A study by Allianz Insurance has shown that repairs to electric cars after an accident are on average more expensive than vehicles with internal combustion engines. One reason for this is that the battery usually has to be replaced when the airbag is triggered. But is that really true? We asked the most important manufacturers.
Yes, there are car manufacturers who stipulate that the traction battery of their electric vehicles must always be replaced if the airbags are triggered in an accident. Instead, most of them have the battery thoroughly checked in order to be able to decide what to do with the energy storage device. But the fact is: In such a serious accident, it is unlikely that the battery will get away without damage.
Here is an overview of the car manufacturers:
Audi
No general battery replacement after an accident with airbag deployment. In the so-called “battery classification”, all mechanical, optical, thermal, chemical and electrical parameters are checked. “Depending on the test result, the battery can often be used in whole or in part after the analysis. The basis for this is the modular structure of our battery systems, which means that repairs can be carried out in almost all conceivable cases thanks to the extensive depth of repairs, ”says Audi. “The costs always depend on the individual repair case and vehicle model, which is why a general statement is impossible.”
BMW
There is also no general exchange at BMW. First, the high-voltage battery unit is removed and examined. “During this assessment, various criteria such as screwing points, coolant pipe and an inspection of other damage are carried out,” reports BMW. No information on costs.
ford
“Basically, there is no provision for battery replacement.” The type of accident and “associated error codes or damage to the battery housing are decisive for the scope of the general average repair. In the event of damage, the repair shop informs a technical hotline at Ford Europe, whereupon a “man in van” diagnoses the damage to the high-voltage battery on site.
Honda
At Honda, too, the high-voltage battery is tested according to the manufacturer’s information and “only if damage or a defect is found does the HV battery need to be replaced”.
Hyundai
At Hyundai, the high-voltage battery does not necessarily have to be replaced after an accident in which the airbags were triggered, but is checked. A special technician decides whether a battery replacement or repair is necessary.
jaguar
At Jaguar, the drive battery does not necessarily have to be replaced after an airbag has been deployed. “Only if the battery cover is externally / obviously damaged must it be checked whether the battery is also damaged on the inside.” Jaguar also provides information on the price of the battery: The battery in a Jaguar I-Pace costs around 40,000 euros.
Kia
“There are no instructions for replacing the high-voltage batteries,” says Kia. The high-voltage system is “monitored to such an extent that deformation or damage to the battery, individual modules or other high-voltage components is detected and is then indicated by a warning light in the instrument cluster and the corresponding error codes can then also be read out with the tester”. Since only the affected segments of the batteries are exchanged, a full exchange is rather rare and usually means a total loss of the entire vehicle.
Mitsubishi and MG
Neither Mitsubishi nor MG generally change the high-voltage battery after the airbag has been deployed. A vehicle involved in an accident is examined and checked individually. There are various test parameters such as deformation, damage, temperatures, etc. that can lead to a battery replacement.
Nissan
Nissan “doesn’t have an internal process that defines it that way. However, it can generally be assumed that when an airbag was triggered, very high accelerations / forces acted on the vehicle, which could possibly trigger the replacement of a battery at the current level. “
Porsche
Terse statement: “At Porsche, this does not have to be exchanged.”
Renault
Renault is apparently one of two manufacturers who generally replace high-voltage batteries after an accident with airbag deployment. They are “recycled for safety reasons and thus incorporated into the circular economy and raw material recovery.”
Skoda
“After a crash, the battery is subjected to a condition assessment in the workshop and only replaced if the housing or modules are damaged.”
Stellantis
Even with Citroen, Opel, Peugeot and Fiat, battery replacement is not mandatory from the outset. The high-voltage battery is checked and, if damaged, replaced. That can “depending on the model cost up to 20,000 euros” and will “probably mean the economic total loss”.
Tesla
“A battery change at Tesla has nothing to do with an airbag deployment. Only if the battery pack suffers structural damage (dents, cracks or deformation) does it have to be (partially) replaced, ”one hears from the Californian company. The battery pack consists of several modules, each with many cells, only damaged modules are replaced.
Volkswagen
At VW, you save yourself the check in the event of an airbag deployment. “To be on the safe side, the batteries of all models are currently being replaced”. The Wolfsburg-based company is working on “methods and procedures that can reliably detect after an accident with an airbag triggered whether a battery is undamaged or damaged and needs to be replaced”. The cost of replacing the battery is estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 euros, depending on the model.
Volvo
A general HV battery replacement after an airbag has been deployed is not planned at Volvo. “The battery replacement depends solely on the condition of the battery,” it says there.