It seems like buying an EV could be a big risk if that’s true. Accidents happen, and replacing a battery out-of-pocket sounds expensive. Does anyone know the facts on this?
That’s not true at all. Regular auto insurance covers the battery along with everything else in an accident. Warranties won’t cover accident damage, but that’s standard, no matter what kind of car you have.
Where do people even hear this stuff? Just get regular car insurance; EVs don’t need anything special. If there’s an accident, insurance will consider:
1. The cost to repair
2. The car's auction value
If repair costs more than the car’s worth, it’s totaled. Batteries are well-protected inside the car, so if they’re damaged, the accident was likely severe enough that the car would be a total loss anyway.
Warranties don’t cover accidents—that’s why we have insurance. The FUD around this is wild, but insurance does cover the battery unless the car is written off, in which case you’d get market value.
Warranties cover factory defects, not accident damage. You’d need to prove a defect caused the accident for a warranty claim on that.
This is false. I hit a rock that cracked my battery pack, costing $28,000 to replace. Since the repair cost was high compared to my car’s value, my insurance totaled it and I got a nice check. It was a lease too, so no mileage penalty on a total loss!
Nope. Warranty only covers manufacturing issues. Insurance handles accident damage, including the battery. If the battery is damaged, they’d likely total the car due to the high repair costs.
No, that’s not correct.