Electric motorbike and scooter insurance

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What’s an electric motorbike?

An electric motorbike, scooter or moped looks the same as its petrol counterpart, but it’s powered by a battery and electric motor rather than an internal combustion engine (ICE).

Instead of filling up with fuel, you charge your bike’s battery by plugging in.

You can charge them from a household socket or a special charging unit at home or at work. You can also find public charge points in places like shopping centre car parks, service stations or supermarkets.

Electric motorbikes haven’t taken off quite as quickly as electric cars. But they’re becoming more popular on our roads as the technology improves.

electric motorbike

Types of insurance for your electric motorbike

There are three main types of electric motorcycle insurance:

Third party only insurance is the minimum level of cover you need to ride your electric motorcycle on the road. If you’re involved in an accident, the policy will pay out losses to others involved where you’re found to be at fault – drivers, passengers or owners of property that’s been damaged. It won’t insure you for damages to your own bike or injury to yourself.

This level of cover offers the same benefits as TPO, but will also pay out if your bike is damaged as a result of a fire or if it’s stolen.

Comprehensive, or fully-comp insurance offers the highest level of cover. On top of the benefits of TPFT, you’re covered for damage to your bike and yourself in an accident.

Do you need insurance for an electric motorbike?

Yes, if you plan to ride your electric motorcycle on the road, you’ll need to insure it.

As is the case with petrol motorcycles, third party insurance is the minimum cover to be road-legal.

Why buy an electric bike?

Pros


  • They don’t emit polluting gases like petrol bikes, so are more environmentally friendly
  • Electricity is cheaper than petrol. Depending on your energy supplier, you could travel 100 miles for less than £1 if you charge your bike at home according to popular electric motorbike maker Super Soco
  • Most electric motorcycles and mopeds qualify for the government’s plug-in grant. This pays for 20% of the purchase price of a vehicle, up to a maximum £1,500. The discount is applied at the point of sale by the dealership
  • They’re exempt from road tax
  • Small city-commuter electric motorbikes and mopeds are ideal for nipping around town and manoeuvring in city traffic
  • The instant torque of the electric motor gives your bike super-fast, sharp acceleration
  • There’s less noise and vibration on your ride
  • With no oil changes, air or oil filter, spark plug and timing belt changes to worry about, electric motorcycles require a lot less maintenance and repairs

Cons


  • They’re expensive to buy, though electric mopeds are a more affordable option
  • Some electric motorbikes and scooters have a restricted top speed of 28mph/45kph. This is great for urban and city commuting but not practical on faster roads or for long journeys.
  • With smaller batteries than electric cars, their range is less. Some have a range of around 40 miles /64km. But others can travel over 100 miles on one charge
  • They can take a long time to fully charge, often eight hours

Frequently asked questions

There are some extras you might want to add to your cover, at additional cost:

Several factors can push up the cost of electric motorcycle premiums.

Because they’re so quiet on the road, electric motorcycles are deemed more likely to be involved in an accident with a pedestrian, and therefore regarded as higher-risk to insurers.

Batteries are expensive, and if they’re damaged in an accident, your bike may be considered too costly to repair. That’s why many insurers limit their offer to Third party only (TPO) cover on electric motorcycles.

Fewer companies insuring electric motorcycles means less competition. And that can result in higher premiums

As many electric motorbikes spend the majority of their road-time on busy city and urban streets, they’re seen as at higher risk of an accident.

Electric motorcycles are still considered ‘niche’ in the motoring market, so not all insurance companies yet offer insurance policies on them. But there are lots that do – you’ll just have fewer quotes to choose from.

Yes, just as their fuel-powered equivalents need to be insured to be road-legal, so do electric mopeds and scooters.

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