Retrofitting a lithium battery

Short answer

Declare them: lithium batteries belong in the proposal with their value, because their fire behaviour differs from lead; battery and charging equipment are included in our electric and hybrid cover.

Get a quote Boat insurance overview

Lithium-ion batteries are a subject of their own in insurance terms. They belong in the proposal because their fire behaviour differs from lead. That is not an obstacle but a declaration: we write them. If you retrofit, tell us afterwards and an endorsement follows, which costs the difference in premium and nothing beyond it.

Included in our electric and hybrid cover are the battery itself, the charging equipment, damage from animal bites and short circuit, and the disposal cost of a damaged battery. Disposal is the item owners underestimate: a damaged traction battery is hazardous waste and not every yard is allowed to store it.

The installation is what decides a claim. A home-built pack without a battery management system is not an argument in your favour afterwards, it is an argument against the cover. Keep the invoice and the installation record in the boat file; that is half the settlement done before anything happens.

The value has to be right as well. Equipment and fitted technical items are covered where they have been applied for and are documented with a sum insured in the policy schedule. A conversion to lithium is frequently a four-figure investment and it lifts the sum insured noticeably.

When charging from shore power, the charging point is expressly included in the electric and hybrid cover. Surge and short-circuit damage while charging is therefore covered, as is damage from animal bites to the cable loom, which is a common winter-storage claim.

Worth remembering

Doing the first prevents the second from being missing when it matters.

Do I have to declare lithium batteries?

Yes. They belong in the proposal because their fire behaviour differs from lead, and with their value in the sum insured.

Is damage to the battery covered?

In our electric and hybrid cover the battery and the charging equipment are included, along with animal bite, short circuit and the disposal of a damaged battery.

What about a home-built pack?

Without a battery management system and without an installation record it becomes a problem after a claim. Have it fitted properly and keep invoice and record on board.

Is charging from shore power covered?

Yes, the charging point is expressly included in the electric and hybrid cover, and with it surge and short-circuit damage while charging.

What is stray current corrosion in a marina? What happens if the boat is underinsured? May I choose the yard myself?