Road Damage = $50K Battery Repair

[DerekS]

I saw a poor soul on Facebook post that his battery took some debris damage, piercing and overheating it.
Because it was caused by road damage, warranty does not apply.

Some commenters suggested he file with insurance, but that's not good news either as it will translate into higher premiums for all of us once insurance companies pay a few of these out.

I'm a big fan of electrics but I have to admit this gives me pause.
It even made me start looking at Targas again...especially since Porsche is being pigheaded about not electrifying the 911, and an E-Targa would be my dream car.

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[daveo4EV]

I saw a poor soul on Facebook post that his battery took some debris damage, piercing and overheating it.
Because it was caused by road damage, warranty does not apply.

Some commenters suggested he file with insurance, but that's not good news either as it will translate into higher premiums for all of us once insurance companies pay a few of these out.

I'm a big fan of electrics but I have to admit this gives me pause.
It even made me start looking at Targas again...especially since Porsche is being pigheaded about not electrifying the 911, and an E-Targa would be my dream car.

yeah - comprehensive is the correct approach here - Tesla had similar issues years ago - but added some shielding…

battery unit replacement costs "is a thing" - and insurance is catching on - because premiums for Tesla's are higher, because so many normal accidents lead to totaling the car because even minor fender benders damage the battery - requiring replacement

we'll have to see how this evolves over time…

 

[GTSCarLife]

I have already seen posts about a major insurance company refusing to give an existing customer a new policy for a Taycan, claiming it is too expensive to repair. We have had no issues with ours, but as EV adoption increases, and have no doubt, with all the billions being invested by auto manufacturers to meet ever increasing governmental mandates, EV's are a certainty, companies will adjust their rates to account for actual losses versus worst case guesses.

 

[DerekS]

I guess the thing that really bugs me is how disproportionate this battery cost is compared to the entire car.

In the case of my GTS that's a third of the MSRP.

 

[DerekS]

Also - I've said this before - if you lower a Taycan you are playing with fire.

You're giving both Porsche and your insurance carrier an easy way to wash their hands of responsibility when something like this happens.

 

[Rob28]

I have refrained from installing the lowering links for this exact reason. I would be fighting this with Porsche if i had a 3mm chip in the shield. Definitely with you Derek on a 911 targa - may be my next purchase after the taycan.

 

[DougFrisk]

Wow, is there a protective shield you can buy to protect the protective shield?

It seems to me that you should be able to remove the protective shield to examine the battery tray for damage.

 

[DCYL725]

How thick is the bottom battery shield of the Taycan? Trying to think of the kind of road debris taht can cause this type of damage. A large rock maybe?

 

[Vercingetorix]

I guess the thing that really bugs me is how disproportionate this battery cost is compared to the entire car.

In the case of my GTS that's a third of the MSRP.

New 911 motor is 75K.
https://parts.byersporsche.com/p/Po.../78842914/9A210093015.html?partner=googlebase

 

[f1eng]

I guess the thing that really bugs me is how disproportionate this battery cost is compared to the entire car.

In the case of my GTS that's a third of the MSRP.

The battery is the most complex part of an EV and the bulk of its production cost.

The motors are fairly simple, the gearbox a simple reduction gear and no clutch. Probably a small fraction of the production cost of the sort of sports car engines we may be familiar with.

A 911 has a 6 cylinder twin turbo massively complex engine, multi ratio ‘box and clutch(es). I wouldn’t be surprised it cost more than 10x a Taycan motor.

I think of an EV battery as buying the first 3 years fuel with the car, it will always be expensive. It costs a lot more to make than an empty tank…

 

[thecoloradokid]

Last Friday I ran over a piece of metal that was sticking up from where a bridge and the roadway meet - there are metal rails at that junction point - doing 80mph in moderate traffic. I did not see the chunk of metal until it was too late, and since the metal was wedged in the spacing/gap between the road and the bridge there was no give to the debris and it did a number on the car.

My CT4s when airborne for a second and when I hit the ground I realized I had no steering, and I could not budge the steering wheel . Luckily, the wheels were still point mostly straight, so I slowed down as I drifted to the shoulder. The car next to me saw what happened and gave me some clear space to drift off the road. If the wheel had been more at an angle, I would have hit other traffic, or flown right off the highway at speed.

It was some scary shit.

I had the car towed to the Porsche dealership, and am still waiting to hear the full extent of the damage. I have my insurance company engaged, and told them to kiss my ass because they wanted the car sent to a 3rd party repair facility. Until I know if there is any damage to the battery, no one is looking at the car other than a certified Porsche mechanic.

In the pictures you can see how high the debris was sticking up and the damaged it caused to the front underside of the car. I am hoping that by going airborne for a second I cleared the battery of any damage.

I went out the next morning to where the chunk of metal was sticking up, and that had damaged more cars than my own, and the Colorado Dept of Transportation had been out over night to do repairs. Luckily, in Colorado, if you can establish that the roadway debris was there because of shoddy work on the part of the state, they will pay for repairs. I am going down this path because I don't want the insurance company to have to carry the massive financial burden it will cost to fully repair my CT4S.

 

[DerekS]

Last Friday I ran over a piece of metal that was sticking up from where a bridge and the roadway meet - there are metal rails at that junction point - doing 80mph in moderate traffic. I did not see the chunk of metal until it was too late, and since the metal was wedged in the spacing/gap between the road and the bridge there was no give to the debris and it did a number on the car.

My CT4s when airborne for a second and when I hit the ground I realized I had no steering, and I could not budge the steering wheel . Luckily, the wheels were still point mostly straight, so I slowed down as I drifted to the shoulder. The car next to me saw what happened and gave me some clear space to drift off the road. If the wheel had been more at an angle, I would have hit other traffic, or flown right off the highway at speed.

It was some scary shit.

I had the car towed to the Porsche dealership, and am still waiting to hear the full extent of the damage. I have my insurance company engaged, and told them to kiss my ass because they wanted the car sent to a 3rd party repair facility. Until I know if there is any damage to the battery, no one is looking at the car other than a certified Porsche mechanic.

In the pictures you can see how high the debris was sticking up and the damaged it caused to the front underside of the car. I am hoping that by going airborne for a second I cleared the battery of any damage.

I went out the next morning to where the chunk of metal was sticking up, and that had damaged more cars than my own, and the Colorado Dept of Transportation had been out over night to do repairs. Luckily, in Colorado, if you can establish that the roadway debris was there because of shoddy work on the part of the state, they will pay for repairs. I am going down this path because I don't want the insurance company to have to carry the massive financial burden it will cost to fully repair my CT4S.

That's horrible! Let us know how this shakes out.

 

[f1eng]

It will take a while before component parts are available but IMO rebuilding or repairing the batteries of EVs will be where the work is in a car maintenance business in future.

Replacing damaged parts rather than the whole battery is a no brainer if the battery pack is cleverly designed.

There is almost no maintenance required in the motors and transmissions, they don’t get hot enough to degrade the lubricant and few wearing parts.

 

[thecoloradokid]

That's horrible! Let us know how this shakes out.

I hoping to hear from the local Porsche dealership today, since they are delayed in the initial examination.

I am really, really bummed out this. I mean I also have a Rivian, but my CT4s is my baby. Most of you guys know, this grumpy old man loves his Taycan!

 

[DerekS]

I hoping to hear from the local Porsche dealership today, since they are delayed in the initial examination.

I am really, really bummed out this. I mean I also have a Rivian, but my CT4s is my baby. Most of you guys know, this grumpy old man loves his Taycan!

Hopefully all that "blood" on the ground is power steering fluid and not battery coolant.

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