Electric car repairs are much more expensive

Changing the battery is especially expensive.

Munich. After accidents happen, repairing electric cars is much more expensive than repairing conventional cars, this is the result of a survey conducted by insurance company Allianz. According to this, the average damage cost in full comprehensive insurance is 10 percent higher for purely electric vehicles and 50 percent higher for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Electronic car accidents in particular have more costly consequences. “We’re about 30 percent higher with electric vehicles in crash damage repair,” said Karsten Reinkmeyer, head of safety research at the Allianz Technology Center. The reason for the investigation is the rapid increase in the number of newly registered e-cars. The fact that the batteries cost a lot of money – up to 20,000 euros – contributes to the high costs of repair. In the case of electronic cars, damage to the bottom of the chassis often means damage to the battery, according to Rinkemeier.

Completely different regulations

But safety regulations and manufacturer specifications also play a role. “There are things that don’t happen with conventional compounds,” Reinkemeier says. Work on high-voltage vehicles should only be carried out in qualified workshops. Some manufacturers require that the battery should be replaced after the airbag has been deployed.

Martin bites can cost money, too: because the high-voltage cables that were bitten must be replaced. The cost of a cable set can reach 7000 euros. The result of higher repair costs is that both pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars are, on average, somewhat more expensive to insure than conventional cars. (APA / DPA)

(“Die Presse”, print edition, 27.09.2021)