Hydro-electricity is undoubtedly one of Quebec’s greatest assets. Renewable and reliable, it has a smaller impact on the environment than most other sources of energy. In Quebec, electrical vehicles are steadily gaining popularity on our roads and are a good way of reducing our environmental impact. Assurances Multi-Risques would like to give you a few tips on how to best insure your electrical vehicle, and to avoid problems if you ever have to make a claim.
How do you insure your electrical vehicle?
In Quebec, the car insurance contract is called FPQ1 (Formule des propriétaires du Québec) and is the same for all insurers. The only thing that changes from one insurer to the next is the various options – called riders in the industry – that they add to your insurance contract.
When you insure your electrical vehicle, be sure to subscribe to basic coverage as you would for a gasoline powered vehicle. In fact, the way the vehicle is powered has no impact whatsoever on the insurance coverage! To learn more about car insurance products offered in Quebec, please have a look at our previous article on this subject.
A few tips on how to insure your electrical vehicle
In order to benefit from the best coverage possible for your electrical vehicle, here are a few helpful tips:
- Opt for an insurance product that includes the provision of a rental car in case of an accident for which you are deemed responsible. Also, make sure that the amount allocated for the car rental is high enough to cover the extra time often required to repair an electrical vehicle. In addition, since you are likely to be driving around longer in the rental, the amount of your insurance claim will also go up.
- If your rental car is gasoline powered, be sure to keep your gas receipts and to check with your insurer to see if he will reimburse these amounts as this may vary from one insurer to another.
- Make sure that your insurer is well acquainted with electrical vehicles as this will make the claim process easier! Have a look at one of our previous articles on the advantages of dealing with a connoisseur. To facilitate the process, we suggest that you contact an independent insurance broker who will deal with several insurance companies in order to find one who knows about electrical vehicles.
- Finally, pick up a few hints on how to reduce your insurance premium by reading our previous article on the subject.
In conclusion, driving an electrical vehicle rather than a gasoline powered one has very little impact on your basic car insurance needs. It’s in choosing the insurer that the difference lies. You must make a judicious choice! Is the insurer aware of your reality? Does he offer exclusive rebates to electrical vehicle owners? Will he reimburse the cost of gasoline if you need to use a gasoline powered rental car? Will he compensate you if you need to have your car repaired in an out of town specialty shop? These are all things that must be considered when choosing an insurer. To make sure that you are making the right choice, contact an independent insurance broker who deals with several insurance companies. He or she will be able to present you with several quotes and will help you to make right choice.