- Insurance coverage claims recommend EVs are in several types of lower-speed crashes
- EVs usually tend to be rear-ended, much less more likely to have front-end injury
- Combustion autos and EVs are full-loss totaled at about the identical fee
EVs are extra typically concerned in several sorts of collisions than internal-combustion vehicles, information from Mitchell Worldwide present, with one-pedal driving methods probably contributing to this.
Mitchell, which offers tech for the auto insurance coverage and collision restore industries, has beforehand reported that EV collision restore prices are increased than these for gasoline autos. Now the corporate is delving into the varieties of fender-benders EVs are typically concerned in versus internal-combustion vehicles.
In a press launch printed Wednesday, the corporate mentioned its information exhibits that EVs usually tend to maintain rear-end injury than internal-combustion autos, with these collisions accounting for 35.9% of EV collisions and 27.5% of internal-combustion car collisions, respectively. Combustion vehicles have a better frequency of front-end collisions, at 31.5%, in comparison with 25.8% for EVs.
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Mitchell believes that is probably down to 2 fundamental components. One is that EVs are typically newer, that means they’re extra more likely to have the newest front-collision avoidance tech. The corporate additionally cited the “completely different braking dynamics” of EVs in one-pedal mode, which might trigger extra fast deceleration that drivers in following vehicles aren’t ready for.
Whereas collisions involving a front-end influence are 40% costlier on common than these involving a rear-end influence, EVs nonetheless stay costlier to restore total, in response to Mitchell. The corporate’s information exhibits that in Q3, insurance coverage claims for repairable autos within the U.S. averaged $5,560 for EVs, $5,229 for plug-in hybrids, $4,426 for delicate hybrids, and $4,741 for non-hybrid combustion autos.
That continues a development from Q2, when Mitchell discovered that EV collision-repair prices have been 20% increased than these for different autos. Excessive restore prices have been additionally among the many causes cited by Hertz for slowing its EV plans.
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The most recent report from Mitchell did present a touch about why this can be the case. Whereas about the identical share of elements are repaired, BEV vs ICE, BEV repairs require 90% original-equipment producer (OEM) elements, whereas ICE fashions require 64% OEM elements. The remaining come from the aftermarket, probably at a decrease value than OEM elements.
EVs and combustion autos are written off as a complete loss at about the identical fee—9.9% of all claims. The common market worth of EVs declared a complete loss is $32,718, pretty near the $31,070 common for 2021-or-newer combustion autos, which Mitchell judged to be most just like EVs in complexity and price to restore.
Excessive EV restore prices are well-documented, however we’re now additionally seeing hints that the completely different driving dynamics of EVs might play a job within the frequency of collisions. Along with Mitchell’s citing of one-pedal driving as a consider rear-end collisions, a report printed final month discovered that EV drivers are extra more likely to be at fault in crashes, and famous that drivers’ habits modified when switching to an EV.
