Broken electric vehicles need ‘quarantining’ says gov, driving up costs for mechanics and insurers

Electric car owners face rising insurance and repair costs over fears the vehicles will explode after even minor collisions.

Damaged electric vehicles must be “quarantined” 15 meters away from other cars in repair shops due to the risk of battery fire under government guidelines, increasing the price for mechanics and insurers.

The lack of adequate repair shops and trained electric vehicle mechanics risks increasing costs for the insurance industry by more than £600 million, which could be passed on to drivers.

As more battery-powered vehicles hit the roads, insurers will have to spend an extra £900m a year, adding £20 a year to all car insurance premiums, according to a report by automotive risk firm Thatcham Research.

This figure is likely to rise to £28 by 2050, when there are expected to be 360,000 electric vehicles on the roads, the report revealed. Electric vehicle batteries can be extremely sensitive and what might be a harmless knock for a gasoline car can write off an electric vehicle. There are also risks when they catch fire, as they can burn for days.

The Daily Mail has launched a campaign calling on ministers to reconsider the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, which is designed to boost the switch to electric vehicles and help efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The report found last year that 9,400 electric vehicles were potentially involved in accidents that caused batteries to need repair, but this figure could rise to 260,000 by 2035. It said insurers and mechanics must quickly adapt to electric vehicles to avoid the risk of cars only being available to consumers. rich.

• Wealthy male drivers dominate electric car ownership, with women making up just one in ten owners, according to a UK and EU survey by electric vehicle charging app Bonnet. The 35-44 age group had the highest proportion of electric vehicles, at 35 percent.