Electric car Insurance Ireland

Insure your Electric Car correctly…  

 

Electric Car Insuarance Ireland

Major Car Manufacturers design and build electric cars to the same safety standards as petrol and Diesel engined models on the road today. While the appearance of an Electric car may look the same, the operating systems and some mechanical parts are very different and by nature of their design, electric cars use alot more electronic components

There are some things you need to know before Buying your EV

Insurance companies know petrol and diesel cars inside out, electric vehicles on the other hand  are very new and there are some issues that have caused insurers some headaches. For one, the price of new electric cars is higher than equivalent traditional cars and secondly, specialist repair work may need to be carried out after an accident.

These can lead to variable premiums depending on the insurance company.
However, insurance is still readily available and if you shop around you can find a good deal.

Points to remember 

1. Get a quote before you buy

Find out how much it will cost to insure the car before you buy it. This is important whatever car you get.

2. Shop around

Don’t necessarily stick with your current insurer. They may be cheap for the car you drive at present, but they may not understand Electric cars and have certain criteria, which pushes up the premium for an Electric and Hybrid vehicles.
3. Check that the battery is fully owned or leased

Check with the car manufacturer of preference whether the car battery will be owned by you or leased by the manufacturer to you and clarify this with the insurance company. As this is the most expensive replacement part of the vehicle it will ensure that your policy covers the batteries properly. Renault for example lease their batteries while Nissan sell the batteries with each new car.

 4. Clarify cable liability

Charging cables in public place can pose a trip risk for others, its worth clarifying with your insurance company are you covered in the event of such an incident and what measures are required by them to limit your liability. As charging Electric cars in public places are becoming more widespread, its worth having yourself covered for every eventuality.

5. Specialist insurers

Some insurance companies now understand the evolution of modern transport and have tailored their insurance to offer a specialist policy for EVs, so again shop around.