Luxury electric vehicles from newer auto manufacturers like Lucid, Rivian, and even Tesla are often written off by insurance companies after what seem to be relatively minor accidents. In many cases, this happens not because they aren’t repairable, but because insurers would rather write it off than deal with the hassle. Local repair shops often don’t have the tools to diagnose issues related to the battery and drive train, and service centers could be hundreds of miles away.
To demonstrate this issue, YouTube channel Rich Rebuilds points us to this Rivian R1T that at first glance seems to have minimal exterior damage to the vehicle’s front end and skid plate. The wreck was not even serious enough to deploy airbags, yet it was totaled by the insurance company. The insurer was worried that a handful of studs in the skid plate might have punctured the battery pack. So it was declared a total loss and left in a bricked state before anyone even had an opportunity to make repairs.
