Insurers may total EVs with damaged batteries, lack of reparability cited
TL;DR
Insurance companies are writing off electric vehicles (EVs) involved in minor accidents due to the difficulty of recycling battery packs in the US, which can render the whole pack unusable if even a tiny amount of damage is sustained. Carmakers including Ford and General Motors are developing battery packs that are easier to repair, replace and reuse, but Tesla and other EV makers are reportedly going in the opposite direction. The inability to reuse these batteries is revealing a hole in the green “circular economy” touted by carmakers, according to Reuters.
- A Minor Crash Can Total an EV if the Battery Gets Even a Little Damage Jalopnik
- Scratched EV battery? Insurer may junk the car Reuters
- Scratched EV battery? Your insurer may have to junk the whole car Yahoo Finance
- EV batteries lack reparability leading some insurers to junk whole cars after even minor collisions Fox Business
- Tesla's Model Y battery has 'zero repairability,' Sandy Munro says Business Insider
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