The dangers and costs of electric car batteries: What this means for insurance and repairs

The dangers and costs of electric car batteries: What this means for insurance and repairs

According to a report by www.taxi-heute.de,

The increasing number of electric vehicles on the roads also brings new challenges. The batteries of electric cars in particular are one of the biggest burdens, not only in terms of production and weight, but also in the event of an accident. Replacing a damaged battery is often uneconomical and very time-consuming, which leads to high insurance premiums and raises doubts about the sustainability of electromobility. This problem is forcing car manufacturers to optimize the repairability and recyclability of batteries.

The loss of value caused by damaged electric car batteries means that insurance companies are forced to pay higher premiums. The sustainability of electromobility is also being questioned, as even vehicles with just a few kilometers have to be written off after minor accidents. Tesla is particularly criticized here because the new 4680 cells are glued together and therefore cannot be repaired. This leads to an increase in insurance premiums, making electric cars more expensive to insure compared to combustion vehicles.

The current situation with electric car batteries may result in a loss of carbon footprint benefits if low mileage vehicles have to be scrapped. In addition, insurance companies shy away from the risk of repairing and reusing batteries as this could lead to lengthy legal proceedings.

Access to historical battery data is critical for insurers, leasing companies and repair shops as it is important for diagnostics and analysis of repairability and reusability. The European battery regulation may be intended to mitigate this problem, but battery handling remains a critical issue.

Overall, the current situation with electric car batteries raises doubts about the sustainability and economic viability of electromobility. Car manufacturers are faced with the challenge of improving the repairability and recyclability of batteries in order to reduce insurance premiums and maintain the benefits of electromobility.