KenH
Well-Known Member
"The New York Times recently reported the sad story of a Rivian owner whose electric pickup truck was involved in what would normally be considered “a minor fender bender.” The owner’s insurance company gladly offered to pay about $1,600 for the repairs, but the certified repair shop produced a bill for $42,000 – about half the cost of the vehicle.
The Times reporter explained: “A key reason is that the accident damaged a sleek panel that extends from the truck’s rear to front roof pillars.” To repair and repaint the vehicle, mechanics had to remove the interior ceiling material (the headliner) and the front windshield. Indeed, the State of New York’s consumer guide for auto insurance lists many models as “difficult-to-insure vehicles” simply because they are electric.
...
EV batteries are vulnerable to damage, and with any indication of a compromised battery, insurance companies will likely declare an EV crash a total loss.
An overlooked insurance cost for EVs involves towing, which many insurance customers (and AAA members) take for granted as an inexpensive add-on to their policies. But EVs can be safely towed only on a flatbed truck with enough load capacity to handle the extra weight of the vehicle. Drivers are warned not to allow anyone to try to tow their EV with its wheels on the ground. Improper towing can damage, even total, the vehicle.
The higher costs for auto insurance only add to the already-higher costs of purchasing an EV, then procuring a personal charging station and spending more money to upgrade home wiring boxes (especially for older homes). The inconvenience of having your nearly new vehicle totaled – and then having to wait perhaps months for a replacement – further adds to the “buyer avoidance” that has frustrated those who demand an immediate end to the traditional gasoline-powered vehicles that most people around the world rely upon."
- rest at Will Insurance Costs Derail the EV Revolution? | RealClearEnergy
The Times reporter explained: “A key reason is that the accident damaged a sleek panel that extends from the truck’s rear to front roof pillars.” To repair and repaint the vehicle, mechanics had to remove the interior ceiling material (the headliner) and the front windshield. Indeed, the State of New York’s consumer guide for auto insurance lists many models as “difficult-to-insure vehicles” simply because they are electric.
...
EV batteries are vulnerable to damage, and with any indication of a compromised battery, insurance companies will likely declare an EV crash a total loss.
An overlooked insurance cost for EVs involves towing, which many insurance customers (and AAA members) take for granted as an inexpensive add-on to their policies. But EVs can be safely towed only on a flatbed truck with enough load capacity to handle the extra weight of the vehicle. Drivers are warned not to allow anyone to try to tow their EV with its wheels on the ground. Improper towing can damage, even total, the vehicle.
The higher costs for auto insurance only add to the already-higher costs of purchasing an EV, then procuring a personal charging station and spending more money to upgrade home wiring boxes (especially for older homes). The inconvenience of having your nearly new vehicle totaled – and then having to wait perhaps months for a replacement – further adds to the “buyer avoidance” that has frustrated those who demand an immediate end to the traditional gasoline-powered vehicles that most people around the world rely upon."
- rest at Will Insurance Costs Derail the EV Revolution? | RealClearEnergy