{"id":275221,"date":"2023-08-23T18:54:57","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T16:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=275221"},"modified":"2023-08-23T18:55:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T16:55:00","slug":"will-soaring-insurance-costs-derail-the-ev-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=275221","title":{"rendered":"Will Soaring Insurance Costs Derail the EV Revolution?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From ClimateRealism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of the Dutch Coast Guard<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Guest essay by Duggan Flanakin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reprinted with permission from\u00a0RealClearEnergy<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four hundred ninety-eight\u00a0electric vehicles<\/a>\u00a0(EVs) and over 3,200 other vehicles, including 350 Mercedes Benzes, were bound for Egypt on the Fremantle Highway\u00a0<\/em>when one or more of the EVs caught fire, costing at least one seaman his life and injuring several others. Curiously,\u00a0the Dutch coast guard<\/a>\u00a0had initially reported that only 25 of the vehicles were battery-electric models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At\u00a0last report<\/a>, the Dutch coast guard admitted that it has been unable to put out the fire and that the ship has taken on water and is \u201clisting\u201d and on a trajectory toward a capsize. Should the ship sink, the total loss would also threaten the Frisian island of Ameland, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to over 10,000 aquatic and terrestrial species and located near one of the world\u2019s most important migratory-bird habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a global scale, of course, 3,000 vehicles are but a drop in the bucket, and in insurance terms, the loss of one 18,500\u2013ton transport ship and one human life (all the wounded are expected to survive, despite broken bones, burns, and respiratory problems) is only so much. To compute a total cost, the ecological devastation would also have to be factored in, along with the cost of rescue, firefighting, and salvage operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But all in all, this was a freak accident, a one-off. This stuff never happens. Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, it does. Just\u00a0a year ago<\/a>, the \u201cFelicity Ace\u201d sank as it was being towed from the site where 13 days earlier a fire had broken out on board. That ship, too, was transporting EVs and internal-combustion vehicles \u2013 including 15 Lamborghini\u00a0Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae supercars\u00a0valued at half a million dollars apiece. Also lost were 1,117 Porches, 1,944 Audis, 561 Volkswagens, 189 Bentleys, and 70 other Lamborghinis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\u00a0just a month<\/a>\u00a0ago, two firefighters died battling flames that broke out on another roll-on, roll-off (RORO) cargo ship docked at Port Newark in New Jersey. Firefighters arrived at the scene when just five to seven vehicles on the 10th floor of the ship were on fire, but the fire quickly spread to the 11th and 12th floors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One commenter explained that on a RORO ship, vehicles are chain-shackled on all four wheels to the deck, creating trip hazards for firefighters. There are multiple decks, ramps, ladders, confined spaces, low overhead, and solid metal all around (like a gigantic oven). Fighting such fires is a very dangerous challenge, even if the deck plan of the ship is well known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The port authority assured reporters that no EVs numbered among the\u00a05,000 vehicles<\/a>\u00a0(bound for Africa) on board, but just imagine if the fire had begun with the ship far out at sea. Or imagine the horror should an EV fire break out on a ferry boat carrying hundreds of vehicles and thousands of passengers? Or in an underground parking garage in a New York high-rise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia Murray\u00a0notes that<\/a>\u00a0automakers have largely replaced steel and metal with plastic, and that a huge fire could unleash immeasurable quantities of synthetic chemicals into the atmosphere from the burning plastic. A total capsize would send millions of pounds of debris and spilled motor oil (from the non-EV autos) to the sea floor along with any toxic flame retardants. The impact on sensitive marine life would not be known for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even at $80,000 per vehicle (a low number, perhaps), the insurance loss for the nearly 4,000 vehicles on the \u201cFelicity Ace\u201d alone would be $320 million \u2013 and this does not include the loss to end-buyers of the opportunity to drive a vehicle that they may have already purchased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But massive fires are not the only insurance concern with EVs. The New York Times\u00a0recently reported<\/a>\u00a0the sad story of a Rivian owner whose electric pickup truck was involved in what would normally be considered \u201ca minor fender bender.\u201d The owner\u2019s insurance company gladly offered to pay about $1,600 for the repairs, but the certified repair shop produced a bill for $42,000 \u2013 about half the cost of the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Times reporter explained: \u201cA key reason is that the accident damaged a sleek panel that extends from the truck\u2019s rear to front roof pillars.\u201d To repair and repaint the vehicle, mechanics had to remove the interior ceiling material (the headliner) and the front windshield. Indeed, the State of New York\u2019s consumer guide for auto insurance lists many models as \u201cdifficult-to-insure vehicles\u201d simply because they are electric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s still better than the news reported in March that insurance companies are having to write off\u00a0EVs with just a few miles \u2013 leading to higher premiums \u2013 because of the many EVs for which there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents. EV battery packs are ending up in junkyards in multiple countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Agent Support Network of America,\u00a0the intense impact<\/a>\u00a0of a crash can be much more devastating to EVs, increasing the likelihood of a totaled versus repairable car. EVs,\u00a0according to<\/a>\u00a0Consumer Reports, may not withstand an accident as well as traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. EV batteries are vulnerable to damage, and with any indication of a compromised battery, insurance companies will likely declare an EV crash a total loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An overlooked insurance cost for EVs involves towing, which many insurance customers (and AAA members) take for granted as an inexpensive add-on to their policies. But EVs can be\u00a0safely towed<\/a>\u00a0only on a flatbed truck with enough load capacity to handle the extra weight of the vehicle. Drivers are warned not to allow anyone to try to tow their EV with its wheels on the ground. Improper towing can damage, even total, the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The higher costs for auto insurance only add to the already-higher costs of purchasing an EV, then procuring a personal charging station and spending more money to upgrade home wiring boxes (especially for older homes). The inconvenience of having your nearly new vehicle totaled \u2013 and then having to wait perhaps months for a replacement \u2013 further adds to the \u201cbuyer avoidance\u201d that has frustrated those who demand an immediate end to the traditional gasoline-powered vehicles that most people around the world rely upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As automakers continue to\u00a0lose money<\/a>\u00a0on EVs and consumers worldwide continue to prefer the vehicles they have learned to trust over decades, will EV mandates fall by the wayside \u2013 or will elites again double down, believing that \u201cresistance is futile\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duggan Flanakin is a senior policy analyst for the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow and a frequent writer on public policy issues.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four hundred ninety-eight\u00a0electric vehicles\u00a0(EVs) and over 3,200 other vehicles, including 350 Mercedes Benzes, were bound for Egypt on the Fremantle Highway\u00a0when one or more of the EVs caught fire, costing at least one seaman his life and injuring several others. Curiously,\u00a0the Dutch coast guard\u00a0had initially reported that only 25 of the vehicles were battery-electric models.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":275231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691819526,691822027,691818772],"class_list":{"0":"post-275221","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-climate-change","9":"tag-electric-car","10":"tag-rce-originals","11":"tag-u-s-president-joe-biden","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/066384460_605.jpg?fit=1199%2C674&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-19B3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":285941,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285941","url_meta":{"origin":275221,"position":0},"title":"Study: Cost of \u2018fueling\u2019 an electric vehicle is equivalent to $17.33 per gallon","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/11\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The complete costs of \"fueling\" an electric vehicle for 10 years are $17.33 per equivalent gallon of gasoline, a new\u00a0analysis\u00a0from the Texas Public Policy Foundation says. BY\u00a0KENNETH SCHRUPP\u00a0 An electric vehicle driver makes use of a charging station in Seattle.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the City of Seattle. The study authors say\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"$17.33 Per Gallon\"","block_context":{"text":"$17.33 Per Gallon","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=17-33-per-gallon"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0westernstandard_2023-10_20d7ac8b-57aa-44df-b263-e71c88e0733a_IMG_1881-1.webp?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0westernstandard_2023-10_20d7ac8b-57aa-44df-b263-e71c88e0733a_IMG_1881-1.webp?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0westernstandard_2023-10_20d7ac8b-57aa-44df-b263-e71c88e0733a_IMG_1881-1.webp?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0westernstandard_2023-10_20d7ac8b-57aa-44df-b263-e71c88e0733a_IMG_1881-1.webp?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":270636,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=270636","url_meta":{"origin":275221,"position":1},"title":"Hazardous Electric Car Transport: Fires On Ocean Carriers Causing Environmental Catastrophes","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"31\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE: \u201cThe burning freighter has arrived at its new temporary anchorage after a risky transport along the Dutch Wadden Sea islands. This was announced by the water authority in The Hague on Monday. 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The Western Standard\u00a0recently published an insightful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"electric vehicles (EVs)\"","block_context":{"text":"electric vehicles (EVs)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electric-vehicles-evs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-2.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-2.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-2.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-2.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=275221"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":275232,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275221\/revisions\/275232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/275231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=275221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=275221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=275221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}