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Important things to know about how car insurance calculators work for electric vehicles
Here’s a detailed lowdown on how car insurance works for EVs:
1. EV calculators work differently from regular car insurance calculators
The components of an electric vehicle are very different from those of a regular petrol or diesel car. EVs have expensive and sophisticated parts such as battery packs, electric motors, and charging systems. The insurer checks for the costs and risks associated with these components before arriving at the final insurance premium. A special electric car insurance premium calculator is used.
2. The EV battery plays a major role
The battery of an EV is the most crucial component. It is what gives power and life to the vehicle. Hence, an EV battery is very valuable. Different EVs have different types and sizes of battery packs. The car insurance company assesses each type of battery and then arrives at the correct premium rate for each electric vehicle.
3. IDV has a huge impact on the premium
The Insured Declared Value (IDV) is the estimated market value of your EV after depreciation. It is the current market value of the vehicle. You can, however, change the IDV. If you wish to increase the IDV of your vehicle, you can do so by agreeing to pay a higher motor insurance premium. If you wish to have a lower premium, you can lower the IDV as well. However, that would expose you to greater risks, as your claim payout would become lower, too.
Read More: IDV in Car Insurance: Meaning and Calculation
4. Geographic location matters
Insurance calculators also consider where the EV is registered. Metro cities generally have:
The traffic conditions in metro cities and other large cities are usually quite bad. The roads are always congested, and there is reckless driving and flouting of traffic rules, which leads to frequent accidents. As a result, the claim frequency is higher too. Thus, the car insurance company asks for a higher insurance policy if you reside in a big city, as compared to a smaller town.
Due to these issues, your EV may regularly get scratches, dents, and other issues, which will require you to send it for repair. This component is included in the car insurance premium calculator.
Also, the labour costs and the authorised service centre costs are higher in the metros. Hence, the repair costs are also higher, leading to a higher insurance claim amount. This, yet again, impacts your car insurance premium,
Because of this, you may end up paying a higher premium when you get car insurance online for your EV in a big city.