An electric car owner has criticised the high cost of repairing a vehicle.
The Victorian bodyworker was left stunned after being quoted $3000 to replace the front bumper on his MG EV.
His story comes as mechanics reveal that electric vehicles are substantially more expensive to repair than their petrol-powered competitors.
“I thought it was a printing error, but no, that’s the cost,” the sheet metal worker wrote online.
“I looked for a second-hand bar but couldn’t find one! There was no availability. On the last call I was very lucky, I could only find one available in Melbourne and it’s the same colour.”
He drove about 500 kilometers to pick up the bumper, which had some chipped paint, from a tow truck for $770.
Gerry Marson, owner of Sydney Hybrid and Electric Cars, said replacement and repair costs are very high in the industry and he predicts the situation will get even worse if cheap electric vehicles from China flood the Australian market.
Electric vehicle technician Gerry Marson says cheap electric vehicles from China could exacerbate parts supply problems
Australians are buying more new electric vehicles each year as more brands enter the market
He said there was no information on where the spare parts for the vehicles would come from.
“It’s crazy. The government should be held responsible,” he said. Yahoo.
“The problem is that (Chinese electric vehicles) will sell well because people will gravitate towards these vehicles because they are cheap.”
He said the job of an electric vehicle mechanic is already difficult, as they are required to perform diagnostics on sophisticated technological components.
Marson said hiring specialist mechanics and having to buy repair parts overseas means a major failure on an electric vehicle could cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
He predicts that a large number of electric vehicles will be scrapped as owners are forced to pay huge mechanical bills for an older, cheap EV.
“When problems start to arise, you can’t do this or that. It doesn’t matter if it’s a diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric vehicle, if there’s an engine problem or a software problem. You can’t even change a headlight without software,” he said.
Mr Marson revealed that he recently had to endure a troubling experience with an unnamed Chinese manufacturer who insisted he pay shipping costs for warranty parts – additional costs that would be passed on to the customer.
But he says the cost of all repairs has risen since he started working in the auto industry, linked to rising prices for electric and gasoline-powered vehicle technologies.
“Electric vehicles are more expensive to repair, but in general, even a gasoline-powered water pump can cost between $600 and $1,000,” Marson said.
“In my day, that cost $50, but that’s gone now. All this modern technology around us is so expensive.”
Accidents could mean owners face extraordinary bills for replacement parts and panels.
Australians with older electric vehicles have been shocked by how much technology they have had to replace in their cars.
Many are content with the internal motor and batteries, which are supposed to wear down slightly with use over time.
The Electric Vehicle Council of Australia says current maintenance costs for an electric vehicle are between $300 and $400 cheaper per year than those for a combustion vehicle.
However, when cars require structural repairs, owners feel the impact.
A report by US vehicle crash analysis and technology company Mitchell found that electric vehicles were nearly 20 per cent more expensive to repair after an accident than a petrol or diesel vehicle in the US.
Electric vehicles were found to be, on average, A$1,395 more expensive.
However, EV owners save substantially more on operating costs throughout the year as charging stations continue to offer drivers low fuel costs in Australia.
The Electric Vehicle Council of Australia says the average Australian drives about 12,000km a year and spends about $2,500 on petrol, which equates to about $0.20 per km.
“On average, charging an electric vehicle that travels 12,000 km each year would cost around $500 ($0.04/km),” its site says.
Sales of electric vehicles increased by around 18 percent in the first half of 2024, accounting for an eight percent share of total new car sales.
However, the growth rate has slowed since 2022 and 2023.