with one warning light. It could mean issues with the traction system, sensors, or the charging system to name a few. - Low Battery
This one is similar to the Battery Charge Level Warning but applies specifically to fully-electric vehicles. - Pedestrian Warning
Since hybrids (in electric mode) and EVs are much more quiet in normal operation, the pedestrian warning system helps prevent accidents by alerting the driver of imminent danger of a collision. In most vehicles, if no action is taken by the driver, activate. - Limited Power
This symbol is both informative and alarming. A good rule of thumb for warning lights is that if a warning light is amber or red it could be caused by various faults that are causing the vehicle’s performance to be less responsive than normal. This could mean major issues for your EV, call us and we’ll make the right choice to support you and prevent a more costly repair. - Ready to Drive
This purely says all is good with you ev/hybrid and you can drive safely. - Regenerative Braking System
This symbol is an indicator that the regenerative braking system is active and performing as expected. - Regenerative Brake Warning
This will only illuminate if there is a problem with the Regen Brakes and can also trigger a brake warning light. Call us immediately of this symbol is showing. - External Sound System Issue
You will have noticed just how quiet your ev/hybrid runs, even at low speed it is noticeably quieter than other cars on the road. This represents a danger to pedestrians and other road users. Designed to alert pedestrians who are nearby that you are in their vicinity, and if it fails it could be catastrophic. Call us to have this rectified if illuminated.
Rest assured, we care for your vehicle and for you.
