Insurers questioning indoor EV chargers?

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Disrespective

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#311847 20-Feb-2024 10:10

I've heard rumors through some sparkies I know who went to a recent conference that some of the insurance parent companies may be thinking about amending their terms to make you uninsurable for your home/contents policies if you have an indoor EV charging station. You can have one on the property but ~15m from the dwelling.

This has some pretty big ramifications if true.

Anyone heard anything? My google-foo isn't bringing anything up.

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#3197802 20-Feb-2024 10:23

Would it also include granny chargers where you plug into the standard wall socket?

michaelmurfy

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#3197804 20-Feb-2024 10:29

Until evidence can be provided of that fact it's just standard Anti EV scaremongering that you hear often.

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Varkk

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#3197806 20-Feb-2024 10:37

Been hearing this for years from some guy who heard it from some dude at a place. Nothing concrete but apparently everyone knows it to be true. Anyway, when we got our Leaf a couple of years ago I asked our insurance company about it directly and they said it was all just rumours with no foundation in reality. Having an EV will not effect our insurance or coverage etc.

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#3197807 20-Feb-2024 10:40

It sounds like something an anti-vax heard from a neighbour who heard from a cousin who heard from their vet receptionist friend who knows everything about vaccines.

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#3197814 20-Feb-2024 11:06

There are lots of rumors about what insurance will not cover you for that are completely false and I expect that this is just another one of them.

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Wombat1

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#3197817 20-Feb-2024 11:17

Its far from rumours, at least this side of the Tasman. Given that many insurance companies in NZ are Aussie owned, if it becomes a thing here, it certanly will become a thing in NZ too.

Insurers still assessing EV fire risks (goauto.com.au)

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Inphinity

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#3197825 20-Feb-2024 11:30

I've also heard that insurers are considering not insuring any building that has indoor plumbing, to mitigate the risk of having to cover water damage if a pipe leaks. And yes, I know at least one person who thinks that's a genuine policy change that's likely.

Anyway, my point is that there are always lots of rumours about various things, but I'd wait for some formal information from insurers or underwriters to think of it as closer to happening.

Bung

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#3197827 20-Feb-2024 11:37

Why shouldn't insurance companies be nervous? They even warn about leaving mobile phones charging while unattended.

"Jaguar Land Rover’s New Zealand arm has confirmed that it will be recalling all locally owned examples of its fully electric I-Pace over fire risk concerns, with owners told that they should “park away from structures where possible and charge the vehicle outside”. June 2023

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#3197834 20-Feb-2024 11:50

Bung:

Why shouldn't insurance companies be nervous? They even warn about leaving mobile phones charging while unattended.

Perhaps if they also decide to be concerned about ICE cars where they have had cowboy stereo and winch and lightbar installs on them that are more prone to catching fire they can start to worry about EVs that are professionally produced and have a lower fire risk.

Richard rich.ms

Bung

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#3197835 20-Feb-2024 11:52

Inphinity:

I've also heard that insurers are considering not insuring any building that has indoor plumbing, to mitigate the risk of having to cover water damage if a pipe leaks. And yes, I know at least one person who thinks that's a genuine policy change that's likely.

Anyway, my point is that there are always lots of rumours about various things, but I'd wait for some formal information from insurers or underwriters to think of it as closer to happening.

Known faulty product like Dux Qest plumbing that was supposed to have been replaced about 30 years ago is an issue for new insurance. If you are covered and claim for a leak you will probably be required to replace all remaining Qest.

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#3197838 20-Feb-2024 11:53

Press release from AMI https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU2310/S00003/battery-related-fire-claims-points-to-need-for-consumer-safety-awareness.htmI

I suspect that if a few more fires happen from electric scooter charging the insurers will start to take a more proactive view.

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#3197839 20-Feb-2024 11:54

Lets not start the EV Fire debate as it simply is not a thing.

If you think it is a thing then show me evidence of a single EV Battery Fire that has happened in New Zealand reported by the media who seriously love reporting anything negative about electric vehicles. Not talking about that house fire in the Coromandel fire late last year that was rumored to be an EV (Coromandel bach fire: EV not to blame for devastating blaze at $3.7m Cooks Beach property) or the Auckland Harbor Bridge Tesla fire last year also that was caused by a drunk driver who was driving at motorway speeds on a flat tyre she curbed earlier.

The thing is there is so much misinformation out there but the fact is Electric Vehicles are far less likely to burst into flames than their dinosaur fuel cousins:

(Source: https://www.autoinsuranceez.com/gas-vs-electric-car-fires/ )

And while it is true that an EV Battery fire is harder to put out there are solutions for that in the form of EV Fire Blankets that places like the ferries have also: https://bridgehill.com/fire-blankets/car/

But again, if you believe that EV fires happen all the time you're mistaken. Hybrid fires perhaps (which many people get confused with) but EV fires are actually incredibly rare.

Scooters and Electric Bikes however are a different story. These are often built at a cost and do not have the same battery management systems a modern EV has. This discussion isn't about that however. But EV misinformation is seriously out of control.

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#3197862 20-Feb-2024 12:10

*I know of two house fires caused by charging an e-bike and an e-scooter. In both cases, the insurance companies have taken several months to finally advise non-coverage, claiming the policyholders did not fulfil their duty of care, a.k.a. they were negligent in reducing the risk of Lithium-ion fires.

https://cybershack.com.au/consumer-advice/does-insurance-cover-a-lithium-ion-battery-fire-maybe-and-probably-not/

After reading the above article, I would now be inclined to have it in writing that I am covered for any large lithium ion battery item. By leaving wording so vague the insurance company can turn the situation to their benefit.

Behodar

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#3197866 20-Feb-2024 12:30

Eva888:

Press release from AMI https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU2310/S00003/battery-related-fire-claims-points-to-need-for-consumer-safety-awareness.htmI

"You should never use a charger that did not come with the device" - good thing my phone's old enough to have come with its own charger then!

robjg63

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#3197878 20-Feb-2024 13:01

Bung:

Why shouldn't insurance companies be nervous? They even warn about leaving mobile phones charging while unattended.

"Jaguar Land Rover’s New Zealand arm has confirmed that it will be recalling all locally owned examples of its fully electric I-Pace over fire risk concerns, with owners told that they should “park away from structures where possible and charge the vehicle outside”. June 2023

That particular car should be recalled and scrapped. It is just unsafe. Each time they have tried to mitigate the problem of bad batteries and each time the problems continue.

LG chem seemed to make quite a lot of faulty batteries for a time. The Chevy Bolt EV had huge problems with LG chem batteries as well.

Both vehicle made many headlines.

Fortuately, insurance companies use statistics and not rumours and social media to make their decisions.

From an NZ Herald article late last year:

Ed Harvey, CEO of Christchurch-based electric charger maker Evnex, points to a recent study by a US insurance company that found:

1529 petrol vehicle fires per 100,000 sales
25 electric vehicle fires per 100,000 sales

There would be more chance of a dodgy mobile phone or cheap rechargeable household device setting fire to your house.

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