# EV Insurance in the UK, England



## skooler (Mar 26, 2011)

My RX8 is insured with Pluginsure.

They require a description and lots of pictures before they will insure it but it's easy enough.

I'm 21 with 5 years no claims and it cost me £550 - roughly what I pay on my 1.6l Vectra.

Hope this helps


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## dillond666 (Dec 27, 2010)

I used Adrian Flux. They do modified vehicles so they're used to weird stuff.


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## electricmini (Oct 21, 2008)

cts_casemod said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Not sure if this is the right place to post my question,
> 
> ...


I've got the Supra insured with Footman James, under a classic policy
(as it's 20 years old ;-). Cost around £250 per year, no NCD as it's a
limited mileage classic policy

Just make sure you decare all mods, so they can't wiggle out of any claim!


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

Tried Adrien Flux they say they dont do insurance for electric cars!?

Have been on the phone today for quite some time, all they said it was not possible to insure an electric polo. Exotic perhaps. Dont know.

In the meanwhile I sent photos and description to pluginsure and I am waiting. I am getting stressed wife has no car and I have a sorn car in the streer with no insurance. DVLA doesnt do the tax or even fuel change without insurance.

Great, no I have a bill to pay, no car and I am about to get into problems with the SORN.

Any experience in how long it takes?

Many Thanks


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## skooler (Mar 26, 2011)

cts_casemod said:


> Tried Adrien Flux they say they dont do insurance for electric cars!?
> 
> Have been on the phone today for quite some time, all they said it was not possible to insure an electric polo. Exotic perhaps. Dont know.
> 
> ...



Mine took about 6 weeks. wasn't insured at the time. Details in my build thread.


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## dillond666 (Dec 27, 2010)

I am insured with Adrian Flux just now for my electric Wolseley.
Maybe it's because it's a classic too? For the record mine is heavily modified and it seems to me that the more extreme the modifications the kinder they seem to be.


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## Ace_bridger (Nov 22, 2011)

I'm with plug insure and they were great. I sent them a comprehensive build document detailing everything about the conversion. It was 5 pages with lots of photos. They came back to me within a few days. Brendon is the main man there, phone him up.

Naughty naughty keep you car on the road uninsured and untaxed, asking for trouble.


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

dillond666 said:


> I am insured with Adrian Flux just now for my electric Wolseley.
> Maybe it's because it's a classic too? For the record mine is heavily modified and it seems to me that the more extreme the modifications the kinder they seem to be.


I called Adrian Flux again, now they say they might be able to insure but for £2500. Cant bare my wife anymore now. Just want to get this sorted, if anything I just insure it as petrol.... Sure it wont be fined for being parked on the street with petrol insurance!

6 weeks skooler, but was that because the car wasn't finished or it just took all that time to find an insurer?

You are right Acebridger, I am asking for trouble. But the other one run out of insurance as well and I cant drive any now. If I make insurance for one of them I wont have any NCD, so I am screwed any way.

I have spoken with Brendon and sent lots of photos and a link to my conversion page. He said he couldn't do any more but wait now.


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## skooler (Mar 26, 2011)

Should have been clearer,

6 weeks for the DVLA to change the log book. I think Brendon at pluginsure got back to me the next day and then I was covered 

Attached is the letter I sent to the DVLA (personal data stripped out)


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

skooler said:


> Should have been clearer,
> 
> 6 weeks for the DVLA to change the log book. I think Brendon at pluginsure got back to me the next day and then I was covered
> 
> Attached is the letter I sent to the DVLA (personal data stripped out)


 
I gave them a ring this morning before going there because the car is in my wife name and I wanted to make sure I could do it, because she doesnt give a ****. They told me the same story and that I had to send proof of insurance. I will go there personally. Paying insurance and having the car sorned makes no sense at all. I shouldnt need it to change the tax class. After that and insurance are sorted pop into a post office with the documents and get the tax disk like you say on the letter. 

Nothing really works as it should...


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Hi cts_casemod,

My understanding of the DVLA, it might vary office to office.

They won't action a change of tax class for you with insurance in your name and the car in your wifes. You'll have to change ownership/registered keeper to yourself at the same time, or insure in wifes name.

You can't change tax class unless the car is road legal, ie. MOT'd & Insured (by the same person as on the V5)

You are already MOT'd, so you need to start insurance and take MOT, Insurance Cert. and proof of conversion, preferably with a letter confirming the car is purely battery electric driven from a garage.

You can't do this at any post office, it has to be a DVLA local office.

Pain in the a**e, but hey, at least we don't have all the EMI/RF testing crap to jump through as in europe (yet!)


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

favguy said:


> Hi cts_casemod,
> 
> My understanding of the DVLA, it might vary office to office.
> 
> ...


There is some confusion here
This is my wifes car. I have nothing to do with it. Both the insurance and car are in her name. I just did the conversion
I dont want to change the taxation class on the post office. I want DVLA to update the records for the new tax class (Electric) allowing me to get the insurance and go to the post office to get the tax disc as I would normally do.

My only issue is that DVLA is saying that to change the fuel type I need to be given the tax disc as well, which they can only do if the car is insured. Why do I have to get the tax disc to change the fuel type? Can't I have the car sorned and change the fuel type?

I wouldnt say the same. Problem in the UK is that insurance companies are a monopoly and give the rules. There is no point in being able to convert the car if you cant insure it and there seems to be no one regulating insurance prices. This is a rip off!

The insurance companies decide if the cars are safe to drive. If I am hit by, say, a Polo with a home made V6 engine conversion on it and I get injured as a result of that what is the insurance company going to do? Pay me to stay on a wheel chair for the rest of my life? Who are they to know if the conversion is safe? Same with the electrics. Obviously companies that are allowed to sell in the EU are required to have certain standards. When I buy from them I know it was tested and its going to pass the EMI/RF and other tests. If I buy something that it wont its probably dangerous anyway.

I come from a another european country a few years ago and the MOTs on this country are a laugh to be honest. They care more about things that they can use to make easy money that actual safety issues. On my electric car no one checked my battery pack for leackage currents or other faults that could lead to a fire. No one checked for a safety disconect switch or other items mandatory on an electric car. So yes its very easy to convert but is it always safe? I am speaking in general not just electric conversions.

The insurance company will laugh and get some excuse not to pay and you are screwed up. 

Only good thing about this is that with insurance premiuns as high as they are there arent many acidents. I see one a month maybe, mostly just minor things. If you go to other countries you see 2 everyday going to work and coming back.


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## skooler (Mar 26, 2011)

Just take all of the paperwork you have, insurance, MOT, pictures and a description to the DVLA.

Ideally, take your wife so they cant change the rules while you are there.

Explain the car is now electric and you want to change the tax class.

They should give you a tax disc there and then. They even asked me if I wanted 6 months or 12!


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## polobear (Nov 13, 2012)

Best of luck with the insurance companies, im dreading that part of the build. Im SORN at the moment too and confused about what to do to get it road legal, although my car still has a valid MOT. I was going to buy 6 months tax for a petrol polo then sort insurance and then change the tax class while driving the car. Or do you have to get reMOT'd after a mod? Why cant we be like new zealand/australia where there are special rules for electric conversions and build up an industry to support it and create jobs etc


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Be careful what you wish for polobear! The New Zealand & Australian regimes for changing anything from standard on your car are draconian and costly, we really don't want to go down that route!

There are only two routes to getting "electric" on your V5, but it can't be done whilst under SORN.

First is to MOT & Insure once electric, then off to a local DVLA office with all your paperwork and proof of conversion, they will then issue your elecric tax disc and send on paperwork to swansea to process a new V5

Second is to have a currently MOT'd and taxed car as a petrol/diesel and send the V5 to swansea with lots of proof (including third party independent proof, such as a garage letter) with a covering letter and the changes noted on the V5. They will then send you a new tax disc along with a return form for your old disc. They then process an appropriate refund for the tax remaining on the petrol/diesel disc.

I havn't done the second method for electric, but I have for LPG conversion.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

This whole issue is worrying me too and is part of the concerns I have over scratch building a useful vehicle instead of converting a less useful one.

Not only would I have a change of fuel issue I would also have an IVA and affordable insurance issue.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

favguy said:


> Be careful what you wish for polobear! The New Zealand & Australian regimes for changing anything from standard on your car are draconian and costly, we really don't want to go down that route!


I am in NZ I have just built a scratchbuilt two seater electric car

The process here is actually simple
About 15 years ago the government started talking about regulating modified cars
The New Zealand Hot Rod Association (NZHRA) approached the government with an idea

The NZHRA would do all of the certification and check the cars were safe
The government had a rush of blood to the brain and took them up on it!

So if you are modifying your car you buy the bible (New Zealand Hobby Car Technical Manual) and obey its simple instructions
Then you take your car to your local certifier ( a local car nut) 
Who checks it and signs it off

Electric cars are a bit more difficult because of a shortage of certifiers 
I had to take mine to Dunedin - my local guy is not signed off on electrics

Anyway I am currently awaiting my cert plate (and bill)
The paperwork still has to go to Wellington and takes a couple of weeks

Overall an excellent system!

As I intend doing some motorsport I had to get my roll bar certified by the local motorsports organization - now that was a pain!

In the UK when I last modified cars the government system was wide open 
BUT you paid through the nose for it in Insurance for modified vehicles

I have a quote for insurance - $250 (about 125 pounds) fully comp


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

I stand corrected Duncan, sounds better than I thought it was. 

I suppose the real nightmare is enforcement of EMI/RF legislation, that's going to kill off most of the controllers apart from the EU version of the soliton, (which carries an excessive premium over the US version!)


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

favguy said:


> I stand corrected Duncan, sounds better than I thought it was.
> 
> I suppose the real nightmare is enforcement of EMI/RF legislation, that's going to kill off most of the controllers apart from the EU version of the soliton, (which carries an excessive premium over the US version!)


Re the EMI/RF

Here it is normal for all legislation to be published for comments - before it gets to final status
So when the EV regulations were being worked on they were published on the web and people like me were able to comment
The comments are also published - you can ask that you actually testify or just give written comments
The result is that we have a lot of input to any new regulations

This is not unfortunately 100% - the government can and sometimes does overrule the process and go straight to the regulations but most of the time we do get to give our input


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

Thank you everyone for your coments.

The Polo was taxed and insured last Friday and has done 40 miles so far. The conversion will continue, its far from finished.

One thing to have in mind, they told me that in case of acident they wont cover more that the actual value from the car, so I would be aware for those that have invested quite some money, mostly in batteries.

Also the DVLA offices are scheaduled to close later this year. Now all this paperwork will be done in authorized places, whatever that means.

I received some nice paperwork from the company. They didint account any NCD years, not sure why and it is an unlimited mileage policy (Likely because I only have fuel for 12 miles at a time lol).

It was with Brendon/Pluginsure.




polobear said:


> Best of luck with the insurance companies, im dreading that part of the build. Im SORN at the moment too and confused about what to do to get it road legal, although my car still has a valid MOT. I was going to buy 6 months tax for a petrol polo then sort insurance and then change the tax class while driving the car. Or do you have to get reMOT'd after a mod? Why cant we be like new zealand/australia where there are special rules for electric conversions and build up an industry to support it and create jobs etc


You are likelly better if you can have an MOT showing the car converted to electric and someone (the MOT) certifying that is safe to drive after the conversion. This is also something the insurance company will like to see. They might reject your claim if you havent got prrof of this. 



favguy said:


> Be careful what you wish for polobear! The New Zealand & Australian regimes for changing anything from standard on your car are draconian and costly, we really don't want to go down that route!
> 
> There are only two routes to getting "electric" on your V5, but it can't be done whilst under SORN.
> 
> ...


The issue is the is a lack of standards to follow/check in respect to modified vehices, electric conversions included. Althought those that make an electric car pretty much know what they are doing I see everyday engine conversions where someone is making a huge profit and sometimes you have no idea how dangerours your car is. The same way custommers that just want the car fixed, even if it is an issue for themselves or others. It is never bad to have some sort of guide with critical points to check. That is why the isurance companies can make excuses not to insure your car or not to pay claims, which is a shame because in many years as a mechanic I know whats much of what is out there in the roads and It scares me to death.

It can be done while under sorn, the issue is if the police asks you to stop. On my case I didnt had insurance bacuse there was no MOT done (even if I had insurance it would be void, so whats the point?) and there was no MOT/TAX. Once the MOT is done and a suitable insurer is found its straightfoward.




favguy said:


> I stand corrected Duncan, sounds better than I thought it was.
> 
> I suppose the real nightmare is enforcement of EMI/RF legislation, that's going to kill off most of the controllers apart from the EU version of the soliton, (which carries an excessive premium over the US version!)


Thats questionable. If I spend my hard earned money on something I expect it to be tested and ready to fit. The EU rules are not only RFI. There are others as well. If you dont have one, who know what other safety issues the equipment might have. There was an issue I've read about this with chargers. 2.5KW chargers without PFC causing some fires and melt down sockets. EDF has some warning about this as well.

I wouldnt buy a house appliance that didnt meet the EU standards, just to risk myself to get home one day and find my house or car in flames. I guess I am quite paranoid about those things, for some reason I do all kinds of crazy stuff and havent had a serious injury yet.

Here is a guy in germany with a similar setup to mine that passed the RFI with a not so good charger and an industrail VFD. I would expect the VFD to be ok as with the charger it just shows it cant be so bad (most is controller based anyway).

http://web.archive.org/web/20101113030222/http://rc-autopilot.de/wiki/index.php/Opel_Corsa_Project


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

Hi Folks,

Just went to insure my Polo again this year with Brendom (Pluginsure)

He says that the insurer no longer works in the electric market. 
Any Thoughts about this? 

For those that renewed recently please post details.

Regards


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Try Adrian Flux, they do modified cars, you might also try A-Plan


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

favguy said:


> Try Adrian Flux, they do modified cars, you might also try A-Plan


 
Adrian Flux are a waste of time. Tried them last year, they don't even know what an electric car is!
Tried A-Plan just now. They're presumably going to call at some point.


Anyone that insured lately? Easy for leafs and similar not DIY Converted.


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

I think Skooler got cover with Adrian Flux, you need to make sure your talking to their modified department I think.


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

favguy said:


> I think Skooler got cover with Adrian Flux, you need to make sure your talking to their modified department I think.


Trust me I am not interested in having a policy with them. Useless.


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Fair enough, I can't vouch for them either way, I'm just aware others have used them 

Do let us know who you end up with for reference.


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## skooler (Mar 26, 2011)

cts_casemod said:


> Trust me I am not interested in having a policy with them. Useless.


How come?

They were great with me, although a little expensive (£800 for a 22 year old with 6 years no claims) - but they were still the cheapest after looking around for half a day.


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

skooler said:


> How come?


Yes they insure electric conversions but not mine ( go guess...). Likely because I've got an European drivers licence. But this is just a guess they just say they won't find 'suitable insurer'.


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

favguy said:


> Try Adrian Flux, they do modified cars, you might also try A-Plan


Thanks Favguy, just called A-Plan and spoke with a nice lady who arranged insurance for my Polo.
Insurance for my other half (6Y NCD) was £570. Definitively recommended, fast and efficient.

Maybe next year Adrian Flux can do the same, instead of asking how many liters the electric engine has LOL!

Regards


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## favguy (May 2, 2008)

Good to know, at least that's 2 UK insurers that will do conversions  (even though in your case Adrian Flux were no good!)

Just another thought... will they cover the actual value of the car allowing for the true cost of batteries and other gear, or just market value as if it was an ICE?

Regards, Paul


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

favguy said:


> Good to know, at least that's 2 UK insurers that will do conversions  (even though in your case Adrian Flux were no good!)
> 
> Just another thought... will they cover the actual value of the car allowing for the true cost of batteries and other gear, or just market value as if it was an ICE?
> 
> Regards, Paul


Yes, definitively, when I did the comments I was referring to MY personal experience with them for the second year, since these things are assessed individually, just to clarify. In skooler's case they even turned out to be cheapest, so its good to know there are choices.


I am used to how hard is to get decent price on insurance here inside London metropolitan area anyway... Much cheaper/less hassle when I was on Portsmouth, here they increase every year. Another NCD year and £100 or 200 on top of our premiums! Never had an accident and fingers crossed I never do


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## cts_casemod (Aug 23, 2012)

favguy said:


> Just another thought... will they cover the actual value of the car allowing for the true cost of batteries and other gear, or just market value as if it was an ICE?
> 
> Regards, Paul


Yes. I asked for a comprehensive policy, with the current value of the conversion added to the market value of the car. They'll use this to calculate your premium and how much to pay in case of loss, however if they end up paying you cant buy the car back.

My last policy with Pluginsure only covered the market value of the vehicle, so its worth to check this when looking for a deal.

Regards


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## skooler (Mar 26, 2011)

FWIW my policy covers the value of th car and the components within it for up to £15k.

you should check.


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