Marten damage in an electric car: a bite often causes a total loss
Created: 03/26/2022, 08:08
By: Simon Mones
Martens feel particularly comfortable in the warm engine compartment.
But if they chew on the cables of electric cars, it can have devastating consequences.
Munich – It is probably every driver's nightmare, you want to start the engine, but nothing works.
A look under the hood and it quickly becomes clear: a marten was at work here.
The rodents feel particularly comfortable in the warm engine compartments and like to nibble on the cables there.
Insurers settle around 200,000 such cases per year.
For drivers of electric cars, the visit of the marten is particularly annoying, because the repair is very complex and expensive.
In the worst case, the bite of the rodent even means that the Stromer can no longer be saved or that the repair is not financially worthwhile.
Marten damage in an electric car: a bite often causes a total loss
"You can't just swap high-voltage cables if a marten bites into them," explains Carsten Reinkemeyer, head of the Allianz Center for Technology (AZT).
In contrast to diesel* or petrol* engines, the entire wiring harness then has to be replaced, even if only a single cable is affected.
Cost for this: at least 7,000 euros.
The marten can cause a total loss in an electric car.
(Iconic image) © Alex Bihlmaier/Imago
Accordingly, a marten bite is something (electric) drivers would love to do without.
Especially since the repair is tantamount to a total loss, especially for cheap electric vehicles such as the VW e-Up* or the Renault* Zoe, which can now be ordered again.
With an Audi e-tron GT or Tesla Model S, however, the repair is more worthwhile.
"And the problem gets even bigger when older used vehicles are attacked," emphasizes Reinkemeyer.
Marten damage in electric cars: Chili effectively protects against rodents
However, there is also good news, because the marten finds it comparatively more difficult to get into the engine compartment and the cables in electric cars*.
The Stromer are usually fully covered on the underbody and in the engine compartment and the high-voltage cables are protected by special protective tubes as well as thick insulation and shielding, explains the ADAC.
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Map hair or dog hair can also offer short-term protection against martens, but the rodents see through this trick relatively quickly.
The chili is much more effective.
Powder or a freshly cut pod ensure that the troublemaker stays away from the engine compartment.
However, the protection must be renewed after each ride, as the aroma quickly dissipates.
The ADAC, however, advises electric shock devices, protective hoses made of hard plastic or ultrasonic devices.
In addition, an engine compartment partition also offers good protection against martens.
This is offered by some manufacturers as special equipment, but can also be retrofitted in the form of engine pans.
If the rodent strikes anyway, a professional engine wash should be carried out.
Then:
(With material from dpa and sp-x)
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