Finnish publication Moottori recently wrote a report about how they took a Kia Niro electric car for a long test drive. After returning the car to the importer, it was found to have been dented on the underside, in the area where the battery is located, during the test drive.

Although none of the drivers noticed when exactly the damage occurred, the entire battery casing had to be replaced, at a cost of €15,000. This price did not include the battery module, as the importer is still investigating whether the battery itself was damaged during the knock.

Moottori then asked some other car manufacturers how seriously a 10-millimeter dent on the underside of an electric vehicle should be taken. They received the same answer each time: in any case, a car like this ought to be taken to the dealer for an inspection. Depending on the make of the car and the extent of the damage, the estimated repair costs ranged from a few thousand euros all the way to €30,000.

Maria Lootsma, head of risk insurance at Swedbank, told ERR that in their experience of claims,  electric vehicles can sometimes be very expensive to repair, even for ostensibly minor damage.

"If a vehicle's battery is damaged, even cosmetically, the restoration guidelines for premium brand vehicle manufacturers will require the replacement of the entire battery," explained Lootsma. "The battery often accounts for almost half the value of an electric car."

Lootsma also pointed to cases in which a vehicle's airbag was deployed but the battery was not damaged in the incident. However, according to the manufacturer's instructions, the battery also ought to be replaced, otherwise the manufacturer cannot guarantee the battery's safety.

"The total cost of this kind of damage exceeds €50,000 and there have been cases of damage up to costing up to €85,000. Externally, however, these damages could be estimated to be much lower," said Lootsma.

Taavi Kruus, group manager for vehicle damage at If Insurance, said that because electric cars are relatively new and often more expensive, this can make for certain models and insurance for certain models considerably more expensive. However, Kruss added, insuring electric cars is generally very similar to insuring those with internal combustion engines.

"The bottom line is, however, that more expensive cars are more expensive to insure, whether we are talking about electric cars or combustion engine cars," said Kruus.

According to Kruus, Insurance's recent decision not to offer insurance in Finland for three models of car – the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-Tron GT and RS E-Tron GT – will not be mirrored in other countries.

"No such decision has been taken in Estonia or in the other countries where If Insurance operates. We have not seen the need to limit insurance according to make and model in Estonia," he said.

According to Kruus, the most common types of accidents involving cars are minor ones – cracked windscreens or small dents received while in parking lots – and so, broadly speaking, most of the damage to electric cars is very similar to that of cars with internal combustion engines.

"For major damage, including battery replacements, a lot depends on the repair standards set by the manufacturer and so can vary between makes and models. We have also not observed that electric cars need to be written off any more frequently than combustion engine cars," he said.

Car dealer: Underside of electric car no more shock-sensitive

Priit Ärmpalu, CEO of car dealership Nordauto, said he could not think of any cases in Estonia similar to the ones described in the Finnish publication, where seemingly minor damage to the underside of a vehicle would result in such high repair costs. However, he added that it could be because there are still so few electric cars on the Estonian market, while there are a lot more in Finland.

"I think it's an isolated case," he said, referring to the example described in the Finnish magazine.

If an electric car gets into an accident or collides with an animal for instance, and the battery pack dies, it will most likely need to be replaced, Ärmpalu said. However, if there is just a minor dent, then it all depends on the specific case. However, he does not believe the underside of an electric car is any more vulnerable to damage from impacts than that of a car with an internal combustion engine.

Ärmpalu did point out that the prices for car repair services in Estonia and Finland are very different. He gave an example of a recent visit to a Tesla dealership in Finland, where the hourly rate was €160. In some places in Finland, it can cost as much as €190 for an hour's work. However, in Estonia, the cost of an hour's work is usually around €70, or €90 in some places.

"Roughly twice as much work is still cheaper in terms of pure labor. There is also a price difference for spare parts, although not by as much," he said.

From a technical point of view, electric cars may be simpler and cheaper to maintain on a regular basis. However, when it comes to damage, there are so many sensors and technological elements involved, and not much of that can be repaired but simply has to be replaced. This makes everything more expensive, according to Ärmpalu. For that reason, electric car insurance prices are also more expensive. As for If Insurance's decision not to insure some types of electric cars in Finland, Ärmpalu put this down to the number of vehicles on the road.

"As there are not so many electric cars on the road in Estonia, there is no problem, in Finland there are many times more. But now the situation is already emerging, in which electric cars are being repaired and maintained, with batteries being replaced," Ärmpalu added.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!