In practice however, most manufacturers mandate a yearly inspection when the car is in warranty, and after it's not, usually the state requires you to do one at least every other year.

During these the mechanic will do the routine maintenance. I'm a casual driver, I drove like 100k km in 6 years, and my first set of brake pads still haven't worn down.

I didn't claim they were maintenance-free. They still have moving parts and some fluids.

They do not have the same level of moving parts, wear items, and fluids as an ICE engine though.