As electric vehicles become more and more common, it’s clear that this is the future of auto transportation. But that doesn’t mean that this change is without its problems.
For instance, reports have shown that even minor damage to a car’s battery can be catastrophic to the value of that car. In some cases, a battery can become scratched. This may sound minor, but it can make the battery unsafe. That battery itself is likely worth half as much as the entire vehicle.
For an insurance company, this means that the vehicle is essentially worthless. They will scrap the car, even though it may have very few miles on it, and it has no resale value. Other vehicles could be repaired far more cheaply and easily, so internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are usually only scrapped when they’re totaled. But EVs are being thrown out with minor damage.
Did the dealership disclose the damage?
This becomes problematic when you consider that vehicles are sometimes damaged in transport or during manufacturing. An EV could simply have a scratched battery, but that’s enough for the dealer to know that they can’t move the vehicle.
But what if they failed to disclose that damage to you? You buy this allegedly brand-new EV that already has damage. You believe that it’s worth $60,000, for instance, But it has almost no value at all. Are you really getting what you paid for? What responsibility does the dealership have to disclose this type of damage?
These are important questions to ask, and it’s also important to understand all of your legal options if you believe you’ve been victimized by dealer fraud.