I’ve wondered about this too, especially since I’ve had my share of paperwork headaches with high-end brands. Dealers really do want every oil change and tire rotation on record, even if it’s just a battery issue. As for insurance, yeah, unless your battery gets fried in a flood or crash, they’ll probably call it “normal aging.” Extended warranties are tricky—on my last EV, the peace of mind was nice, but I never actually used it. Maybe it’s more about how much you’re willing to gamble?
Honestly, I’ve always felt like insurance is just waiting for a reason not to pay out—especially with EVs. My last claim (not battery-related) took forever and they nitpicked every detail. Extended warranties feel like buying a lottery ticket: nice if you “win,” but most of the time you’re just out the cash. I keep all my receipts, but sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth the hassle...
I get where you’re coming from. I’ve been through the insurance wringer myself—had a ‘72 Mustang that got rear-ended, and the adjuster spent weeks arguing over “pre-existing rust.” It’s frustrating when you do everything right and still feel like you’re jumping through hoops. Keeping receipts is a pain, but it saved me once when they tried to lowball me on parts. I guess with EVs, it’s even trickier since batteries are such a gray area for coverage. Still, having your paperwork in order can make all the difference, even if it feels like overkill sometimes.
That’s a good point about paperwork—sometimes it feels like you need a whole filing cabinet just for car stuff. But with EVs, I keep wondering: if the battery fails out of nowhere, do most insurance policies even cover that, or is it more of a warranty thing? And what if it’s not a total failure, just a big drop in range? Seems like there’s a lot of gray area, especially since batteries are so expensive to replace. Has anyone actually had an insurer pay out for a battery issue, or do they usually push it back on the manufacturer?
Insurance and EV batteries is a weird one. From what I’ve seen, most policies treat battery failure like any other mechanical breakdown—so unless it’s caused by an accident or something external (like flooding), they’re not paying out. It’s almost always pushed back on the manufacturer warranty, which is fine if you’re still under coverage, but after that? You’re basically on your own.
I had a friend with a Taycan who lost about 30% range in two years. Insurance wouldn’t touch it, and Porsche said it was “normal degradation.” He ended up trading it in because the replacement cost was just insane. Honestly, unless the battery literally explodes or gets damaged in a crash, I wouldn’t expect insurance to help much.
It’s kind of wild considering how expensive these packs are. Makes me wonder if we’ll see new types of coverage pop up as more people run into this... but right now, it feels like a big gap.
