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Electric car insurance

Electric cars are increasing in popularity, and with more insurers offering cover you should be able to find a policy to suit you. We compare a small number of specialist insurers who offer specific cover for electric cars. If they offer you a quote we'll show you the providers who specify 'electric cars' in their policies, and the specific cover on offer. You may also see prices from standard car insurance companies, but these policies may exclude damage to charging cables, or batteries. 

Read on to find out more about insuring your electric car, or if you just want to get a quote, click on the 'Get a quote' button to get started. 
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Are electric cars expensive to insure?

When comparing the cost to insure a brand new electric car against the cost of insuring a brand new hybrid or petrol/diesel car, insurance for an EV comes in around 33% more expensive.

Vehicle type Average cost**
Electric vehicle
£1,002
Hybrid
£841
Petrol/Diesel
£749

**Based on Confused.com data, October - December 2023.

There are a couple of reasons why insuring EV can make a difference vs insuring a hybrid or petrol/diesel car:

  • Even though certain electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf have been available in the UK for over 10 years now, most electric cars have only been available on the market for a few years. This makes them more expensive to buy, and can also make them expensive to insure.
  • Electric cars have more specialist parts and also require specialist servicing, this can lead to an increase in the cost of your insurance.
  • Although electric car parts are more specialist than petrol and diesel cars, electric cars actually have fewer parts in general, so in some cases, they can be cheaper to insure than petrol or diesel cars of the same value.
  • Electric cars often have some of the best safety features available on the market, and this is seen as a good thing when it comes to the cost of your insurance.

Remember, when it comes to insurance, the car is just one of many factors that determines how your car insurance is calculated. You may find your own policy is cheaper with an EV than with the equivalent petrol or diesel car.

Still deciding whether you should buy an electric car? See our guide for the pros and cons. 

Do all insurers offer electric car insurance?

You should be able to find car insurance for an electric or hybrid car with most of the insurers we work with, but only a few of them offer cover specifically designed for electric cars. These types of policies usually come with extras such as cover for charging cables and batteries.

To check whether a certain provider offers specific cover for your electric or hybrid car, when you get a quote, check our results page for policies that offer specialist electric car insurance. Any providers that do will specify that they are for “electric cars”.

If you choose a policy that doesn’t specialise in electric cars, you may still be able to get cover for everything you need such as charging cables and wall boxes, but you’ll need to check the policy documents or speak to the insurer to check what is and isn’t covered.

What level of insurance cover do I need for my electric car?

As you would with a petrol or diesel car, you can choose from the same levels of car insurance for your electric car

  • Third-party only is the minimum legal level of cover required to drive on the road. It covers you if you damage someone else’s property or injure them while driving, and covers your passengers too.
  • Third-party fire & theft offers everything included with third-party cover. But it also covers your car for repair or replacement costs if it's stolen or damaged by fire.
  • Comprehensive car insurance also known as ‘fully comp’ gives you the most protection. It covers you and your car as well as other people and their property.

Which level is right for you will depend on your own circumstances, but given that most EVs come with a high value and may cost more to repair or replace due to them being less common on UK roads, you may want to consider a comprehensive policy as it will cover your own car against repair or damage.

What does electric car insurance cover?

Insurance for electric cars typically covers everything standard car insurance does, depending on your policy type. But the cover they can provide for electric cars may differ, like for:

  • Battery
  • Charging cables
  • Adaptors
  • Wall boxes

Some policies include extras like accident liability cover, as cables on your drive can be a trip hazard. Alternatively, providers like ByMiles use smart technology in your car to base your policy price on the miles you drive.

As an example of what electric car insurance can cover, here are the benefits of 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)

What add-ons can I get with electric car insurance?

The main things you’ll want to ensure you’re covered for on your electric car insurance policy are charging cables, wall boxes and batteries. Depending on the policy, these might be included as standard, so won’t be classed as extras, but one common optional extra for electric cars is public liability cover, which would cover you if somebody tripped over your charging cable. It might seem trivial, but a personal injury claim made against you could end up being costly without the right level of cover in place.

As with standard car insurance, insurers will also offer some level of windscreen cover and breakdown cover for electric cars. As electric cars have become more popular, companies have trained their mechanics to offer electric car owners the same level of breakdown assistance as those with petrol or diesel cars. Some companies will cover you even if you run out of battery power.

Worried about running out of battery power? Use our EV charging point map to find out where your nearest charging point is.

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.

Generally, the higher the group, the more your car insurance will cost. 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
BMW I3
21 - 29
Nissan Leaf
21 - 28
Renault ZOE
14 - 25
Tesla Model S
50
Volkswagen E-Golf
19 - 26

What our electric car insurance expert says

"Not all providers specialise in electric car insurance, but you can still get cover for your electric car. Make sure your policy includes cover for charging cables and your battery. Even if you lease your battery from a separate company, it's best to have it covered as part of your policy."

Louise Thomas, Motor Insurance Expert at Confused.com
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