E-car accidents: repair costs are falling, but the difference remains!

E-car accidents: repair costs are falling, but the difference remains!

Accident damage to electric cars currently costs 15 to 20 percent higher than to comparable combustion engines, an important aspect that shapes the discussion about the acceptance of electric cars. According to the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV), this difference could decrease in the future. A year ago, the cost increase for accident damage to electric cars was 20 to 25 percent compared to combustion vehicles, which is a positive development.

The higher damage amount results primarily from the more complex technology, the more complex repairs and the more expensive replacement parts, such as batteries. This is influenced by the steady increase in electric cars on German roads, which reached over 1.7 million as of April 1, 2025, more than five times as many cars as at the beginning of 2021. Overall, electric cars represent around 3.5 percent of all cars registered in Germany.

Rapid development in danger

Repair costs for electric cars are increasing more slowly as workshops now have more experience in dealing with these vehicles. Towing services, fire departments and surveyors have also adapted their practices with regard to damaged electric cars. Anja Käfer-Rohrbach, deputy GDV managing director, emphasizes that the differences in the claims balance between electric cars and combustion engines will decrease, especially since electric cars cause around 10 to 15 percent less fully comprehensive damage than their conventional counterparts.

Nevertheless, higher repair costs in the long term could jeopardize the acceptance of electric cars. In fact, accident costs tend to increase with both types of drive, due to increasing workshop costs and higher prices for spare parts. While the prices for motor vehicle insurance have also risen recently, it can be seen that the differences in fully comprehensive damage for electric cars compared to combustion engines are decreasing - from 15 to 20 percent previously to now 10 to 15 percent.

The GDV study, which compared 53 model series of electric and combustion cars, shows that despite the increased costs, the introduction and acceptance of electric vehicles is being positively influenced by the increasing experience of top performers in the automotive industry. However, the challenges of repair costs continue to require detailed consideration in order not to endanger the transport transition.

For more information read the reports from tagesschau.de and heise.de.