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Insuring an electric car - any suggestions

(13 Posts)
kittylester Tue 04-Jun-24 15:18:47

DH has spent an exhausting morning trying to get insurance quotes for an electric car we were hoping to buy. The quotes are almost as much as the car!!!

Can anyone suggest a company to try? Saga, NFU, John Lewis and Sainsbury's either won't countenance it or the quotes are astronomical.

Katie590 Tue 04-Jun-24 16:46:03

OH gets his quotes from the comparison sites (meerkat I think) pays around £1100, for his Jaguar EV, but cost depends on area and driving record.
There are areas where it’s impossible to get a quote on some model's, Range Rovers, Porsches and other brands that get stolen frequently

Mamie Tue 04-Jun-24 17:07:09

Sorry, no specific suggestions, but how bizarre. Ours costs the same as the petrol car we had before, we use the insurance company linked to Peugeot and we pay about 550€ a year.
It might be worth looking at the UK based SpeakEV forum. There is a lot of expertise there.

NotSpaghetti Tue 04-Jun-24 17:43:18

I would read this thoroughly so you know a bit more.

I use comparison sites for mine.
They are discussed in the info here:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/car-insurance/

vegansrock Tue 04-Jun-24 17:44:55

I use comparison sites, I think I’m with Direct line at the moment but will switch if they put the premium up this year

RosiesMaw Tue 04-Jun-24 19:43:33

Insurance quotes for EVs are notoriously high because their repairs can be way more expensive.
The extra weight apparently means even tyres wear out quicker and mechanical repairs are very specialised -consequently pricey.
If this is a new car, is there no insurance deal (incentive) in the purchase price?
Comparison websites are the only other way I suspect.
(Another reason why I am holding fire on an EV)

kittylester Tue 04-Jun-24 19:54:53

It's not a true electric car - it's a plug in hybrid with a rotary petrol engine driving the electric motor (possibly!!) so the battery isn't as big as an electric car.

We have had quotes of between £1200 and £7000 and some out and out refusals. Poor DH had to have a drink!! wine

cornergran Tue 04-Jun-24 20:27:14

I’d need more than a drink! We drive something called a mild hybrid kitty, not the same as a ‘proper’ hybrid but still not a standard combustion engine. You’ll know already the higher the group the higher the insurance. We used the money supermarket site to find insurance groups for the three less than a year old cars we had shortlisted, they varied hugely. The car we chose was only slightly more expensive to insure than our previous diesel car. The usual ‘excuse’ for higher premiums is the cars cost more to repair, hard to hear when the purchaser is simply trying to do the right thing.

The primary trigger for our insurance shooting up last year was Mr C reaching 80 when it seemed to be think of a number and double it. Goodness knows what 81 will mean this year. A cycle each I suspect! Maybe also more than one stiff drink.

Jaxjacky Tue 04-Jun-24 21:00:01

I’d need a bottle to get me to change at those prices!!

Katie590 Wed 05-Jun-24 06:51:35

RosiesMaw

Insurance quotes for EVs are notoriously high because their repairs can be way more expensive.
The extra weight apparently means even tyres wear out quicker and mechanical repairs are very specialised -consequently pricey.
If this is a new car, is there no insurance deal (incentive) in the purchase price?
Comparison websites are the only other way I suspect.
(Another reason why I am holding fire on an EV)

That’s not true, a petrol or hybrid car of the same size and performance is just as complex and expensive to repair. Repairing accident damage is very similar in both cases, both have similar electronic systems too.
You can of course buy a smaller or less complex car and it costs less to insure but that would not be comparing apples with apples

kittylester Thu 06-Jun-24 07:41:33

We have found insurance which is not quite double our current car. Hopefully the saving in petrol and road tax will pay for the difference.

We have also had to renew the insurance on Dh's car which had gone up too.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 06-Jun-24 07:46:30

I don’t understand that. Our son has had an all electric car for ages and has paid no difference in insurance. Same with our daughter.

We have a hybrid and the insurance is the same.

Katie590 Thu 06-Jun-24 10:23:42

Whitewavemark2

I don’t understand that. Our son has had an all electric car for ages and has paid no difference in insurance. Same with our daughter.

We have a hybrid and the insurance is the same.

It’s just part if the current hate EV campaign.