Affordable battery repairs ‘within dealers’ reach’ finds study

Repairing damaged EV batteries is ‘within reach’ of used car dealers, a new report suggests.

Cox Automotive has found that fixing damaged units could soon be an economical option for second-hand car retailers, allowing them to repair and resell cars that might otherwise be written off.

Currently, a damaged drive battery is often seen as too complicated and expensive to put right, resulting in EVs being written off by insurers or carrying expensive bills for a brand-new replacement unit.

David Gray from Cox Automotive’s EV Battery Solutions told the member of the Vehicle Remarketing Association that, depending on the model and the battery technology in question, there was a real possibility that the car could be repaired for sale by manufacturer approved specialists.

He told attendees at the VRA’s 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. It’s within reach.”

Gray added that he expected the situation to improve ‘quite quickly’ and repairs to become more broadly viable. However, he warned that the more easily repairable batteries tended to be of a more expensive design and some manufacturing processes still created problems.

Ashley Minors of motor trade insurance specialist Boswell Aftermarket, also told the meeting that insurers were working to find ways to address the issue of battery damage leading to write-offs.

He said: “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.

“Some insurers are doing progressive work in this area though, such as creating training schemes to ensure greater availability of battery specialists who can carry out repairs, while partnering with battery recyclers where repair is not possible.

“It’s all part of a general effort on the part of insurers to help minimise the cost of EV premiums and claims. As more and more data on EV operation is accumulated, and knowledge on EV repair shared, they can make more informed underwriting decisions.”

Philip Nothard, chair at the VRA, said: “As more and more EVs start to appear on the used market, the possibility of battery repair is becoming an increasingly salient topic. Obviously, the cost of replacing a damaged battery is prohibitive and will often lead to a vehicle being scrapped.

“The emergence of cost-effective repair solutions is therefore something of genuine interest to the remarketing sector and the briefings we received at this meeting provided some cause for optimism.”