Electric car insurance costs 25 percent higher due to expensive repairs
Insurance costs for electric cars are up to 25 percent higher than for conventional vehicles, attributed to the high cost of repairs.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Electric car owners are facing insurance premiums up to 25 percent higher than those for conventional petrol or diesel vehicles, largely because repairs are more complex and expensive. A recent investigation by a BBC correspondent highlighted the problem through a staged low-speed crash test, which showed how even minor damage can lead to huge repair bills or write-offs.
In the test, a car was crashed at just 10 kilometres per hour. The damage appeared superficial, but the high-voltage charge port had shifted and components had broken off. The cost to replace the charge cable and inverter alone was around £4,000. The expert involved said that with any additional damage, the car would almost certainly be written off.
Electric vehicles cost about 30 percent more to repair than traditional cars, and they can take longer to fix. This is because key components like batteries and charging systems are very expensive, and combined with rising parts and labour costs, the overall repair bill climbs. The higher repair costs are then passed on to drivers through higher insurance premiums.
Experts argue that manufacturers need to design electric cars with repairability in mind. Better protection for expensive systems like batteries could reduce the likelihood of a car being written off after a minor shunt. Making EVs cheaper to insure is seen as crucial for encouraging more people to switch from petrol and diesel cars, especially as sales of new electric cars continue to grow. One in three new cars sold in June was electric, but rising insurance costs could put off potential buyers.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Electric cars have higher insurance premiums (up to 25%) and repair costs (up to 30% more) compared to petrol or diesel cars, with a minor crash potentially costing £4,000 to repair. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report used a practical demonstration (a low-speed crash test) to illustrate the problem, focusing on the high cost of specific components like the charge port and inverter. It emphasised the need for better design to make EVs easier and cheaper to repair, and framed the issue as a potential barrier to wider adoption of electric cars.
- “EVs, on average, attracts insurance premiums up to 25% higher than traditional petrol or diesel cars.”
- “This charge cable and the inverter. That's around £4,000 just for that component.”
- “It's absolutely crucial that EVs become cheaper to ensure. Yes, they are expensive. They might not be as expensive as some people might think, but by making them easier to repair, they're cheaper to ensure more people will buy them.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.