Hey everyone, I was just reading a really interesting piece over on TorqueNews, a site I’ve really come to respect for its US-based automotive news coverage by expert reporters who actually dig into the technical side of things.

The article follows a Bolt owner named Caleb who had a head-on collision with a massive front-end loader during a Massachusetts snowstorm. What’s truly significant, and honestly a bit shocking, is that despite the impact, the airbags didn't even deploy, and the Bolt was still in good enough shape for him to drive it home!

It’s a testament to how tough these little EVs are built, but it also highlights a unique dilemma for us Bolt owners as our cars get older and the mileage creeps up (this one had 130,000 miles). Even if the car looks "fine" and drives well after a hit, the insurance math for EVs is a whole different ballgame.

The author of the article, John Goreham, provides some high-integrity analysis on the harsh reality of EV repairs that we all should probably keep in mind:
"If that Bolt has any damage, no matter how minor, to its high-voltage battery case or the battery itself, it is a certain goner. Insurance companies are not repairing EVs with damaged battery compartments in most cases. Certainly not in the case of older EVs. The liability in the event of a later fire is just too high. Also, if the Bolt has suffered any hidden unit body damage and requires work to straighten, it is likely a totaled car due to its advanced age and its relatively high mileage."
It’s a bit of a wake-up call to realize that a car could be perfectly functional after a crash but still be considered a "goner" just because of the risk profile of the battery casing and the age of the tech.

What do you guys think? If you were in Caleb's shoes with a high-mileage Bolt that still drove perfectly after a collision, would you be fighting the insurance company to keep it on the road, or would you just take the payout and move on?