The difference in repair costs between EVs and gasoline-powered vehicles is at its lowest

Mitchell, a provider of auto physical damage technology solutions, has released its latest Plugged-In: EV Collision Insights report, revealing that the claims severity gap between repairable battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) automobiles has narrowed to its lowest level on record in both Canada and the U.S. 

In Canada, average repairable claims severity for BEVs reached $6,645 CAD, compared to $5,411 CAD for gasoline-powered alternatives—a difference of $1,234 CAD. In the U.S., the gap dropped to $729 USD ($5,684 USD for BEVs versus $4,955 USD for ICE vehicles). 

While BEVs remain more expensive to repair overall, Mitchell’s data suggests that a maturing EV fleet and shifts in total loss frequency are pulling repair expenses across powertrain options closer to parity. 

Key Canadian & Technical Data Highlights:

• Collision Claim Share: BEVs and mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs) each surpassed 5% of repairable collision claims in Canada, climbing 12% and 28% year-over-year, respectively. 

• OEM Parts Utilization: BEV collision estimates continue to rely far more heavily on OEM parts than ICE models. On repairable estimates, 85% of parts dollars were allocated to OEM parts for BEVs, compared to 61% for ICE vehicles. 

• Repair-vs-Replace Ratio: Fewer structural and exterior components are repaired on damaged BEVs: only 15% of parts on BEV estimates were written for repair, compared to 17% for ICE vehicles. 

“The shrinking BEV repair cost premium is an important development for insurers and collision repairers, particularly as the electric vehicle car parc ages,” stated Ryan Mandell, Mitchell’s Vice President of Strategy and Market Intelligence. “At the same time, ongoing trade and geopolitical uncertainty could put renewed pressure on replacement part costs and availability, with BEVs particularly exposed because of their greater reliance on OEM components.” 

For Canadian collision repair facility managers, insurance appraisers, and fleet claims administrators, the findings highlight a stabilizing cost structure as EV repair procedures become standardized across collision networks.