Electric vehicle collision repairs still cost more than internal combustion vehicles, according to a new report from Mitchell International, a technology provider to the auto insurance and collision repair industries.
The report, based on data from the second quarter of 2024, found that insurers declared total losses for 2021-and-later electric vehicles and gasoline-powered vehicles at similar rates. Electric vehicles were declared unrepairable in 9.16% of cases studied in the United States, compared with 9.45% of new gasoline-powered vehicles.
Crash test of Mercedes-Benz EQS and EQA SUVs
When electric vehicles don’t break down completely, however, their repair costs are nearly 20 percent higher than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles, according to the report. The average repair cost for an electric vehicle was $5,753 in the United States in Q2, compared with $4,806 for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The average repair cost for a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid was $4,726 and $5,059, respectively, which Mitchell attributed to the larger battery packs used by plug-in hybrids.
The report found that claims for electric vehicles also increased by 45% in Q2, although that is normal as more vehicles enter the fleet and inevitably get into accidents. The newness of many electric models is also reflected in the higher use of OEM parts for repairs, at 89% of parts costs compared to 65% for internal combustion cars.
Crash test of Mercedes-Benz EQS and EQA SUVs
EVs, at least, reportedly require fewer frame repairs, likely due to their higher curb weights and the ability of battery packs to act as structural reinforcements. However, mechanics spent more time in Q2 evaluating EV repairs than internal combustion vehicles, 8.18 percent versus 5.21 percent, respectively.
The new report has similar findings to one Published by Mitchell in 2023which found that the average repair cost for an electric vehicle in the United States is $963 higher than that of a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle. Hertz also cited High collision repair costs are the main reason why their electric vehicle production plans have slowed down and they continue to be a factor in why Electric cars cost more to insure than hybrid cars right away.
