Green Car Reports Article: Expensive EV Collision Repair

[Worldwide Beagle]

Study: Collision repair remains much more expensive for EVs

Looking at second-quarter 2023 industry data, average repair costs for EVs were $963 higher in the U.S. versus comparable internal-combustion vehicles.

www.greencarreports.com

 

[njg-agt]

EVs tend to have more things like sensors embedded in the body and prep for driver assist functions (more $). They also are much more concerned with lowering weight, thus more aluminum parts (which tend to be less fixable). They tend to be either new models or worse yet new makers, and thus less likely to have after market or used parts available. I'm not sure any of this is really tied to being an "EV" as opposed to these other factors driving up repair prices. Some will come down for EVs over time (e.g. parts availability, etc), others will go up for (comparible) ICE over time (e.g. sensors, weight, etc).

 

[borski]

EVs tend to have more things like sensors embedded in the body and prep for driver assist functions (more $). They also are much more concerned with lowering weight, thus more aluminum parts (which tend to be less fixable). They tend to be either new models or worse yet new makers, and thus less likely to have after market or used parts available. I'm not sure any of this is really tied to being an "EV" as opposed to these other factors driving up repair prices. Some will come down for EVs over time (e.g. parts availability, etc), others will go up for (comparible) ICE over time (e.g. sensors, weight, etc).

Exactly. If these were “nuclear reactor” cars it’d be the same issue with a totally different set of tradeoffs. Eventually, all prices will converge.