Maintenance and repair costs of passenger vehicles with different powertrains: Case study with vehicle owner survey in Japan

• Maintenance and repair costs of passenger vehicles were investigated in Japan. • A web survey was conducted to collect data from 2,800 vehicle owners across nation. • A zero-inflated negative binomial model was estimated to identify the determinants. • Maintenance and repair costs of BEV are cheaper than those of ICV, PHEV, and HEV. • Displacement, age, and distance traveled affect maintenance and repair costs. This study analyzes the maintenance and repair costs of passenger vehicles in Japan using data from a nationwide web-based survey conducted in February 2023 with 2,800 respondents (900 ICV, 900 HEV, 500 BEV, and 500 PHEV owners). The survey collected detailed information on vehicle usage, maintenance experiences, and associated costs. A zero-inflated negative binomial model was employed to identify cost determinants. Results show that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have significantly lower maintenance and repair costs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Costs increase with engine displacement, vehicle age, and annual distance traveled. These findings provide valuable insights for evaluating vehicle operating costs in transport policy and infrastructure investment decisions.