Latest study by Fidelidade stresses premiums unaffected
A study by insurance company Fidelidade has concluded that electric and hybrid vehicles have greater probabilities of accidents compared with those powered by diesel/ petrol.
Electric vehicles have a 50% greater increase of accidents; hybrid 25%.
The study comes from Fidelidade’s own database of 70,000 vehicles.
According to the study (so far unavailable online), among the reasons is the difference in acceleration that electric vehicles have over their fossil fuel powered counterparts: electric vehicles have a ‘rapid acceleration “sometimes (more rapid) than desired, causing difficulties in controlling the vehicle”.
Reports today refer to “a Tesla Model 3 Long Range taking 4.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h”. Drivers new to electric vehicles could find this a challenge.
Equally, electric cars are heavier than diesel/ petrol cars – roughly 35% heavier – and this means there is “more damage when there is a collision”.
Electric cars are also ‘quieter’ (some pedestrians would say they are so quiet, you cannot hear them approaching at all…) and this increases the risks of accidents, predominantly in urban areas.
According to tech website pplware “it should be noted that these conclusions are identical to the Hertz (Rent-a-Car) study published in January this year.
“In short, electric cars are just as safe as fuel-powered cars. However, there are some variables that have contributed to an increase in accidents. These aren’t really problems with the cars themselves, quite the opposite. Rather, they are characteristics that certainly require new driving habits”, says the article.
Non-techy outlets, like tabloid Correio da Manhã, add another ‘potential negative’ however: “The characteristics of these kind of vehicles means that repairs are more expensive” (electric vehicles costing 26% more than diesel/ petrol vehicles, hybrids 11%); and time ‘immobilised’ (waiting for parts, etc.) is “more prolonged” – 17% more prolonged in electric cars, 16% in hybrids.
For the time being, Correio da Manhã writes that “in spite of the elevated costs, there is no difference in the price of policies, said a source for the (85% Chinese owned) company”.
However, this may not last, in as much as other countries are already reporting increased premiums for electric vehicles.
In Portugal, electric vehicles are increasingly being sought out – even in the 2nd hand market. Standvirtual, for example, reported a 96% increase in searches for 2nd hand electric cars last month, compared to searches during the same month in 2023.
CM also carries a box explaining the ‘why’ behind electric vehicles’ repair costs:
Batteries: these cost so much (as much as half the price of the vehicle itself, says CM) that replacing them (for an insurance company) can be financially unviable.
Mechanics: there is a real lack of mechanics in Portugal who know how to repair an electric vehicle; “this increases labour costs”.
Simple repairs: these become ‘onerous’, explains CM, as the vehicle’s batteries have to be removed from the vehicle before work can safely begin, and then they need to be stored carefully due to the fact that they should not be exposed to temperatures above 40ºC.
CM’s text adds that 73% of drivers queried in a recent study by Mobi.E reported “difficulties finding available charging stations”, even though Portugal ranks above average for European countries with ‘rapid charge’ outlets.
