Electric vehicles cost more to repair than fossil fuel cars

Electric vehicles (EVs) involved in a collision are taking longer and costing more to repair than petrol or diesel cars.

That’s according to new analysis from AX which reveals that EV repair costs for non-fault incidents were 19% higher than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and spent 9% longer in the workshop.

Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), have previously suggested that EVs are 25% more expensive to repair than ICE vehicles.

AX says that, while EVs are mechanically simpler than most ICE cars, the overall repair burden is higher, placing a greater repair strain on the UK accident repair sector which results in increased costs for fleets and insurers. 

Drawing on data from more than 40,000 accidents handled annually through AX’s nationwide repair network, its AX Repair Index compares EVs with ICE vehicles, including petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains.

The index uses ICE vehicles as a baseline score of 100 and measures the relative repair burden created by repair costs and repair duration.

EVs achieved an AX Repair Index score of 114, indicating a greater repair burden than their combustion-powered counterparts.

Analysis of repairs completed during the past 12 months found that EV repairs cost an average of £6,363 compared with £5,338 for ICE vehicles, while repair durations averaged 25 days for EVs and 23 days for ICE vehicles.

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Scott Hamilton-Cooper, chief commercial officer at AX, said: “The growth of electric vehicles is creating new opportunities and challenges for the accident repair sector.

“While the gap between EV and ICE 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.”  

Hamilton-Cooper stresses that what is important is that the industry continues investing in skills, equipment and repair capability.

Repair cost and duration

Source: AX

Last year, research from FWD Consulting warned businesses face more than £461 million a year in EV write-off costs due to limited repair capability and rising collision volumes.

The firm’s estimate highlighted a growing issue for fleets as EV adoption increases and followed on from an earlier report by AX that claimed battery damage repairs were not keeping pace with the rate of EV adoption. 

EVs involved in a collision can be written off, often after relatively minor impacts, because insurers can lack the specialist diagnostic and repair capability needed to assess or restore damaged battery systems.

FWD Consulting said this results in battery replacement becoming the default option, driving up losses for insurers and increasing the total cost of ownership (TCO) for fleets.

A new framework, designed to address the growing challenge of EV repair costs and prevent vehicles from being unnecessarily written off, was launched in March.

Thatcham Research’s EV Blueprint establishes eight requirements for the automotive industry, designed to ensure vehicles can be safely assessed, efficiently repaired and economically maintained throughout their lifecycle.

While the industry has gained confidence in handling EVs, Thatcham Research says the focus has shifted from basic safety awareness to the need for more efficient recovery, assessment and repair processes that make “economic sense”.