Do all insurers offer electric car insurance?
Electric cars are increasing in popularity. And as we get closer to the 2030 deadline for all new cars to be electric, you should find more insurers offering cover.
This means you should be able to insure your electric car on a standard car insurance policy. But you might find that the pool of insurers that offer these policies is smaller than for a petrol or diesel car.
You should get the same level of cover and should still be able to choose from third party, third party fire and theft and comprehensive insurance policies. You should even be able to get black box insurance if you want it.
While this makes getting insurance for your electric car easy, it does mean your policy might not cover everything you want it to. Think damage to your charging cables, for example.
This is where specialist electric car insurance comes in. Currently, we only have a handful of insurance providers offering specialist electric car insurance.
When you get to our results page, you’ll know if it’s a specialist electric car insurance policy when you see electric cars written in bold below the provider logo. We’ll then show you what specific cover that provider offers for electric cars. With dedicated electric car insurance policies, you’ll normally get added cover for things like charging cables and adaptors.
You may not need to go through a specialist provider to get electric car insurance either. A handful of standard car insurance providers may offer it.
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Are electric cars expensive to insure?
As many of the electric cars on the market have only been around a few years, they’re generally more expensive to buy.
This can sometimes make them more expensive to insure.
They can also be more expensive to repair than standard cars as their parts are typically less readily available.
Plus, they can require specialist servicing, which can also increase the cost of electric car insurance.
The same is true with electric van insurance.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll pay more for electric car insurance than for petrol or diesel car cover.
Electric cars have fewer parts that can fail, which can mean in some instances they can be cheaper to insure than fuel cars of the same value.
They tend to have top of the range safety features too, so insurers may see them as a safer option to insure. This may lower your insurance costs even more.
Wondering how to get cheaper car insurance? Try our guide.
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What does electric car insurance cover?
Electric car insurance typically covers everything standard car insurance does, depending on your policy type.
Where they can differ, though, is in the additional cover they can provide for electric cars. For example:
- Battery
- Charging cables
- Adaptors
- Wall boxes
Some policies will also come with extras like accident liability cover as cables on your drive can be a trip hazard.
Alternatively, some providers such as ByMiles use smart technology in your car to tailor your policy price to the miles you drive.
As an example of what electric car insurance can cover, here are the benefits from an electric car insurance policy offered by one of the insurance companies we work with:
- Free recovery to the nearest charge point UK-wide if you run out of battery power
- Cover for charging cables, adaptors and wall boxes in case of accidental damage, fire and theft
- Accidental damage, fire and theft cover for your battery
- Lifetime guarantee on repairs (some restrictions apply)
Need more help?
What insurance group will my electric car fall into?
Just like a diesel or petrol car, the car insurance group your car falls into will depend on the make and model.
Because many electric cars have specialist parts and are expensive to repair, you can expect to find electric cars among the higher insurance groups.
The general rule is, the higher the group, the more your car insurance will cost.
But that’s just one of the factors insurers think about when calculating insurance premiums. You can find out what group your electric car is in by visiting the Thatcham group checker.
To give you an idea, we’ve summarised the groups for 5 of the top selling electric cars in the UK.
The groups shown cover all specifications and years of each model:
Make and Model | Group |
---|---|
Nissan Leaf
|
19 - 16
|
BMW I3
|
21 - 29
|
Renault ZOE
|
14 - 23
|
Tesla Model S
|
50
|
Volkswagen E-Golf
|
15 - 26
|
Can I get electric car breakdown cover?
Yes, most breakdown cover companies offer policies for electric cars.
The breakdown companies employ trained mechanics so they can offer electric car owners the same level of cover as those with petrol or diesel cars.
Some companies will even cover you if you run out of battery power, so you can get back on the road without any drama.
How much is road tax on electric cars?
Electric vehicles that run solely by a battery that is charged from an external source, are exempt from road tax.
Confusingly though, you still have to tax your car, even if it's zero-rated and there's no tax to pay.
How much does it cost to recharge an electric vehicle at home?
Exactly how much you pay to charge an electric car at home will depend on your battery and the tariff you are on with your electricity supplier.
As a rough guide, it costs about £15 to fully charge a 60kWh electric car, which will get you about 200 miles.
Some energy suppliers, however, do offer dedicated tariffs for drivers of electric cars which may bring the cost down.
What level of insurance cover do I need for my electric car?
You can choose differing levels of electric car insurance, as you would with a petrol or diesel car. These include the minimum level of third-party only cover, through to third-party fire and theft and fully comprehensive.
It's also a good idea to check the cover offered for things like charging cables, batteries and wall boxes which are unique to electric vehicle drivers.
Types of car insurance
Black box car insurance
lets you prove you’re a safe driver, and save money on your policy, even if you’re inexperienced or seen as high risk.
Classic car insurance
offers cover for owners of classic cars. For insurance purposes, a classic car can be any car that’s older than 15 years.
Business car insurance
covers you if you use your car for work, including travelling between offices or across the country.
What our electric car insurance expert says
Most standard car insurance policies should cover your electric car, but that might not be the best move. Choosing a tailored electric car policy can give you additional benefits like cover for batteries and charging cables.
Electric car insurance expert
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