The electrification of the automotive industry is showing no signs of slowing down, which means it has already and will likely continue to introduce even more questions in the insurance world. For example, we recently discussed the ramifications of an EV charger fire in your garage and how that incident would interact with your homeowners’ insurance.
Today we’re going to tackle a similar question, which is whether or not your automotive insurance will cover damage to your EV charging station itself. Today we’re going to break down how this type of situation might be handled so that you can make sure you have the proper protection that you need.
What Counts as an EV Charging Station?
Before we dive into what exactly is covered when it comes to an EV charging station, it’s important that we define what exactly an EV charging station is. For most homeowners, a Level 2 charging station is the option to choose, but Level 1 charging is much more readily available and prevalent, and it’s extremely unlikely that you’d have a Level 3 charging station at home. Here are what the different levels entail:
- A Level 1 charging station consists of a portable charging cable that can be plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet.
- A Level 2 charging station requires a dedicated 240-volt outlet and is usually hardwired or mounted permanently.
- A Level 3 charging station, also known as DC fast chargers, are the commercial-grade chargers you find in public, such as at gas stations and parking garages.
Are Home Chargers Covered?
Unfortunately, automotive insurance is designed to cover your vehicle, not the infrastructure around it. This means that for the most part, your EV charging station is not going to be covered under your auto policy. However, there is one exception to keep in mind. If you mostly utilize Level 1 charging and keep your cable in the trunk, then it might be covered under personal property provisions. This is super rare and usually limited, though, so you’ll definitely want to check with your provider to be sure.
Are Public Charging Stations Covered?
The good news with your home charging station is that you should be able to get it covered under your homeowner’s policy, which we’ll touch on shortly. But let’s not abandon our auto insurance completely, yet! After all, there is still another type of charging station you’re likely to be interacting with fairly frequently if you own an EV — the public DC fast chargers!
The short answer here is yes, but it depends on your coverage. A public charging station would act just like any other public property in the event of a collision, so if your insurance would normally cover property damage with collision coverage or something similar, then it should cover damage to a public charging station.
Homeowners Insurance Covers Home Charging Stations
While your auto insurance isn’t going to be a ton of help if your home charging station gets damaged, the good news is that “home” is right there in the name. Your homeowners insurance should have you covered! As long as your charging station is permanently installed and has been declared to your insurance provider, it should be covered in the event of any damage — though it’s possible you might have to add a rider. Either way, it’s important to check in with your insurer to make sure.
Get Covered with Glover Family Independent Insurance
We hope that this information has helped you determine whether or not you have the proper coverage that you seek. If you still have questions or would like to secure new coverage, we’d be happy to help right here at Glover Family Independent Insurance. Just give us a call at your earliest convenience and we can get started.