Car Insurance For Electric Vehicles Explained

20 November 2018

You’ve taken the leap into electric vehicles, leaving behind petrol fumes and high bills at the forecourt lured by the prospect of low running costs, no vehicle tax, and low emissions. Or maybe you’re just considering ditching fuel tanks for plugs and are doing the maths, calculating whether the savings you can rack up with an EV, from the government’s rebate to lower servicing charges, can offset the higher initial outlay.

While electric vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax and from charges in London’s congestion zone, and you can rack up discounts on parking permits from many councils, you can’t avoid some of the standard costs of owning a vehicle. A major, unavoidable expense is for car insurance, which is a legal requirement for any vehicle using or even parked on public roads in the UK. If you’ve never sought out or arranged insurance for an electric vehicle, you might be baffled about where to start.

Cost and Providers:

You may heard electric vehicles are significantly more expensive to insure and that you’ll need to see out a specialist provider. It’s true that the market for electric vehicles, and therefore for insurance for electric vehicles, is still in its infancy. As of the end of September 2018, there are just 178,000 plug-in vehicles (including fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids) registered in the UK, out of a total of 37.3m vehicles on our roads. But the number is rising quickly: there were 5,000 new registrations of plug-in vehicles each month of 2018, while in 2014 just 400 new plug-in vehicles were being driven off lots.

With the increasing uptake of EVs and hybrids, especially in the run up to the 2040 ban on petrol and diesel vehicles, the cost and complication of insuring them will fall. Electric vehicle insurance policies will become standard fare from mainstream insurers.

Today, the higher purchase price of EVs drives up insurance premiums for them, as insurers need to consider to cost of replacing your vehicle if it’s stolen or damaged beyond repair.

But even now you might find insuring an electric vehicle might be comparable to, or even cheaper, than insuring a petrol- or diesel-powered car, owing to the small size and less powerful engines on EVs and the discounts some insurers can give you for driving environmentally-friendly cars.

However, the process of obtaining insurance quotes and policies for an electric vehicle is different than that for EVs and a rundown will be helpful as you start your electrically-powered journey.

What Impacts Cost of Insurance for Electric Vehicles:

You’re probably familiar with the features of a standard vehicle that can inflate, or reduce, your monthly premiums for its insurance, including its car insurance group, the size of its engine, and purchase price. For insuring electric vehicles, there’s a new calculus, accounting for who owns the battery and the risk posed by (not kidding) power cables.

leased batteries:

Some EV manufacturers like Renault and Clio offer motorists the option of buying the vehicle outright but leasing its battery, with a monthly fee and mileage agreement. These arrangements spare you the steep cost of replacing batteries when they lose functionality after a few years. But if you’re leasing the battery, you’ll need to inform your insurer when obtaining quotes, as a leased battery will affect who needs to be paid if your electric vehicle is written off. Additionally, some policies may not cover leased batteries.

power cables and liability:

Much like your smartphone, your electric vehicle will need to be charged, just with a very big cord. If you’re charging in your driveway or garage, you won’t have to worry about the cord trailing large distances. But if you’re charging your vehicle while it’s parked on the street or at a public charging station, that cord could pose a tripping hazard. When obtaining an insurance policy for your electric vehicle, you should ensure it provides enough liability cover to protect you if a member of the public face-plants over your cable.

fires from at-home charging:

If your electric vehicle or cable fire while plugged in in your driveway or garage you might wonder which insurance policy will pay out: your home insurance policy or the one for your car. That ultimately depends on where the fire originates, but the risk of an electric fault within your vehicle causing a fire that then destroys you home can push up premiums for car insurance for EVs.

green discounts:

Some insurers will offer discounts of up to 5% on your annual premiums as a reward for you driving an environmentally-friendly car. Others will make charitable donations to green causes in your name from your premiums or plant a certain number of trees.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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What to Do if You’re in an Accident with a Placarded Truck in Tampa

An accident involving any kind of vehicle or vehicles has the potential to cause great harm for a number of reasons. In addition to the collision of metal, glass, and rubber, the combustion of either vehicle’s fuel tank is a significant factor with which to contend. If one of those vehicles is a placarded truck however, the dangers multiply over and over again. What is a Placarded Truck in Tampa, Florida? Trucks are required, by law, to place specially designed placards on their vehicles when carrying hazardous materials. The type of hazards the materials possess, the amounts being transported, and whether or not these materials will be carried between or within state lines, all determine what colors and numbers the placards have. The transport of these chemicals and substances is quite a dangerous task, which is why placarded trucks are so highly regulated by the Federal government. Hazardous Materials Transported by Placarded Trucks Hazardous materials are categorized into classes based on toxicity, chemical makeup, solid/ liquid/ gaseous state, and how they are generally used. These designations were established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a section of the United States Department of Transportation. They include the following categories: Class 1: Explosives Class 2: Gases Class 3: Flammable and Combustible Liquid Class 4: Flammable Solids, Spontaneously Combustible, and Dangerous When Wet Class 5: Oxidizer and Organic Peroxide Class 6: Poison and Poison Inhalation Hazard Class 7: Radioactive Class 8: Corrosive Class 9: Miscellaneous What to Do if You Are in an Accident with a Truck Carrying Placarded Material in Tampa, Florida Given the inherent dangers involved with the materials listed above, it is important that you take extra measures to ensure your safety if you are ever in a crash with a placarded truck. Move as Far Out of the Area as Possible It is critical that you move as far away from the scene of the accident as possible. Seconds, milliseconds even, count far more than you may understand, even in the absence of a crisis. Call 911 Because combustion is very likely and because the risk of fatalities, injuries, long lasting trauma, and property damage are so high, the police, firemen, and additional first responders must be contacted. It is crucial that the departments contacted through 911 be notified that hazardous materials are involved. It is up to the truck driver and the company for whom they work to inform the police and other agencies of the exact nature of the materials being carried in their truck. Accept Medical Support from Emergency Medical Crews The list of possible injuries from an accident of this magnitude is long and painful. Burns, broken limbs, facial fractures, head injuries from flying debris and blunt force, poisoning, and respiratory distress are only a few of the conditions for which you and other survivors will have to be evaluated. We urge you to follow medical orders at the scene of the accident as well as the hospital to which you will be transported. Contact a car accident lawyer in Tampa, Florida If you are ever in accident of this nature, it is best that you contact a car accident lawyer in Tampa, Florida as soon as possible While you will need to recover, recoup, and refresh, your Tampa, Florida car accident lawyer will guide you through every step of the legal process that is sure to unfold.

There Is A Pothole Problem In America – How To Protect Your Car From Damage?

Drivers around the United States are complaining of potholes on the roads. In fact, there is a serious pothole problem in America. The AAA released their recent study report - which reveals that potholes cost the Americans drivers $3 billion a year. A pothole can damage your car other than making your ride bumpy. The suspension system of your car gets messed up when you drive over a pothole. On the other hand, potholes can bend the wheels of your car and puncture them in the process. Pothole-related repair costs can vary depending on the type of damage to your car. RepairPal is a good online tool to get an estimate on specific types of car repairs. Your location and other variables can affect the cost of repairs. In fact, the average repair cost will be around $300. You should contact a mobile mechanic Houston for assistance in this regard. $300 is a lot of money. For that amount of money, you can easily take your family to Disneyland. It is a pity that we have to deal with potholes on our road network since the government is responsible for providing its people with safe roads and bridges for travel. Potholes would make most of you mad. In fact, you should be writing to Congress and telling them to fund the road development projects in your area. There is at least one pothole in your daily commute. In fact, most people are complaining about it. Then there is another one and another one - which go on and on. These potholes are quite annoying and will damage your car upon impact. Public works associations have been repairing a lot of these potholes lately with the assistance of the public. Most potholes need urgent repairs today. You should pressurize the city councils to get the work done immediately. The city is not responsible for the damage caused to your car due to potholes on the roads - unless the work crews were negligent. Since the city doesn't insure the streets, they are not responsible for repairing damaged cars under the prevailing law. The American Automobile Association conducted a survey in 2016 and found out that potholes on the road networks have caused damages to the vehicles contributing to more than $3 billion per year for the last five years. Many public works associations have promised to repair potholes on roads within 48 hours of receiving a complaint from a resident. If you run into a pothole while driving, here are some tips to avoid them - courtesy of State Farm Insurance. Drive on familiar roads. In fact, you can easily avoid potholes when you drive on roads that are familiar to you. Make sure that you travel on roads that are well-lit. You will be able to see the surface of the road while driving in the night when the road is well-lit. Slow down and you can easily spot a pothole and avoid it while driving. Avoid tailgating. It is important that you give yourself time to be able to see the road conditions ahead when driving behind another vehicle. Brake before the impact. When you aggressively apply brakes, there is a greater load on the tires, wheels, and suspension system of the car. This can cause more damage to your car. That is why it is important that you brake at a distance before the impact. AAA provided the following tips: Check your tires for proper inflation at regular intervals. The tires are the main cushion between the wheels and suspension on your car and the pothole. Hence, it is important to check the inflation on a regular basis. Prevent swerving. Use your rear-view mirror before trying to avoid a pothole. It is important to prevent the risk of a collision. Listen for strange vibrations from the car. Pothole impacts can bend or break the suspension components in your car. It may also damage tires and wheels and dislodge wheel weights. Check the wheel alignment. A pothole can affect the steering of the car. It may knock the wheels of the car out of alignment in the process. How Do You Prevent Damages To The Car From Potholes? Driving is all about coping with potholes and traveling safely. In fact, damaged wheels and tires will leave motorists stranded at the side of the road - thereby leaving their wallets empty. The new Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles go through a stringent testing process in order to prevent damages caused by chuckholes. Ford uses several proving grounds in order to validate its vehicle designs such as Romeo, Mich., and Dearborn, Mich. These grounds are filled with different types of torture devices to test and improve the durability of the vehicle. The engineers at Ford design spare parts up-front to deal with these potholes. They balance these parts for numerous other custom driving conditions. The engineers will tune shock rebound rates in order to keep the wheel and tire suspended to glide over the pothole. This will prevent the tire from dropping into the pothole and impacting the edge of the tire and wheel. Ford Motor Company Offers Drivers Several Tips To Prevent Damage To The Vehicles From Potholes: Keep the tire pressure constant at the manufacturer's recommendation. This will help protect the wheels and tires from being damaged due to the impact of the pothole. Don't swerve to avoid a pothole. It creates a situation where the front wheel and tire hit the edge of the hole at an obtuse angle. This can do more harm than hitting the pothole squarely. If you are safe, don't brake as soon as you see a pothole. Instant braking will compress the car's front suspension and force the wheel and tire down the pothole without gliding over it. In fact, even if you drive very carefully, there is a chance of having a flat tire on the highway. Drive slow to the closest safe area out of traffic. Even though this can damage the flat tire - your safety is more important. If you suspect your car has been damaged or feel a sudden vibration, reduce your speed immediately. Drive slowly until you can safely pull off the road. Inspect your tires for damage. If the tire is flat, replace it with the spare wheel. If you can't find a cause, get your car towed to the nearest repair shop and have a mobile mechanic Houston inspect your car.

What to Do After an Auto Lockout?

Many times people forget their car keys inside and get locked out of their own car. As all the cars now come with a central locking system, it is almost impossible for owners to open their car when they leave the key inside it. However, there are many things you can do if you get locked out of your car. The best way to open your car is to call an automotive locksmith, but this is not the only way. Let us explore all the ways to unlock your car in case you get locked out. Call your car company: If you have the customer care number of your car company, you can call them to assist you in opening the lock. Even if you don’t have their customer service number, you can search it online on your phone and call them for assistance. They will tell you an alternative procedure to open your car or send a professional to assist you to unlock it. Some car companies may send a professional to unlock your car as they have people who are experts in using alternative methods to offer solutions to their customers. You might have a spare key: Sometimes car owners have a spare key with them that they don’t remember. Think about where you kept the spare keys. If you have one in your pocket, you can use it to open your car. Many people have a spare key at home. If you have a spare key at your home, you can call someone to get it for you if your home is not too far from the location where you get locked out. However, if you are far away from your home, you can call an automotive locksmith to open it for you. Tow the car to your home: If you have no option to unlock the car, you can tow the car to your home or a safe place. However, hiring a towing service can be more expensive than hiring a locksmith. Therefore, you should keep this as the last option if nothing else works. Look for open window glass: Sometimes people prefer driving with open window panes. If a pane on the driving side is open, you can put your arm inside and take out the key to unlock the door. However, if all the window panes are closed, you cannot opt for this method. Roadside Assistance: Some car insurance companies offer roadside assistance, but many don’t offer it in their policy. You can also search roadside assistance online on your smartphone. Call one of the companies, and they will send a professional technician to unlock your car or help you to take it to a garage. If your insurance policy offers roadside assistance, you should save its information on your phone so that you can use it in such conditions. Warranty service: Most car companies offer a warranty, and many of the warranties also cover the costs of a lockout. If your car warranty covers the same, you can use it for roadside assistance in case of a lockout. It can be a wise decision to use roadside assistance covered by your car warrant without the need to purchase redundant coverage. Call an Automotive Locksmith: The best way to unlock your locked car is to call an automotive locksmith for assistance. However, to use this method, you need to know about the best locksmith service in your area. If you have not left your phone inside the car, you can also search online for the best locksmith service and call it immediately from your phone. Allcoast locksmiths is a reputed company offering service in the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie, Australia. They have been offering locksmith services in these areas for over 15 years. If you need a locksmith service in any of these areas, this is a company you can rely upon. You can call them in an emergency auto lockout, home, or office lockout for assistance. Final Words: These were some tips you can try during an automotive lockout. Following these ideas can get you out of the situation and make you drive your car again. It is best to know the best locksmith service in your area so that you can call them in such situations. Read Also: Choosing the Right Anti-Theft Devices For Your Car In Houston TX 5 Tips to Safeguard Your Home From Intruders Should you Replace or Rekey Locks? — What Locksmith Richmond says Expert Advice: 5 Crucial Things to Do Immediately After an Automobile Accident

Car Insurance For Electric Vehicles Explained

Cost and Providers: