Third-party liability
- Damage to property and injury to third parties
- No cover for your own vehicle
- Compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)
- Also damage to third parties while charging
Battery · charging facility · fire and recovery risk
Insuring an electric lorry
With an electric truck the greatest value is in the battery. That changes the premium, the handling of claims and the question of who carries the battery risk.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Elektrische vrachtauto verzekeren.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
An electric truck is insured in the same way as a diesel version: Third-party liability insurance is compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM), and above that you choose third-party, fire and theft or comprehensive cover. The difference lies in how the value is made up. In an electric vehicle the traction battery represents a large part of the replacement value, while that battery is difficult to repair after damage and is often replaced as a whole.
In addition there are components that do not appear on a conventional policy: the charging cable, the charging facility on your own premises and sometimes a battery pack that is hired or leased rather than bought. Each of those three must be arranged separately. A charging point on your premises falls under buildings or business contents cover rather than under the truck policy, and a hired battery remains the property of the leasing company.
The main rule of every motor insurance applies here too: own-damage cover covers the vehicle, not the cargo. If you carry your own goods or third-party goods, separate insurance is needed for that. And note battery degradation: loss of capacity through normal use is wear and not an external event, so it is not covered under own-damage cover.
Which cover suits an electric truck?
Three forms of cover, with the situations that most often arise with electric driving set out beneath them.
Third-party liability + fire and theft
On top of that to third-party liability, a fixed list of events, including fire and theft.
- Fire, explosion and lightning strike
- Theft of the vehicle or the charging cable
- Storm, hail and glass damage
- No cover for damage you cause to your own vehicle
Comprehensive
Damage to your own vehicle as well, including damage to the battery pack caused by a covered event.
- Collisions and manoeuvring damage
- Battery damage following an external event
- Often a separate arrangement for the traction battery
- Degradation of the battery remains excluded
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability + fire and theft | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| Damage you cause to someone else with the vehicle | Yes | Yes |
| A battery fire while charging or standing idle | Yes | Yes |
| Theft of the charging cable at a charging point | Provided that | Provided that |
| Collision damage to the battery pack | No | Yes |
| Loss of battery capacity through use | No | No |
| Damage to the goods carried | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
What is different with electric driving
Four points that weigh more heavily with an electric truck than with a diesel version.
The battery determines the claims burden
In a collision in which the battery pack in the chassis is hit, repair is often impossible and a module or the whole pack is replaced. As a result a vehicle is declared economic total loss sooner than a comparable diesel version. So ask expressly whether the traction battery falls under the own-damage cover, whether a separate limit applies to it and what depreciation arrangement the insurer uses. A hired or leased battery should be mentioned in the application, because the ownership position determines who claims for the damage.
Charging, the charging cable and the charging facility
The charging cable is a separate item and is regularly stolen at public charging points; check whether it is covered and up to what amount. A charging point or charging hub on your own premises does not fall under the truck policy but under buildings or business contents cover, and with rented premises there is also the tenant's interest. If your charging installation causes damage to someone else, you end up with liability as the owner of a structure under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code or with tort under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Fire, recovery and storage
A damaged lithium battery pack can still catch fire hours or days after an incident and is difficult to extinguish. When it comes to it that leads to higher recovery and quarantine costs and to insurers imposing requirements about the storage location. Some buildings insurers set conditions for charging or parking electric vehicles indoors, for instance about the distance to the facade or about fire compartmentation. So align the truck policy and the buildings or business contents insurance with each other.
What is not covered
The following, among others, are outside the cover: loss of capacity and ageing of the battery, because that is wear and not an external event; damage caused by incorrect charging or by the use of unapproved charging equipment; software and electronics faults without a collision, which belong under warranty or machinery breakdown cover; and the load, which never falls under the vehicle's own-damage cover. The usual exclusions also apply: driving without the required licence, driving under the influence and damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Value including the battery pack: the battery weighs heavily
- Ownership of the battery: bought, hired or leased
- Maximum permitted mass: weight class and loss potential
- Charging and storage arrangements: charging indoors or outdoors
- Mileage and range: intensity of use
- Type of cover and excess: third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is the battery covered under the own-damage cover?
Usually yes, as long as the damage results from a covered event such as a collision, fire or theft. Insurers regularly apply a separate limit or a depreciation arrangement to the traction battery. If you hire or lease the battery, report that with your application: the owner of the pack is then a different party and that determines who claims and who receives the payment.
Is a worn-out battery covered?
No. Declining capacity through normal use and ageing is wear and falls outside every own-damage cover, just like a worn engine in a diesel vehicle. For loss of capacity there is usually a manufacturer's warranty with a guaranteed remaining capacity within a certain period or mileage. Read those warranty conditions; they are separate from your insurance and have their own exclusions.
Is my charging point insured under the truck policy?
No. A charging point or charging station on your own premises is a structural or business contents item and belongs on the buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) or the business contents insurance. If you rent the premises, look at the tenant's interest. If the installation causes damage to someone else, liability as the owner of a structure under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code comes into play. Have it recorded which policy carries this item.
Is the load covered with an electric truck?
No, and with electric driving that is no different from diesel. Own-damage cover applies to the vehicle and not to what you carry. For your own goods there is own-goods transit insurance. If you carry third-party goods for payment, carrier's liability applies. Without separate cover you bear the risk of loss of or damage to the load yourself.
Do insurers impose requirements about where I charge?
That does happen, particularly from the buildings insurer. Conditions can concern charging in the open air, the distance to the facade, fire compartmentation or the use of approved charging equipment. If those are not met and a fire breaks out, the insurer may rely on the clause. Ask for the conditions of both policies and align them.
Read more
Within Vrachtautoverzekering
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Also relevant
Insuring an electric truck?
Request a quote without obligation. We pay attention to the battery arrangement, the charging facility and how it fits with your buildings policy.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.