EV & Hybrid
Electric vehicles drive, look and crash like any other car, but under the panels they are very different machines. A damaged EV isn’t just a cosmetic problem. The high-voltage battery, integrated safety systems and advanced driver-assistance features all need specialist handling after even a minor collision. Treating an EV like a standard petrol car at the wrong workshop can create real risks for drivers, passengers and repairers.
This guide walks you through what to do after an EV accident, what safe electric vehicle repair actually looks like, and how to choose a repairer qualified to do the work properly.
A modern EV typically carries a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack made up of hundreds or thousands of individual cells. When those cells are impacted or compromised, the energy stored inside them doesn’t behave like a fuel tank. According to the Australian Government’s Vehicle Emissions Star Rating program, damaged battery cells can go into thermal runaway, a chemical reaction that is difficult to extinguish and needs far more time and water to bring under control than a standard vehicle fire.
On top of that, EVs rely on integrated electronics, regenerative braking, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane keeping and adaptive cruise. A collision that looks minor from the outside can still misalign cameras, radars and sensors, and if those aren’t recalibrated properly, the car won’t protect you the way it was designed to.
The good news: EVs are safe cars when they’re cared for correctly. The Electric Vehicle Council notes that most EVs sold in Australia have achieved 5-star ANCAP ratings, and battery fires remain rare. The key is handling any damage the right way.
The first priority after any collision is people, not the car. Check that everyone in the vehicle and around it is uninjured. If anyone needs help, call 000 and tell the operator the vehicle is electric. This matters because emergency responders follow specific protocols for EVs, and knowing the make and model lets them look up the manufacturer’s emergency response guide.
If it’s safe to do so, put the car in park, engage the handbrake, and switch it off. Move any keys or key cards well away from the vehicle so it can’t accidentally power back on. Then step away. A high-voltage battery that has taken a heavy impact should be treated with caution, even if the car looks fine.
This is the single most important rule after an accident. Both Fire and Rescue NSW and other Australian fire agencies warn drivers not to charge an EV that has been through any suspected damage, including a collision, an impact with road debris, or immersion in flood water. A compromised battery can ignite hours, days, or even weeks after the initial incident, so plugging it in after a crash is never worth the risk.
If the car still drives and appears undamaged, it’s fine to move it to a safe location. If there is any visible battery damage, fluid leak, unusual smell, smoke, or hissing noise, leave it where it is and call emergency services. Don’t try to shift the vehicle yourself.
Damaged EVs sometimes need to be towed using equipment that keeps the drive wheels off the ground, because regenerative braking can still send current through the motors when the wheels turn. The tow operator should also know how to isolate the high-voltage system and where to store the car safely once it arrives. Ideally, that means parking in an open area, away from other vehicles and buildings, until the battery has been assessed.
When you call your insurer or roadside assistance, let them know the vehicle is electric so they can dispatch the right operator. At AMA Collision, damaged EVs are handled from tow-in through to final delivery by technicians trained in high-voltage procedures.
Not every smash repairer is set up to work on an electric vehicle. High-voltage work requires specific training, insulated tools, isolation procedures and workshop infrastructure. When you’re weighing up where to send your car, look for:
AMA Collision’s electric vehicle repair service is built around exactly these requirements, with specialist EV workflows across more than 130 repair centres nationwide.
Once the car is in a repair centre, the first real step isn’t panel work. It’s a thorough diagnostic assessment. Technicians will scan the vehicle to pull fault codes, check the high-voltage system’s state of health, and inspect the battery pack for physical damage. Any earlier collision history, water exposure or charging faults will show up at this stage.
This is also where the scope of the repair is locked in. An AMA Collision estimator will walk through the findings with you and your insurer, agree the repair methodology, and confirm parts and timing. If additional damage is found during disassembly, you’ll be told before any extra work begins.
Structural and cosmetic work on an EV has to match manufacturer specifications exactly. That means OEM parts where required, factory-approved adhesives and welding techniques, matched paint systems, and strict quality checks between each stage of the repair. Using aftermarket parts or cutting corners on structural repairs can affect crash performance, battery protection, and your warranty.
Throughout the repair, the high-voltage system stays isolated. Technicians follow documented shutdown and lockout procedures before touching any battery components, and only restore power once the work in that area is verified.
A panel that’s been straightened or a windscreen that’s been replaced can shift the position of the sensors mounted to it by millimetres, and that’s enough to throw off the ADAS. Before your car leaves the workshop, cameras, radars and related sensors need to be recalibrated so features like autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping work exactly as the manufacturer intended.
AMA Collision handles ADAS calibration in-house, alongside full diagnostic scanning before and after every repair. This closes the loop on safety, so you drive away with the same level of protection the car had the day it left the factory.
A few habits carried over from petrol car ownership can quietly cause problems with an EV. Watch out for these:
Only if they have the right training, tools and accreditations. Working on a high-voltage system without proper qualifications is dangerous for the technician and can void the vehicle’s warranty. Always ask whether the workshop is EV-certified before you book.
EV repairs can take slightly longer because of the extra diagnostic, isolation and calibration steps involved, plus parts availability for some models. A specialist repairer will give you an accurate timeline at the assessment stage and keep you updated as the work progresses.
If there’s no visible damage, no warning lights, no unusual smells, and the car drives normally, it’s generally fine to drive to a repair centre for assessment. If anything feels off, stop and arrange a tow. When in doubt, treat the car as unsafe and get it checked.
Most major Australian insurers work with accredited EV repair networks. AMA Collision is a preferred repairer for many insurers, so claims can be processed directly and your repair is handled end-to-end.
If the battery pack is undamaged, it stays in the car and is isolated for the duration of the repair. If there’s any suspected damage to the pack, it’s removed, stored safely, and either repaired or replaced following the manufacturer’s procedures.
Safe electric vehicle repair comes down to three things: staying calm in the moments after a crash, avoiding the temptation to treat your EV like a petrol car, and choosing a repairer with the certifications, tools and processes to do the job properly.
If your EV has been in an accident and you’d like it assessed by a specialist team, you can request an online assessment or contact your nearest AMA Collision centre. Every repair is backed by our lifetime guarantee, performed to OEM standards, and completed by I-CAR Platinum technicians trained to handle modern electric vehicles safely.
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