Small Stone Led to Shock Bill of Hundreds of Thousands of Kronor for Electric Car

An apparently insignificant damage to the underside of an electric car resulted in a bill of over 850,000 kronor. Despite the car operating normally, it was determined that the battery needed to be completely replaced.

The trouble began when Finn Jani Kesälä drove over a stone on a smaller road. The impact was clearly audible, but as he continued driving, he noticed nothing unusual. No warning lights turned on, and the car drove as normal.

It was not until several weeks later, when the car was brought in for service, that the damage was discovered. The workshop saw there was a hole in the undercarriage protection and wanted to check what was behind it.

The car, a 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC, had a dent in the battery casing. The damage was only about one to two centimeters deep and roughly the size of a thumb tip.

Initially, the damage did not seem particularly dramatic. According to Kesälä, the service technician stated that there was a cavity at the damaged spot and that the damage therefore should not affect the battery’s function or safety. Moreover, the car had not displayed any error messages.

Despite this, the car was taken off the road. The workshop determined that the dent was too deep and that the whole battery pack needed to be replaced.

Eight Months

No used battery could be found, and according to Carup, a new one would cost more than 850,000 kronor. That is more than double the car’s estimated value, which was around 335,000 kronor.

The insurance company’s technical expert also determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The result was that the car, which was still drivable, was written off at the end of August. Kesälä had only owned the car for eight months at that point.

Not Giving Up on Electric

Despite the expensive experience, he hasn’t given up on electric cars. His next car will also be electric – but this time he wants a model with higher ground clearance, better suited for rough and uneven roads.

This is not the first case in Finland where a road obstacle caused extensive damage to an electric car’s battery. Carup has previously reported on a BMW i4 where a road hazard dented the battery’s bottom plate and damaged a cooling channel.

An electric car mechanic has therefore wanted to develop additional protection for batteries, but states that the possibility to install such shields is limited by regulations.