Aviva has linked up with the RAC give EV drivers assistance should their car run out of charge.
According to new research from the insurance giant, running out of charge and being left stranded at the roadside is still the main concern of drivers of EVs and of those thinking of buying or leasing one. More than four in 10 (43%) of the 2,000 people surveyed cited range anxiety as a concern, while 42% said the availability of charging points on long journeys was an issue. And 36% were concerned about the availability of charging points closer to home.
But help is at hand from Aviva for customers who drive fully electric vehicles with a fully comprehensive Aviva-branded policy bought direct from the company.
If a customer’s battery EV runs out of charge, the insurer will now arrange for the RAC to attend. They will either recharge the vehicle with enough power to get them to a working charge point or tow them home or to the nearest working charge point, whichever is closer, subject to terms and conditions.
Further peace of mind for EV drivers comes from the fact that they are covered for electrical breakdown of their home charging point, along with the electrical wiring from the fusebox to the charge point. If this happens, Aviva will arrange for HomeServe to send out an approved engineer to repair or replace the charge point, subject to terms and conditions.
Matthew Washer, head of connected motor at Aviva, said: “More and more people are discovering the benefits of switching to EVs, and while public chargers are coming on stream all the time, our research clearly indicates that running out of charge is still a big concern for drivers.
“Aviva is giving them one less thing to worry about by teaming up with the RAC to offer out-of-charge cover as standard, enabling them to carry on their journey or get home safely. We’ve got them covered at home, too. If their home charging point breaks down, or the wiring between it and the fusebox does, we’ll send a HomeServe engineer to repair or replace it.
“We’re delighted to be able to provide our customers with some extra peace of mind, and we hope it may encourage even more people to make the switch and go electric.”
Aviva claims that it insures one in nine EVs in the UK and it has also committed to transition its entire fleet to EVs by 2025 and install charging at core sites.
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