Electric cars have faced their fair share of insurance challenges—from unexpectedly high premiums to write-offs due to concerns over slightly damaged batteries, and even some Chinese brands failing to meet UK repair standards, making certain models nearly uninsurable.
Despite these issues, data from CAP HPI, shared with Auto Express, shows something surprising: since 2015, petrol and diesel cars have been written off at nearly double the rate of electric vehicles (EVs). CAP’s study, which looked at cars under five years old from 2015 to August 2024, found that only 0.9 per cent of EVs were written off, compared to 1.89 per cent of petrol and diesel cars. Even for cars just one-year-old, 0.2 per cent of EVs were written off, versus 0.4 per cent for their petrol and diesel counterparts.
However, before anyone uses these stats to fuel the ongoing EV debate online, it’s important to note that these numbers don't tell the whole story.
CAP HPI spokesman Jon Clay explained, “The study challenges one of the many misconceptions about electric vehicles. The data clearly shows that EVs are written off at half the rate of petrol and diesel vehicles,” he said, but added there are likely several factors influencing this.
For one, EV drivers might have different habits than those with gas-powered cars. Plus, EVs often come with more advanced safety tech. The stats also don’t factor in the total number of claims that might lead to write-offs.
“There are quite a few variables in there, which we need to investigate to actually understand,” added Clay.
