Check how motor and home insurance policies work together, EV owners told

KUALA LUMPUR: The recent fire at a house that started while an electric vehicle (EV) was charging has thrown the hidden costs of installing EV chargers and the insurance premiums that follow into the spotlight.

The discussion flared up online after the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) reminded homeowners to review their liability coverage to ensure they remained protected from such incidents.

PIAM chief executive officer Chua Kim Soon said standard houseowner policies typically capped public liability at RM50,000, although optional extensions were available to raise the limits.

He said homeowners should reassess their insurance policies to ensure the building's sum insured reflects updated rebuilding costs, including major home or electrical upgrades.

Chua said EV owners should also consider how their motor and home insurance policies worked together.

EV owners, especially those living in landed homes, reacted on social media, questioning how owning an EV could lead to higher insurance costs.

"And RM50,000 is too little to rebuild a house.

There is roofing, ceiling repairs, painting, electrical rewiring, plumbing, debris removal, and flooring.

Even a 1,200 sq ft property would need more than that amount," one owner said.

Another posted about how neighbours of EV owners now shared this anxiety following the Cheras fire.

It was reported that installing a home EV charger would typically cost between RM3,000 and RM8,000 for a standard single-phase 7kW AC wall box, but this does not take into account the higher insurance premiums that owners will have to fork out.

Chua said a standard motor policy generally provided cover for risks such as accidental overturning, collision, fire, theft and impact damage due to falling objects.

He said insurers also offered EV-specific products that might cover home chargers, portable charging equipment and personal liability arising from home wall chargers.

"While EV motor insurance covers the vehicle, standard fire insurance covers property damage caused by insured perils, including fire, regardless of whether the source is an EV, petrol-powered vehicle, or other electrical source.

"However, home EV chargers are not automatically covered under standard home policies.

Permanently installed, hardwired chargers may be treated as fixtures or fittings and could fall under the building section of a home policy, depending on the policy wording."

He added that there was no general industry-wide exclusion in standard houseowner policies that automatically excluded a claim simply because a fire originated from an EV charger.

Last year, Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu told the Dewan Negara that 27 fire incidents involving electric and hybrid vehicles were reported nationwide between 2023 and July 2025.