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15 Feb 2024

Best electric car insurance

Top car insurance policies for drivers of electric vehicles (EVs), with ratings for charger cover, recovery from the road and more

Dean SobersSenior researcher & writer

In this article

What is electric car insurance?
Best car insurance policy for electric cars
Best insurance policies for electric cars compared
How much does electric car insurance cost in the UK?
Are electric cars cheaper to insure than petrol or diesel cars?
Check your charger will be covered
More on electric car insurance
How we analyse electric car insurance cover

What is electric car insurance?

As electric vehicles (EV) become more common, you can now buy insurance from pretty much all the big-name car insurance companies.

Almost all of the big-name insurers will cover electric cars as well as those powered by petrol or diesel. Some have launched specific policies for these vehicles; LV is one example.

In addition, there are also a number of specialist insurers that offer dedicated electric car polices. Examples include Novo and Pluginsure Insurance.

Here, Which? reveals the best insurance policies and insurers for electric vehicles.

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and doesn't constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

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Best car insurance policy for electric cars

LV car insurance

Policy score: 78% 3rd out of 61 policies examined
Customer score: 70% 2nd out of 27 providers compared
Claims score: 74% 2nd out of 25 insurers reviewed

We like Recharging your car at the side of the road and recovery to the nearest charging point is included as standard.

We don't like A replacement electric or hybrid car is only available at an additional cost.

Read our expert review of LV car insurance.

Best insurance policies for electric cars compared

To come up with our electric vehicle/hybrid policy score, we reviewed 10 areas of electric car and equipment cover, such as batteries, charging cables, wall box charging stations and charging adaptors.

The policies in the table below had an overall policy score of at least 64% (the average) and scored at least 75% when it came to their cover for electric vehicles.


RECOMMENDED PROVIDER best buy LV car insurance	87%	Optional extra	Yes	100%	100%
best buy AXA Plus Car	83%	As standard	No	75%	75%
best buy Swiftcover Plus	83%	As standard	No	75%	75%
M&S Bank Premier	83%	As standard	Yes	75%	75%

Table note: Last updated in February 2024. Next update in February 2025. Electric/Hybrid Cover Score: Review of 61 car insurance policies. Equipment damage score reflects cover levels for theft, fire and accidental damage. Equipment location score reflects cover levels at home, in a garage and in the car. Read more about how we analyse electric car insurance.

How much does electric car insurance cost in the UK?

According to research by price comparison service Compare the Market, the average electric vehicle cost £929 to insure in November 2023. This was £313 higher than in November 2022, when it was £616.

Of course, this is just an average price – what you pay will vary depending on factors including your age, occupation and where you live, as well as the specific vehicle that you're buying cover for.

The make and value of the car can have a significant effect. You could expect a high-performance Tesla to cost more to insure than a Nissan Leaf, for example.

Find out more: the best electric cars.

Are electric cars cheaper to insure than petrol or diesel cars?

While the average EV price is clearly eye-watering, Compare the Market's analysis suggests that those driving petrol-fuelled cars typically pay more. In the same month, the typical premium for a petrol vehicle was £980, which is up £337 from the previous year.

Insurers weigh up various costs when pricing insurance for electric cars:

Pros	Cons
Electric cars tend to be less powerful than petrol and diesel cars.	EV parts can be harder to get hold of and more expensive, particularly batteries.
Insurers are increasingly keen to support the shift to more sustainable ways of living with discounts for vehicles that pollute less.	EV repairs may require a specialist mechanic.

Ultimately, the cost of repairs means that insurers often charge more to cover an electric car, even after taking into account its reduced power and any green discount.

Still, over time, electric car insurance is likely to come down in cost compared to petrol and diesel cars. After all, it won't be long before the petrol and diesel cars become the exception.

Find out more: Best car insurance companies in the UK 2024.

Check you're getting a great deal and search for a new car insurance policy using the service provided by Confused.com. Get a quote now

Check your charger will be covered

Dean Sobers, Which? car insurance expert, says:

'If you're looking to drive in a more sustainable way, the good news is most car insurance policies – all of those we looked at in our analysis – will theoretically insure electric vehicles as well as hybrids.

'In practice, some insurers won't cover certain makes and models or might charge a very high premium. So if you have a very expensive, high-performance EV, you could find your insurance options narrowed.

'As with many other aspects of cover, it's also the case that policies can differ substantially when it comes to the extent of cover they will provide for your EV and the equipment that comes with it. Less than half will cover your wallbox charging station, for example, while around a third won't cover charging cables. One of the rarest cover elements in this area was a replacement EV or hybrid if yours if undergoing repairs – provided by a quarter of policies.'

More on electric car insurance

The same tactics that work for getting cheap car insurance for petrol and diesel cars also work for EVs:

Use more than one comparison site to get quotes
Also look at insurers that aren't on them, such as Direct Line an NFU Mutual
Pay the premium annually, rather than monthly, to avoid paying interest
Opt for a higher excess, though make sure you can still afford to claim
Provide an accurate mileage, especially if you're planning to only use your car occasionally

Given that replacing an electric car battery typically costs several thousand pounds, this is an important question.

Generally speaking, your car insurance policy won't cover you for a failure of the battery, just as it wouldn't pay out if you need a new clutch or your brake pads wear out.

But your policy should pay out if the battery is accidentally damaged, damaged by fire, or stolen. Specialist policies for EVs will certainly cover this, and a standard policy should too, though it's worth double-checking in both cases.

How we analyse electric car insurance cover

Our editorial independence means we're able to work on behalf of consumers, not insurers. That means our reviews are fair and there's no hidden agenda.

We looked at 25 features of cover relevant to electric or hybrid cars in our analysis of 61 policies. We gave each policy a percentage electric/hybrid car score reflecting how fully each policy covers electric and hybrid cars.

The policies that made our table:

Cover at least 75% of your car's equipment (car battery, charging cables, wallbox charging station and charging adaptors) against fire, theft and accidental damage.
Cover at least 75% of your car's equipment (car battery, charging cables, wallbox charging station and charging adaptors) in the car, in the home or in a garage.
Will provide (optionally or as standard) a replacement electric or hybrid car while yours is under repair following an accident.
Have an average or better policy score (at least 64%).