Allianz investigation: electric cars are more expensive to repair

Status: 09/22/2021 3:06 p.m.

If there are accidents or other damage to electric cars, the owners pay dearly: According to a study by Allianz, electric cars have, on average, significantly higher repair costs than combustion engines.

The number of electric cars on German roads is increasing rapidly. In July 2021 alone, over 50 percent more electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids were registered in Germany than in the same month last year. In the first seven months of the year, they took up almost a quarter of the new car market.

Up to 50 percent higher costs

Electric cars are usually still more expensive to buy than comparable combustion engines. And electric car owners also have to put more money on the table for repairs, as a study by the Allianz Center for Technology (AZT) now shows. For this purpose, the accident and safety researchers evaluated damage data from the years 2018 to 2020.

According to AZT, the average cost of damage in fully comprehensive insurance is ten percent higher for purely electric cars, and even 50 percent higher for plug-in hybrids. After a collision, the repair costs of pure electric cars are on average 30 percent more expensive.

Airbag deployment and marten bites can be expensive

But where do these clear differences come from? According to the alliance, especially standards and manufacturer specifications make the repair of electric vehicles more expensive. For example, it would quickly lead to a total economic loss if the manufacturer’s specifications stipulate that the battery must be disposed of after the airbag has been triggered.

If a marten bites a high-voltage cable, it cannot be repaired, but has to be replaced. A necessary new cable set costs up to 7,000 euros. But there is another way: By using exchangeable protective sheaths, as some manufacturers do, repair costs can be reduced by up to 97 percent.

No higher risk of fire

Another important question is – not only for owners, but also for the fire brigade, police and helpers in accidents – whether electric cars are more flammable than vehicles with internal combustion engines.

According to Allianz, around 15,000 car fires are reported in Germany every year. The share of electric vehicles is well below one percent. “In our investigation we still do not see any higher likelihood of fire in electric vehicles compared to conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles,” emphasizes Carsten Reinkemeyer, head of safety research at AZT.

According to the automotive industry association VDA, the risk of fire is no higher with electric cars than with a combustion engine – however, according to the VDA, extinguishing takes longer and the extinguishing agent requirement is usually higher.

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