- UK vehicle accident management firm, Motor Assist, ran a survey on EV drivers, finding that 88% strongly or somewhat agreed that in the event of an accident, the temporary replacement vehicle offered should also be fully-electric.
- Whilst Motor Assist’s AX already has an EV-for-EV guarantee, it has called for an industry standard, guaranteeing that EV drivers are always offered a fully-electric car as a courtesy vehicle, on the back of these survey results.
- Such an approved standard could help boost EV sales on the fleet side, and give electric vehicle drivers more confidence in their purchase.
EV drivers ask for like-for-like replacements
The survey results clearly show the satisfaction that electric car drivers in the UK feel towards their purchase, with 88% not wanting to be placed back into a temporary ICE-powered vehicle in an accident – whether that be for sustainability reasons, the reduced smoothness and performance compared to their own electric car, or not wanting to have to visit a petrol station again. On top of the EV-for-EV guarantee that AX has already had in place for the past three years, it also recently introduced an ‘EValuate’ scheme – which gives owners of crashed ICE vehicle the chance to try out an electric car for what might be their first time, in the form of a fully-electric courtesy vehicle. That scheme could also prove powerful in introducing drivers to the world of EVs.
While many UK insurers are already offering EVs as courtesy cars to electric car policyholders, these have explicitly not been guaranteed, simply being ‘while stocks last’. However, with the number of EVs on the road gradually rising, ahead of the country’s 2030 ZEV mandate, this industry goal could become more achievable, and help encourage more people to make the switch to electric.
Scott Hamilton-Cooper, CCO at AX, commented:
“We were the first to introduce an EV-for-EV guarantee and after its successful implementation three years’ ago, we have raised the bar again with EValuate, our EV for ICE test drive initiative. The feedback we’ve received and the research we have conducted shows that customers, both drivers and fleet managers, want this commitment to be more widespread. Anything that can help to positively impact the UK’s transition from fossil fuel powered cars to zero emission vehicles is a welcome step. Our industry can make a significant contribution to supporting sustainable mobility.”
