Electric Vehicles are generally no more complicated or challenging to repair than any other vehicle, though they do bring disruption to the current repair process. New complexities are added, from how to handle the vehicle and make it safe, to where it can be repaired and management of the battery through the repair cycle.
Batteries are expensive commodities and can present practical difficulty to repair. Although vehicle structures are designed to protect the battery in an impact situation, it is likely to involve diagnostic, measurement, removal and associated High Voltage (HV) decommissioning and in the worst-case scenario replacement of the battery.
With batteries currently making up a high percentage of the original vehicle cost, in some instances up to 50% of the vehicle cost, EVs are attracting higher overall repair costs than conventionally powered vehicles.
Our research also shows that repair times for EVs (key to key time) are increasing and subsequently adding further cost. Battery quarantining and a lack of special tooling, diagnostic and decommissioning / recommissioning facilities, even before an estimation of repair costs, can mean additional complication and cost.
EVs currently present a set of new challenges which must be quantified:
- A combination of short and near term strategic actions will enable the refinement of both risk quantification and network readiness, whilst EV sales accelerate.
- Addressing vehicle design and repairability, while consulting with the appropriate governmental and regulatory bodies on environmental and cost challenges, to assist in realising both the green aims of EVs whilst also making them sustainable to repair.