Reuters: Scratched EV battery? Your insurer may have to junk the whole car

[tikal]

[Note to moderators/everyone: I am posting this in the spirit of constructive engagement. Please do not take it personally one way or the other!]


https://www.reuters.com/business/au...r-insurer-may-have-junk-whole-car-2023-03-20/

LONDON/DETROIT, March 20 (Reuters) - For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles - leading to higher premiums and undercutting gains from going electric. And now those battery packs are piling up in scrapyards in some countries, a previously unreported and expensive gap in what was supposed to be a "circular economy.""We're buying electric cars for sustainability reasons," said Matthew Avery, research director at automotive risk intelligence company Thatcham Research. "But an EV isn't very sustainable if you've got to throw the battery away after a minor collision."Battery packs can cost tens of thousands of dollars and represent up to 50% of an EV's price tag, often making it uneconomical to replace them. While some automakers like Ford Motor Co (F.N) and General Motors Co (GM.N) said they have made battery packs easier to repair, Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has taken the opposite tack with its Texas-built Model Y, whose new structural battery pack has been described by experts as having "zero repairability."

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

(the article continues - click on the link)

 

[JELLOWSUBMARINE]

Got a call from a friend this morning... After cauculating range, their EV ran out of happy electrons only a mile from home. Had to have a tow.

2 days ago my son couldn't get an emergency tow for 24 hrs because all avalible trucks tied up... hmmm?

Those mass charging stations that were promised, look out of reality with Gov Motors & Ford. Tesla in reality is thier only real hope and Obiden is trying to kill the company

Toyota wants out of the electric game and into Hydrogen.

The EV "carbon footprint" seems to be getting bigger every day.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

I saw that article earlier this week on another site, found it interesting.

Doesn't entirely surprise me that Tesla packs are less repairable, in some ways they seem like the Apple of the car world (Closed architecture, generally unfriendly to 3rd-party parts).

Seems like maybe some sort of standard is needed to make the batteries more easily reparable (maybe some sort of minimum modularity or something). Almost makes me wonder if EV batteries will end up the newest front in the "right to repair" wars...

 

[oilhammer]

Not that we needed another EV related thread on TDI club, but...

This is not something that is exclusive to EVs. Sure, the uber-expensive battery thing is, and is especially a gamble if it is a "non-repairable structural part" of the car (which I find ridiculous), but the ever-increasing price of car parts in general is making "totaled" vehicles quite commonplace.

The newest F150, one of the top selling models in this country, has on certain trim levels over $7000 worth of exterior lighting fixtures. No joke. Once that tarted up $65k Texas Cadillac that has never seen anything beyond a few hatchback-handle-able loads in its shrunken worthless "bed" gets crashed after five years and is faced with a $15k repair bill coupled with the jaw-dropping depreciation it'll get kicked out. And this only raises insurance rates for EVERYONE.

We deal with two local body shops here near us, the only cars they seem to fix are brand newish ones (and clearly lots of idiots with credit like to crash their brand new cars... many still have temp tags on them!!!).

 

[tikal]

Not that we needed another EV related thread on TDI club, but...

This is not something that is exclusive to EVs. Sure, the uber-expensive battery thing is, and is especially a gamble if it is a "non-repairable structural part" of the car (which I find ridiculous), but the ever-increasing price of car parts in general is making "totaled" vehicles quite commonplace.

The newest F150, one of the top selling models in this country, has on certain trim levels over $7000 worth of exterior lighting fixtures. No joke. Once that tarted up $65k Texas Cadillac that has never seen anything beyond a few hatchback-handle-able loads in its shrunken worthless "bed" gets crashed after five years and is faced with a $15k repair bill coupled with the jaw-dropping depreciation it'll get kicked out. And this only raises insurance rates for EVERYONE.

We deal with two local body shops here near us, the only cars they seem to fix are brand newish ones (and clearly lots of idiots with credit like to crash their brand new cars... many still have temp tags on them!!!).

Ok, I understand you point OH.

It looks to me that this might end up significantly slowing the sale of EVs if reparability is not address for the battery pack. I would presume insurance costs will go way up eventually.

 

[oilhammer]

I don't think this will affect the sale of anything, since I don't feel anyone (but me... and those of similar thinking) actually investigates this BEFORE a purchase.

 

[tikal]

∆∆∆

Ok, you're got me there

 

[oilhammer]

I just ordered a new Mini, and the salesman seemed puzzled that I was happy they reinstated the 15" wheels as standard on the base model car again. I explained that the 15" tires last longer, ride better, are quieter, cost less to replace, are more pothole tolerant, and use less fuel. He acted like this was some new revelation that literally no soul on the planet had figured out. To me, it's common sense. *shrug*