Insuring and Taxing an Electric Motorcycle, Here’s How to Do It.

Do electric motorcycles need insurance?

Yes, you need to have at least third-party insurance if you are planning on riding your motorcycle on public roads, much like their petrol counterparts.

Just four years ago, insuring an electric motorcycle was a completely different experience. Many insurers hadn’t come on board with the new types of motorcycles and therefore did not offer insurance policies. 

This is mainly due to a lack of sales within the industry and a lack of motorcycle options available. This meant that the information was extremely limited, and insurers did not want to take the risk of insuring the unknown.

The process of obtaining insurance was incredibly difficult, tedious, and time-consuming, which generally discouraged riders from purchasing electric motorcycles.

Jumping forward to 2023, many insurers and manufacturers are invested in the electric space, with brands such as Kawasaki, BMW, Ducati, and Harley-Davidson either in the process of creating electric motorcycles or actively selling them. This has helped open the eyes of insurers and made the process of insuring an electric motorcycle much easier.

Many insurers such as Devitt, Bennets, MCE, Bemoto, and GoSkippy are offering insurance for many types, makes, and models of electric motorcycles and mopeds, facilitating the process of obtaining insurance at a reasonable price. Not only that, but the process to acquire quotes and buy a policy can be done through most, if not all, price comparison sites.

How do you insure an electric motorcycle?

Many new riders may be unaware of the process of insuring their electric motorcycle.

To insure an electric motorcycle, you will need to follow the same process as you would for a motorcycle with a combustion engine. If you’ve never done this before, do not fret; we will explain.

The process of insuring an electric motorcycle is relatively simple thanks to the aforementioned changes that have happened within the industry in recent years.

You are able to phone up a prospective insurer and go through the process of obtaining insurance on the phone, giving them information such as your license, age, job, address, type of motorcycle and its value, and other variants.

From here, the insurer will determine which price they feel is right for you, and if they want to proceed, they will offer you a quote, which can be accepted or declined.

We advise you to shop around for some quotes and utilise price comparison sites such as MCN Compare, The Bike Insurer, and Compare The Market to ensure you are getting the best price possible and the right cover for your needs.

It’s important to take note of the types of cover listed below:

Third Party Insurance: This covers the costs of damage to someone else’s property, such as a car, building, or person.

Third Party Fire and Theft Insurance: This insurance, in addition to Third Party coverage, protects you if your motorcycle is stolen or damaged by fire.

Comprehensive Insurance: Often known as “fully comprehensive,” this insurance will cover everything previously mentioned and will also cover damage to your motorcycle if it is involved in an accident, regardless of fault. You may also receive compensation for any injuries that occur, and some insurers will insure your gear, such as your helmet.

Once you have found the right type of insurance for you and your motorcycle, simply follow the steps above to obtain it by calling them, or following the steps on a price comparison site.

When you are insuring an electric motorcycle, you may want to consider adding coverage for damage to the battery or other components that are specific to electric motorcycles, such as chargers or conversion kits that you have installed on your motorcycle.

If you need to add this to your quote, speak to the insurer you would like to use to inquire about amending your quote.

How do I tax an electric motorcycle?

You will be happy to know that the tax for electric motorcycles is completely free. Despite this, it is still the law to go through the process of taxing it, but you will not be charged. 

To tax the motorcycle, you simply need to head to the UK Government portal here and input the information found on your V11 reminder letter or V5 document, following the steps provided on the site.

Conclusion

To conclude, the process of taxing and insuring an electric motorcycle or electric moped has been made much simpler thanks to industry changes and adaptations.

We would always recommend checking out insurance options prior to purchasing an electric motorcycle to ensure that firstly, you will be covered, and secondly, that the price suits you and your needs.