The electric cars are no longer strangers on our roads. The increase in green vehicle registrations is meteoric and many drivers already see them as the best alternative to the gasoline or diesel car. However, when insuring an electric vehicle several questions arise about what these policies cover and the existing offer. That is why we are going to tell you about the main coverage of Electric Car Insurance and we will give you some examples of policies that may interest you.

The first thing to clarify is that electric cars, whether they are pure electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid cars , must be insured like other motor vehicles. Although its propulsion system is different, the regulations do not make any distinction between them. 

 

The truth is that when insuring a hybrid or fully electric car we check that there are not so many differences with the policies of traditional vehicles. In fact, most Electric Car Insurance has coverage that is common to gasoline or diesel Auto Insurance .

To insure cars powered by electricity we can also take out Third Party Insurance , or Extended Third Party Insurance or Full Risk Insurance, with or without excess . As with the rest of passenger cars, the policyholder can decide which type of policy is best for him and, based on this, he will pay a more or less expensive premium.

However, due to their peculiarities, electric cars include facilities that insurers take into account when calculating their Insurance. Therefore, policies for these types of vehicles must include a series of covers specifically designed for electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars. 

 

As we have already mentioned, electric vehicles in general and passenger cars powered by electricity in particular, must have insurance to drive. Like other cars, electric vehicles must have the obligation to have, as a minimum, the compulsory Civil Liability Insurance in force to hit the road. 

In addition, there are other coverages that we find in Electric Car Insurance that are common to other vehicle policies. For example, we can insure a plug-in vehicle with an expanded Third Party Insurance, which includes guarantees such as Voluntary Civil Liability , Breakage of Moons , Theft and Fire .

We can also add to the contract other usual coverage in Auto Insurance such as Legal Defense coverage , Driver's Insurance or loss of card coverage , as well as services offered by insurers such as the possibility of having a replacement vehicle in case fault.

 

In many ways, electric vehicles are similar to conventional cars. But this type of eco car has some features that make it completely different from a combustion engine car.

Having an electric propulsion system to move around and it is necessary to plug it in to recharge the battery , as if it were a mobile phone, are two clearly differentiating elements. By having these characteristics, insurers have incorporated specific coverage to cover situations that can only affect this type of vehicle.

Among the specific coverage of a plug-in car policy, we can highlight:

 

One of the most important elements of electric cars is the cable they need to recharge the vehicle. In addition, it is a cheap component that is essential to use the car. For this reason, Electric Car Insurance usually includes cable theft coverage in its offer .

What's more, although there are insurers that offer this coverage on a voluntary basis, the truth is that having the cable insured is very important. Not only because of the high cost of this device, but because in case you need to charge the battery , it can only be done through it. Come on, we would be unable to use the car.

 

Another coverage that Electric Vehicle Insurance usually offers is Roadside Assistance for battery failure . With this coverage, the insured has the help of his insurer in the event that the car runs out of battery or there is a failure in the car's power system that leaves us lying on the road.

In these cases, the roadside assistance coverage usually makes available to the insured a crane that tows the vehicle to a workshop authorized for ecological cars or to the dealership chosen by the client. 

In the insurance specialized in electric cars we can also include coverage for technical roadside assistance . This is one of the most useful guarantees that the insurer can offer us, taking into account that an electrical failure can lead to a breakdown.

Furthermore, taking into account the autonomy of electric motors, which is much more limited than those of internal combustion, and that the network of recharging points that currently exists in Spain does not yet cover many locations, it is very important that the Insurance company Give us Assistance from kilometer zero and without mileage limit.

Although electric cars are becoming more reliable, there is always the possibility of a breakdown or seeing us without a battery charge at the most unexpected moment and without the possibility of recharging nearby.

The Electric Car Insurance offer is evolving as these vehicles gain weight in the market. Currently, several insurers offer products specially designed for plug-in cars, or include extra coverage in their offer with this type of vehicle in mind. Let's see some examples:

 

The insurer Mapfre is one of the companies that has created a policy designed for electric cars and hybrids. Your Ecological Insurance includes in its coverage the particularities of these plug-in cars, such as the guarantee for theft of recharging cable and coverage for the battery .

In addition, Mapfre's roadside assistance service has solutions for fast charging in 30 minutes or moving the vehicle to a recharging point if necessary. 

On the other hand, within the Mapfre Ecological Insurance offer , drivers can choose between:

  • Basic Third Party Ecological Insurance
  • Third Party Ecological Insurance Extended
  • Complete Third Party Ecological Insurance
  • Ecological Insurance All Risk with Franchise or without Franchise

In addition, the insurer offers a premium incentive to vehicles that pollute less. In this way, the less the car pollutes, the less you have to pay for the Insurance.

 

Catalana Occidente also sells Electric Automobile Insurance that covers the special needs generated by the electric car, in addition to the coverage that the company offers for its Auto customers.

The coverage included in the Catalana Occidente offer includes coverage for assistance due to battery failure, technical assistance on the road, towing the vehicle from kilometer zero and replacing flat tires.

Another way to respond to electric car drivers is to offer complementary coverage that meets the needs of these vehicles. This is what AXA Seguros does in its Car Insurance policy, the first insurance designed with the real needs of drivers in mind. 

Thus, among the AXA Insurance coverage, the so-called Eco Kit can be included in the policy , which is a coverage package for ecological cars , including electric vehicles. This offer includes coverage for electric car charging cables and roadside assistance for battery failure.
 

If there are more and more electric vehicles, the insurance specialized in plug-in vehicles , whether hybrid or electric , is necessarily increasing . And everything indicates that they will grow much more.

In fact, a recent report by the consulting firm DBK estimates that the Spanish electric car fleet will multiply by five in 2020 compared to 2017, the year in which 23,215 electric vehicles of all kinds were counted, from cars to commercial vehicles and ATVs.

Although the market share of these ecological cars currently barely exceeds 0.6% of the total, sales of plug-in electric and hybrid cars are growing at a rate of 100% per year. 

In addition, in 2017 around 10,000 charging points were installed in Spain, 92% more than in 2016, which left the total figure at the end of the year at 32,050 points. This means that in Spain there are 1.4 charging points for each electric car in circulation, an essential fact for consumers to value the purchase of an electric car .

 

If you are one of those drivers who is tired of spending money at the gas station and plans to switch to electric to save on the consumption of the vehicle , you see that there are several alternatives to insure an electric car . 

In this case, we recommend that you try our online insurance comparator and be advised by our insurance experts. They will compare the best offers and offer you the most complete and cheapest policy for your electric car. So you can also save on the insurance of your plug-in car.