Electric cars require less maintenance and are easier to repair than cars with internal combustion engines. The simplicity of an electric motor over a heat engine can be calibrated with the number of parts that both have, as well as with the wear and tear that both suffer with the accumulation of kilometers. However, there is a component of the electric car that is very difficult and expensive to repair. This is the battery, which is the part where the car stores all its energy.
The complexity involved in repairing an electric car battery is what causes many non-polluting cars to end up being declared a total loss by insurance companies after suffering an accident. It must be taken into account that, according to various studies, the price of the battery represents between 30 and 50% of the price of the electric car, so when they are affected after suffering an accident, it is very likely that the car ends up becoming scrap metal. .
“Repairing the battery of an electric car has a high cost and, therefore, when an accident occurs that affects this component, the situation may arise in which a total loss is declared if the repair cost exceeds the value of the vehicle”, they confirm. sources from Rastreator to Moveo. “For this reason, it is advisable to insure an electric car with assistance that protects the driver from any eventuality,” they add from the online insurance comparator.
A small damage to the battery pack or the damage to a few cells of this component is usually enough for insurers to declare the car a total loss due to the high cost of the repair. Keep in mind that most manufacturers do not supply individual cells but rather sell the complete package, so even if only a few cells were damaged, the entire battery would need to be replaced.
Because of the problem this poses, some car companies, such as Ford and General Motors, already design their new batteries to be made up of modules. In this way, when a module deteriorates, it can be replaced by a new one without having to change the entire battery. Instead, Tesla goes the opposite way. The Model Y is equipped with structural batteries with 4680 cells manufactured in its new gigafactory in Austin (Texas, United States) that make it impossible to partially replace damaged parts.
Precisely, Tesla models are among the list of electric cars with the most accidents and with fewer kilometers in the United States and Europe. Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis, BMW and Renault models complete the list collected by Reuters.
Regarding the price of insurance for electric cars, Rastreator confirms that the premium “may be higher compared to other insurances”, despite the reduction experienced in recent years.
The latest analysis carried out by Rastreator on the amount of the insurance premium for electric and hybrid cars reveals that in 2020 the average price of insurance for this type of all-risk vehicle with a basic franchise was 356 euros per year. In 2022 the average premium stood at 296 euros per year, 3% cheaper than traditional car insurance.
“For this reason, it is important to clarify that the price of a policy varies not only depending on the type and model of car but also by the profile of the driver, which can cause in some cases the premium for an electric car to be higher or lower than that of a traditional vehicleâ€, they remark from Rastreator.
