New analysis shows higher accident repair costs for EVs
Electric vehicles (EV) take longer to repair following an accident and are more costly to fix than traditional combustion-powered vehicles, according to new analysis from AX in the UK.
The new AX Repair Index from the accident aftercare specialist revealed that EV repair costs (for non-fault accidents) were 19 per cent higher than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and spent nine per cent longer in the workshop.
Drawing on data from more than 40,000 accidents handled annually through AX’s nationwide repair network, the new AX Repair Index compared EVs with petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains.
The index used ICE vehicles as a baseline score of 100 and measures the relative repair burden created by repair costs and repair duration.
(Source: AX)
EVs achieved an AX Repair Index score of 114, indicating a greater repair burden than their combustion-powered counterparts.
Analysis of repairs completed in the UK during the last 12 months found that EV repairs cost an average of £6,363 compared with £5,338 for ICE vehicles, while repair durations averaged 25 days for EVs and 23 days for ICE vehicles.
Scott Hamilton-Cooper, chief commercial officer of AX, said: “The growth of electric vehicles is creating new opportunities and challenges for the accident repair sector.
“While the gap between EV and ICE repairs is narrowing as repairers gain experience and technology improves, our AX Repair Index shows that electric vehicles still place a greater overall burden on the repair process.
“This is partly due to more costly EV parts and because they usually require calibration even for small repairs.
“What’s important is that the industry continues investing in skills, equipment and repair capability.”