Autoversicherung: Chinesische E-Autos können bei der Versicherung teuer werden

Düsseldorf: Analysis by German insurance comparison portal Verivox reveals that Chinese electric vehicles (E-cars) are almost twice as expensive to insure through comprehensive third-party liability coverage compared to new cars from Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea. The primary reason for this is that insurers categorize Chinese vehicles into higher vehicle categories on average, according to Verivox.

However, the classifications for Chinese brands are gradually improving. Verivox compared the insurance costs of Chinese electric vehicles with similar vehicles from Europe and East Asia. Depending on the model, annual insurance costs can be up to 870 euros higher than those of a comparable European vehicle or a vehicle from other Asia.

Comprehensive auto policies not only cover statutory liability but also damage to the insured vehicle itself. The insurance costs were calculated for a hypothetical 45-year-old Berliner with a damage-free class of 15 and 12,000 kilometers of annual mileage. At the midpoint of life, car policies are significantly cheaper for middle-aged drivers as opposed to very young or elderly drivers, as the latter statistically cause more damage than drivers in their mid-40s.

One reason for the higher classification of Chinese cars is the insurers' lack of experience with the frequency of damage. "With new models, insurers can only estimate the damage risk and repair costs and they are paid for in higher vehicle categories on a precautionary basis," said Aljoscha Ziller, managing director of Verivox insurance comparisons.

Many Chinese car manufacturers have only been on the German market for a few years. "This also means that insurers lack experience values with the manufacturers themselves as well as with the spare parts and availability," Verivox reported. Recently, the Allianz Center for Technology also looked into the issue, a well-established address for German accident and vehicle safety research.

According to Verivox, Chinese cars have already become 1.5 vehicle categories better in the insurance sector since 2024, while European manufacturers have become 0.5 categories worse. Currently, individual models of Chinese brands are even cheaper in insurance than comparable models from established manufacturers.