Insurance Survey

[todd.martin]

I believe it would be helpful if we shared general insurance information.

Auto Insurance company used:
Insured as a conversion or as the original donor car?
Insured as Liability only, Comprehensive, or stated value?
If insured for more than Liability only, does the coverage total replacement cost?
Denied insurance by anyone for your EV?
I have coverage with State Farm, Liability only, and as the original donor car.

Thanks!  Todd Martin

[rich.carroll]

My Elcar (a.k.a. Zagato Zele) costs me $42 a year for full coverage with NO deductable.  How?  It is insured on my already existing Antique Vehicle policy with J.C.Taylor.  I have it valued at $6000, based on two recent eBay sales, and J.C. Taylor will allow me to add a car for $7 per year per thousand dollars of stated value. 

That's not the entire cost, but the incremental cost to add one more car.  But see the total picture and it is still very inexpensive.  The first three antique cars in one policy (my son and my cars are together) cost $42 per year for single limit bodily injury and property damage for $300,000.  Anything beyond the first three is free.  The medical payments cost $9 per year for the first three cars, with no additional for more cars. Uninsured motorists cost me $18 per year for the first three vehicles, no additonal cost for more than three cars. Comprehensive coverage (no deductable) costs $3.50 per year per $1000 of car value.  The Collision costs me $3.50 per year per $1000 of car value.

If the Elcar was the first car on the policy it would cost me $87 per year to insure it.

There are some restrictions:
1) Vehicles have to be more than 25 years old, but several of our club cars meet this distinction
2) Vehicles have to be garaged.
3) Vehicles have to be used "mainly in exhibitions, club activities, parades and other functions of public  interest and will not be used primarily for the transportation of passengers or goods."  You can drive it to work on a nice day, as long as the use is not regular use.  Use it every friday, and it isn't covered, that would be regular use.  Use it on any nice day you feel like, and it is covered, that's not 'regular' use. 
4) Normal mileage up to 2500 miles each year is covered.  If you need more than that, you can send them a letter, and they will cover you for additional miles.  We have gone to national conventions in Lake Tahoe, San Diego, etc. with no problem at all. On request they sent us a letter stating that we had the mileage to the convention and back plus 2500 miles that year.  That is no additional cost.
5) J. C. Taylor has been extremely flexible in making the correct repairs after any claims.  We were hit in a parking lot in Springfield, had a truck tire explode in front of us on the freeway, and a linen truck back into our car at various times over the thirty years I have been with J.C.Taylor.  In each case they went out of their way to pay for the right parts (even if they were very expensive) and to pay extra to have the paint done right (no Earl Scheib) and even let us use some of the parts we already had in our inventory, paying us fair market price.   

I could not be happier with their policy, their prices, and their customer service. If your car fits their policies, this is a no-brainer.  You can download an application with costs at their website:  http://www.jctaylor.com/antique/download.jsp



Rich Carroll

[nathan.stowe]

Can anyone else report on what they do for insurance?   I almost had a policy instated with Farmers, but it turned out that the agent did not care that I said "electric conversion".  Then when I insisted that the policy reflect this they went to the executive level and they said "no way".  I would probably have been fine with the policy, but what if there was a really bad accident with high dollars involved, am certain that any insurance company looks for ways out and something like "you did not say you totally reworked the drive train, no coverage for you" would not be an unrealistic response.

Thanks.

Nathan.

[jay.richter]

I called my agent for Nationwide Insurance out of Des Moines, Iowa, and they took over a week to get back to me.  They replied by stating that they will not insure a converted car.  They will only insurse a factory converted (electric) auto.

Jay Richter

[larry.brady]

I,like Todd,have State Farm Ins but they underwrote the Bradley as an electric.They said it was the first one they ever wrote.I was also the first person they ever underwrote an underground house policy for in the state.They asked for a lot of pictures and that type of info but they did cover it.They did say that they had to cover it at the cost of a GTE new which would have been 30K+.Oh well at least I am covered when I get it on the road.Larry Brady,Galesburg,IL

[joe.downing]

My agent deals with several insurance companies. Most of them didn't want to cover a converted car, but Progressive did. I also was told it is fully covered for replacement cost. Of course the blue book value on a 1996 Escort is probably not much. So as long as I keep my receipts, I was told they would cover the cost of the EV components as well...If anyone wants my agents number, let me know.

Joe

[chuck.carrington]

I had AIG insurance for years, but when I bought my electric car they would not insure it. Not only will they not insure electric cars but they will not insure MGs even with the original engine . I changed to progressive and they had no problem insuring my electric. I only have liability for that car.

Chuck Carrington

[todd.dore]

I may have mentioned this in another post, but I was able to get Elec Bug insured last week.  All my State Farm agent required was pictures of the car, to make sure that it was relatively safe.  That is, no batteries in the seats or trunk that could go flying.  Anyway, they covered the car once I sent the pix in and it all seems to be ok.

[daniel.bulley]

My State Farm agent said they called the "home office" and they have a rule against insuring any "altered vehicle" and that if another agent insured one they were breaking hard and fast rules.

[dave.hostert]

I also have state farm.  No problem, just took pictures and it has the same coverage as my other vehicles. 

[tim.moore]

I have State Farm, had collision, just this year switched to liability. Yes AIG would not insure me either.

[nathan.stowe]

When I was looking, State farm told me that they could make exceptions for current policy owners.  But they did not want just my EV.

My farmers agent tried to get the "office" to do it.  He even asked me to send a copy of the policy after I got it with someone else, so that he could show them and make a case, but no go.

I ended up with Progressive for the EV.  They ask if it is capable of of 45 or above.  I assume that they also mean the plate registration status as well.  Mine ended up being registered as 45 and below.  There was no mention of this when I signed up for the plates, but when I renewed that is what it said.  You gotta love the gov't.  I don't have the ambition to fight about this one.  If I had to re-do my EV plates, I would save the several hours of my life and just get regular plates.  (time really is money, or in this case money gets time time)