The electric scooter has become in recent years much more than just a fad . It offers many advantages and the French are changing their transport habits.
Practical on a daily basis , the electric scooter makes it easy to get around and the government has had to adapt to this NVEI (new individual electric vehicles).
End of legal uncertainty for EDPMs on public roads
After a period of legal uncertainty regarding the circulation of electric scooters in urban traffic, the State has adapted to bring this electric two-wheeler into the highway code .
The latest regulations of July 1, 2020 concerning EDPMs (personal motorized transport vehicles) of which electric scooters are a part, in the same way as mono-wheels, Segways and hoverboards, declares that electric scooter insurance is compulsory for these vehicles. on the public road.
Yes, electric scooter insurance is compulsory!
This legislation was put in place following the dangerous behavior of EDPM (personal transport equipment) . If you are considering buying an electric scooter, we invite you to consult our guide before purchase , to find out in more detail the regulatory points for riding legally.
Mandatory equipment for an electric scooter
As far as equipment is concerned, it is mandatory to wear retro-reflective clothing and to have front and rear headlights in low light conditions. (That's good, the security pack at Weebot provides a reflective vest)
Be aware that your electric scooter must be restricted to 25 km/h on public roads in order to reduce the case of a serious accident. The electric scooter must also have a bell bell as a buzzer.
It is possible to unleash your electric scooter to take advantage of its maximum speed on private land only. In this case, the vehicle can no longer be covered by insurance for electric scooters limited to 25 km/h (NVEI: new individual electric vehicles) if you indicate to the insurer that the latter whose speed of a scooter exceeds the 25 km/h as provided by the highway code .
More and more insurance companies are offering a speed limit of up to 45 km/h, but this does not make it legal to drive on the road. You will simply be covered in the event of an incident.
The helmet is however not compulsory, even we can only advise you to wear one for your own safety. The majority of serious injuries occur to the skull during a fall.
Compulsory civil liability insurance
It is therefore mandatory to take out civil liability insurance in EDPM. The law stipulates that all motorized vehicles EDPM must have a liability insurance obligation.
Indeed, in the event of an accident, civil liability insurance can be engaged and your insurance will cover, if necessary, the costs of damage to the victim. Thus protected, you can drive with peace of mind knowing that this insurance obligation can avoid many hassles in the event of a traffic accident .
This electric scooter insurance is an extension of the classic civil liability included in home insurance. So don't hesitate to consult your insurer to find out if they offer this type of service for new NVEI individual electric vehicles .
It should be noted that if you have several EDPMs , it is mandatory to have individual insurance for each one. It is the serial number that counts for the insurance of electric scooters.
Can we be fined if we do not have electric scooter insurance?
In the event of default in the insurance contract, you can in theory be fined by the national police because this constitutes an offence . A fine of 135 euros can therefore be given to you in this specific case.
Nevertheless, it is still unlikely that law enforcement will ask for insurance papers during a check.
If you are in good standing on the level of traffic on the cycle paths, the latter should show leniency regarding your lack of compulsory scooter insurance.
On the other hand, they are much more looking at the side of the mandatory equipment to ride an electric scooter as well as respect for the highway code.
Avoid riding on sidewalks, off cycle paths or at high speed (speed not exceeding 25 km/h), if you want to avoid fines on an electric scooter.
How much does electric scooter insurance cost?
There are several rates on the electric scooter insurance market. They depend on what you want to cover. How many EDPMs does this concern in your household? Theft insurance? Against property damage and bodily injury? To be able to take advantage of a criminal defence?
WithWeeClub Premium , your electric scooter is covered from 3.5 euros per month. With this, it allows you to have peace of mind while riding your electric scooter.
Protected at the level of civil liability insurance, you benefit from a criminal defense and an appeal of up to 13,500 euros. What to be able to drive serenely at a low price!
The amount of the different ceilings covered by this insurance may justify an increase in the rate from your insurer. The higher the ceilings, the more expensive the insurance.
Allianz also offers this type of offer at a substantially equivalent price. It is also a good idea to contact your insurer to include your scooter insurance in an all-inclusive package in order to benefit from a better overall rate.
The MAAF or the Matmut only offer this type of insurance to their customers who have another contract with them.
Not all insurers are yet up to date with compulsory electric scooter insurance. So take your time to subscribe to the right package. This therefore does not concern motorcycle or scooter insurance, which are treated as mopeds.
How to insure an electric scooter?
To subscribe to a civil liability insurance contract, an insurer will need some answers in order to offer you its price. Here is the information to communicate in order to subscribe to a compulsory scooter insurance:
- The brand and model of your electric scooter (or EDPM)
- The value of the electric scooter
- The technical characteristics of your machine. That is to say the engine power, which can be found on the certificate of conformity of the electric scooter. Remember to ask the seller (even in the case of a second-hand one)
- Your contact details and your age (it is not possible to use an electric scooter under 12 years old)
With this information you will be able to get a quote right away. The objective is to find the best price-service ratio to effectively protect you on the road.
How can I be insured for bodily injury and property damage?
Additional guarantees can be taken out to further protect you from life's accidents, even though they are not compulsory. Only civil liability is for electric scooters.
An extension to your home insurance including a driver's guarantee can then insure you against bodily injury in the event of an accident or fall with personal transport equipment. The driver's guarantee covers hospitalization costs if you are injured while using your electric scooter and comes in addition to social security.
So remember to buy a helmet , but also gloves that will protect you in the event of a fall.
Electric scooter reimbursed in the event of an accident?
It is also possible to benefit from a damage and collision guarantee which covers the repair costs of electric scooters. These may extend to the total reimbursement of the price of the vehicle. This is the case of the insurer Ecencial which reimburses up to the purchase price if your scooter is no longer repairable.
Is it useful to insure your scooter against theft?
Against theft and vandalism can also be covered by electric scooter insurance. But this seems interesting to us only if the price of your machine exceeds a certain amount or if you cannot "park" it in a secure place.
The advantage of the electric scooter is to be foldable and light . This allows it to be stored easily at your home, or at your place of work and therefore much less sensitive to the risk of theft than a bicycle .
However, some fast electric scooters , such as the Dualtron Thunder, or the latest Dualtron X-II and Dualtron Storm , although foldable, are difficult to store indoors if you do not have a garage.
But they are above all very heavy to be moved easily. A weight between 40 and 70 kg is clearly not easy to handle.
In view of their price, it may be wise to invest in an extension guarantee covering theft in order to sleep soundly when one of your motorized personal transport devices is not inside your home. . There are many lock models but this may not be enough.
What is the best electric scooter insurance?
WeeClub Premium Insurance was one of the first on the market to specialize in scooter insurance at a very low price. This is why we mainly talk about their offer because we believe that they offer a very good quality-price ratio.
Allianz also has a very correct annual rate for a recognized insurer but does not cover theft.
Electric scooters equipped with a saddle
For insurance, a scooter with seat corresponds to the same category as an electric scooter. Civil liability does not cover this category. So think about that before adding a saddle to your machine.
For the police, the saddle is easily spotted so you expose yourself to a control on the road. It is therefore important to be well informed and to be perfectly in good standing in such a situation.
Conclusion
If you are still wondering if insurance for electric vehicles is compulsory, do not delay in contacting your insurer. It is essential to take out liability insurance for your scooter. Relatively inexpensive, this specific insurance offers good protection in the event of an accident.
We haven't talked about it so far but know that it can be very useful in the event of an accident to make a report , as with a car to have as much evidence as possible in order to be sure. right.
The electric scooter is not a toy and is currently revolutionizing the way we travel. By using it on a daily basis, although this vehicle does not have a registration document, insurance is clearly not a luxury to offer you assistance.