Electric vehicle warranty claims are higher than for ICE

Analysis of EV warranty claims for 2023/2024, by Warranty Solutions Group (WSG), found that the most common issues involve battery charge control modules, costing an average of £1,311 to repair, power distribution boxes (£747), warning lights (£875) and shock absorbers (£588).

The battery is the most expensive component with replacement costs significantly higher than most ICE engine repairs, typically ranging between £8,000 and £12,000 on standard vehicles.

WSG’s research comes after Epyx analysed service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs for thousands of vehicles on its database and found advantages in both the amount spent and the number of garage visits for EVs compared to ICE cars and, to a lesser extent, for hybrids.

At the end of the first year of operation, the average SMR spend for an EV was £141 compared to £195 for hybrids and £199 for ICE, according to Epyx analysis. By year two, the data shows it was £174 for an EV, £266 for hybrids and £290 for ICE, with the gap widening even further in year three.The comparable SMR costs for an ICE car were 81% higher at £401 than the £221 reported for an EV in year three, and £341 for hybrids.

John Colinswood, CEO of WSG, said “There is much industry discussion about the cost of EV repairs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. Many studies show that electric vehicles have lower servicing and maintenance costs than petrol and diesel vehicles because they have fewer moving parts that can fail.

“However, not all repair shops are equipped to handle EVs, and specialised knowledge is needed to safely work on high-voltage electrical systems. This drives up labour costs, as repairs often require trained professionals, sometimes through the manufacturer or specialised dealers.”

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