A steady rise in car insurance can make any driver uneasy, but one electric vehicle owner's five-year renewal history raised a question specific to EVs.
They wondered whether an aging battery could be making coverage more expensive, even without a major at-fault crash.
Here's what to know
In a Reddit thread, the poster said their annual premium rose from roughly $1,180 in 2021 to about $1,690 by 2025, with steady improvements every year. They also mentioned, "a small fender bender in 2024."
"I wasn't at fault and there wasn't a major claim on my side," they clarified.
Those numbers led the poster to ask the r/electricvehicles subreddit if "insurers are pricing in the potential cost of battery repair or replacement as these cars age."
Most of the replies pushed back on that explanation.
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"Insurance for all cars are increasing each year whether EV or ICE," a commenter noted.
Another rejected the idea more directly: "Battery Replacement isn't covered by your auto insurance… LOL That cannot have anything to do with it."
A separate commenter likewise said the trend appeared tied to wider pricing pressure rather than battery age.
"No relation," they noted. "Insurance doesn't pay for a new EV battery. Rates aren't driven by the age of the battery. The rate rises you show seem inline with inflation each year."
More background
One commenter described the frustration while contrasting it with depreciation.
"It's funny because technically insurance should be cheaper because your car is worth less as it ages lmao," they observed. "Insurance is just more expensive overall."
Other replies made a similar point, arguing that the higher premiums seemed more connected to general insurance pricing than to the age of an EV battery. The discussion also included the idea that rates do not necessarily move in the same direction for every car on a shared household policy.
One commenter illustrated that with this example: "I have a mix of cars on my policy. One EV went up and one went down. Both gas cars went down."
What can be done?
The discussion suggested that a pricier renewal is not, by itself, evidence that the battery is the reason. Commenters said it may be worth checking what changed at renewal and whether the increase reflects the car, the location, claims patterns, or broader insurer pricing.
Some also recommended comparing quotes instead of simply accepting the renewal offer. Other commenters suggested the insurer might be testing how much of an increase they could get by the original poster without them shopping for other options.
There was also more nuance to why an EV in particular might go up.
"It probably depends more on the car's repairability and resale value than the fact it is an EV," a user theorized.
Where can I learn more?
An EV's battery is unlikely to be the culprit for rising insurance costs. Still, other EV-specific factors can play a role, and battery health matters for resale value and how well an EV holds its value as it ages.
• Tesla owners are seeing skyrocketing insurance rates as vandalism and repair costs climb.
• In the UK, BCA says battery health grading is lifting used EV confidence.
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