EV battery repairs could soon become cost-effective for used car dealers, Cox Automotive reports.
The company’s research suggests dealers may repair and resell electric vehicles that insurers typically write off due to battery damage.
Drive battery repairs — often avoided due to complexity and cost — are becoming viable for manufacturer-approved specialists, depending on the model and technology.
“It’s within reach,” David Gray from Cox Automotive’s EV Battery Solutions told Vehicle Remarketing Association members at their first 2025 meeting. “It doesn’t work for all battery technologies or for all types of damage, but there are instances now where we can carry out viable, economic repairs that will allow dealers to retrieve cars into saleable condition.”
Gray expects repair options to expand quickly, though he notes more repairable batteries tend to be higher-end designs. Some manufacturing processes still present challenges.
Insurance companies are adapting their approach to EV battery damage, according to Ashley Minors of Boswell Aftermarket insurance.
“There’s an argument that the insurance sector writes off EVs too easily and the perceived cost and difficulty of battery repair and replacement is very much part of this issue,” Minors said.
Some insurers are developing training programs to increase the number of qualified battery repair specialists. They’re also partnering with recyclers when repairs aren’t possible.
These initiatives aim to reduce EV insurance premiums and claims costs. Insurers can make better underwriting decisions as they gather more data on EV operation and repair methods.
VRA Chair Philip Nothard sees battery repairability as increasingly important for the used car market.
“As more and more EVs start to appear on the used market, the possibility of battery repair is becoming an increasingly salient topic,” Nothard said. “The emergence of cost-effective repair solutions is therefore something of genuine interest to the remarketing sector.”
The development could help prevent vehicles from being scrapped due to prohibitive battery replacement costs.
