Repairing an electric vehicle is more expensive and time-consuming than a gasoline or diesel equivalent, according to fleet accident management firm, AX, following analysis of more than 40,000 incidents across the UK. The average repair cost for an EV following a non-fault crash is approximately $7,700, which is roughly a fifth more (19.2 percent) than the typical $6,400 cost to fix a gasoline-powered vehicle.
Futhermore, while the average repair time for a gasoline-powered car is 23 days, an EV is usually off the road for 25 days, due to more time-intensive repairs. The firm's chief commercial officer, Scott Hamilton-Cooper, explained: "While the gap between EV and gasoline-powered repairs is narrowing as repairers gain experience and technology improves, our AX Repair Index shows that electric vehicles still place a greater overall burden on the repair process."
This is partly due to more costly EV parts and because they usually require calibration even for small repairs. The difference in repair cost and complexity is why many electric cars are burdened with higher insurance group ratings than their gasoline equivalents. According to price comparison site MoneySuperMarket, the average comprehensive car insurance premium is 13 percent higher for EVs than it is for gasoline models.
To help keep repair and insurance costs down, Thatham Research published a new battery development blueprint earlier this year, which it says would reduce the number of "unnecessary" write-offs. The automotive research institute says modular cell construction, standardized diagnostic systems, and the relocation of critical systems to less vulnerable areas of the car could help make EVs more repairable.
Source: autoexpress.co.uk
