Insurers need to gear up for electric cars: Swiss Re

The boom in electric vehicles could shake up the car insurance sector, reinsurance giant Swiss Re said Wednesday, urging insurers to gear up.

“Traditional vehicle insurance models are no longer enough to accurately capture the overall risk,” a study by Swiss Re said.

“We need risk models that can focus on the particularities of EVs (electric vehicles),” it added.

Electric cars are quieter than internal-combustion vehicles, presenting a risk for pedestrians who don’t hear them coming in noisy urban settings.

They are also heavier which can have its advantages, the study said.

A lower centre of gravity may make them more stable which can reduce the risk of a serious accident.

“However, greater weight means higher impact force in collision with other road users,” the study added.

Putting out a fire may also prove more difficult, while other differences with conventional cars include higher repair costs.

To offset the weight of the battery, manufacturers of electric cars may use lightweight materials such as aluminium or carbon fibre.

But, the study said, four out of five components were more likely to be replaced than repaired for electric vehicles.

The market for the greener vehicles is expected to grow rapidly in response to consumers’ worries about climate change, putting pressure on manufacturers to develop less polluting products.

The study by Swiss Re said the move towards electric vehicles would “entail changes across the entire value chain”.

It called on the insurance sector to collect the necessary data for new insurance models that take the differences into account.

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