A new warranty designed especially for used electric and hybrid cars could help drive consumer confidence and accelerate take-up.

The RAC said the new warranty could play a key part in helping to build widespread consumer confidence in electric cars and hybrids across the used car market

Launched by the RAC, the warranty provides the most comprehensive level of warranty cover that the organisation has yet offered on any vehicle and has been developed to deliver peace of mind to electric car buyers – particularly those moving to EVs for the first time.

RAC director of electric vehicles Sarah Winward-Kotecha said of the new warranty: “We’re confident it could play a key part in helping to build widespread consumer confidence in electric cars and hybrids as an attractive and reliable choice right across the used car market.”

The warranty can be applied to any used electric or hybrid car up to a maximum of eight years old and with 80,000 miles on the clock.

It covers the key components in the electric drivetrain and charge system with the exception of the batteries, which are generally already covered by long manufacturer warranties. The RAC Electric Vehicle warranty also provides cover for a wide range of components included in the RAC’s existing Platinum Plus product for petrol and diesel cars, currently its highest level of cover.

Winward-Kotecha continued: “While the battery is clearly an area of concern for car buyers, EV and hybrid manufacturers, almost uniformly, include comprehensive battery warranties, typically eight years and 100,000 miles, so our product is designed around this existing cover.”

The warranty will be supplied exclusively through the RAC Dealer Network, currently covering some 1,300 dealers, and provides cover for a variety of periods up to 24 months, with claims able to be made up to a limit of the vehicle purchase price.