DaWhatever a car enthusiast's view on electric cars is, we can all agree that EVs are here to stay. What you might be surprised with, though, is that a high percentage of electric cars are being totaled after only being involved in what appears to be minor collisions.
While we mainly hear all the positive aspects pertaining to electric cars, it is imperative that any potential buyer be made aware of some of the dangers of owning an electric car. While this list of potential downsides of EVs will continue to grow as more of them appear on our roads every year.
While we all know that cars aren't certainly built to last like some of the classic cars from the '60s and '70s, we would expect more in the way of durability given the average cost of an electric car these days and that the average driver of an EV is already paying more in insurance premiums compared to a driver of a combustion engine car.
Minor Battery Damages Can Write Off Electric Vehicles
The main reason that EVs are being scrapped is due to the fact that there is no viable way to repair even slightly damaged batteries which are turning out to be a disaster for insurance companies whilst also increasing motor insurance for drivers across the board.
Even when it is possible to repair a battery, insurance companies are still wary of doing so as they fear litigation cases if the car happens to be involved in another accident. One of the other main issues for insurance companies is that car manufacturers are slow or unwilling to share lucrative connected car data with them. Without this vital information, it makes the repair of these batteries almost impossible.
This impasse between insurance companies and car manufacturers will improve over the subsequent years as motorists will not continue to pay exorbitant insurance premiums.
The other disappointing element of this fact is that EV cars are supposed to be more environmentally friendly. But not only is the battery very expensive in electric cars, but it is also the most carbon concentrated.
In the short term, this problem will only be exasperated. So it is essential to find a solution in relation to adequate storage facilities for all these EV batteries or at least mitigate the issue of EVs being totaled due to minor accidents.
Can Electric Cars Be Salvaged After An Accident?
The good news is that both Ford and General Motors are already starting to make batteries for their electric cars that will be easier to repair in the future. Conversely, Tesla, who is always a manufacturer to buck the trend, appears to be making even more complicated batteries that will offer little chance of being able to repair once a motorist has been involved in an accident.
Tesla's battery is an awe-inspiring marvel of science, but many experts reckon it can cost up to $20,000 to replace it. This makes it simply too cost prohibitive, and is better to just right off the car. The cost of replacing the battery in the Tesla is not the only issue as the procedure for doing so is quite convoluted owing to the fact that the battery in Tesla's Model Y are glued in and form an integral part of the structure of the car.
The frustrating point about the high number of EV cars being scraped after seemingly innocuous car collisions is that it mitigates all the advantages concerning CO2 emissions. In fact, in many first-world countries, including the United Kingdom, there are no recycling facilities resulting in batteries being kept in storage containers.
Teething Problems Are Always To Be Expected With Any New Technology
While EV cars are not new, the electric car market is still in its infancy, and to accentuate this point, the market is currently dominated by Telsa. This company wasn't even in existence twenty years ago. While there is no doubt that EVs are the future, there were always going to be some teething problems once electric cars started to be prevalent on our highways.
The initial teething problem with electric cars was the limited range and lack of accessible charging points. This is still a concern for motorists living in rural communities. But it has diminished significantly in recent years. In fact, the range of some of the latest EV cars is nothing short of unreal.
Another bright spot is that when a problem arises in any industry, it creates an opportunity for someone to solve the problem. This is exactly what is happening as numerous repair shops specializing in repairing electric car batteries are springing up all over the United States.
Sources: Ford, Tesla, Reuters