Electric cars: insurers criticize high repair costs

Accidental damage to an electric car costs significantly more than a comparable car with a combustion engine. This was determined by the German Insurance Association (GDV) according to its own information. Although up to 20 percent fewer claims are reported for fully comprehensive insurance for electric cars than for comparable combustion engines, each claim costs up to 25 percent more on average.

According to the GDV, the repair costs for electric cars are driven by long downtimes and poor diagnostic and repair options. Replacing traction batteries in particular is expensive, so manufacturers should protect batteries as well as possible from damage caused by accidents when designing vehicles.

"Uncertainty leads to high costs"

It is important that meaningful data on the condition of the battery is available after an accident. The current uncertainty leads to high costs, explained GDV Managing Director Jörg Asmussen: "After accidents, the traction batteries are often completely replaced. In addition, the cars are stored in quarantine for a very long time or even submerged in water in extinguishing containers, which leads to a total loss." What is needed are precise criteria for what should happen to electric cars involved in accidents and economically sustainable instructions for the repair or partial replacement of damaged batteries.

For the current study, the GDV compared 38 model series of electric cars with combustion engines that are as similar as possible. In cases such as the Smart or Golf VII, this was easy; for other models, the GDV experts used suitable comparison vehicles, for example the Renault Zoe 2nd generation and Renault Clio 5th generation. They then evaluated the frequency and amount of damage over a period of three years for the model series in question. In October 2023, the GDV looked at 37 pairs of cars and came to the conclusion that the repair of e-cars is 30 to 35 percent more expensive than that of conventional cars.

(anw)