Collision repair costs for Tesla models remain significantly higher than for combustion vehicles, but electric vehicles without the Tesla logo are near parity with gasoline cars, according to third-quarter data from Mitchell.
Average repair costs were $5,552 for Teslas, $4,474 for non-Tesla EVs and $4,205 for combustion vehicles in the quarter, the data shows. That means Teslas were higher than gasoline cars by $1,347 while non-Tesla EVs were just $269 higher than combustion engine vehicles, said Mitchell, which provides software for managing collision repairs.
Part of Tesla's higher collision costs comes from its safety and technology features that are spreading across the industry, pushing repair bills and insurance premiums higher, especially in the luxury category.
"These vehicles are on the cutting edge of all this safety technology and this digital connected-car technology, and all of that is going to play a role when these vehicles are involved in a collision," said Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance for auto physical damage at Mitchell.
"You could have a left-front corner impact that somehow has disrupted your right rear lane-departure warning sensor," Mandell told sister publication Automotive News. "Maybe that part needs to be replaced, maybe it needs to be recalibrated."