Electric Scooter Insurance

Electric scooter insurance has been a legal requirement since the motorised personal transport device (EDPM) status took effect in 2019, and many owners only find out after a check or an accident. Unlike a standard electric bike, a scooter gets no exception based on its speed or power. This guide covers what electric scooter insurance includes, its real price, the documents needed, and the risks of riding without cover.

Electric scooter insurance: the essentials

• Third-party liability insurance is mandatory for every EDPM, with no exception based on speed.
• A home insurance liability extension is often enough to meet this minimum requirement.
• A third-party-only policy costs between 2 and 8 euros a month, a full policy between 8 and 20 euros.
• Riding without insurance carries a fine of up to 3,750 euros.
• Theft cover almost always requires a certified lock and the purchase invoice for the vehicle.

Electric scooter insurance plans at a glance

Three broad families of policies coexist for insuring an electric scooter, with very different levels of cover and budget. The table below gives useful reference points before comparing specific offers.

The next section explains why the first line of this table, third-party liability, is not an option but a legal requirement.

Is electric scooter insurance mandatory?

The answer is unambiguous: third-party liability insurance is mandatory for every electric scooter as soon as it is ridden on public roads. This EDPM status, defined under the French traffic code since October 2019, has no exception based on top speed, unlike a standard electric bike, where the insurance requirement only kicks in above 25 km/h. Our guide to electric scooter regulations covers every rule that applies to this category of vehicle.

In practice, this requirement is often met without taking out a dedicated policy: a liability extension on a home insurance policy frequently covers damage caused to a third party while riding. It remains essential to confirm this explicitly with the insurer, since the extension is not automatic on every policy and some exclude EDPMs. The case of an electric bike is different: the requirement there depends solely on the assistance speed threshold.

What does electric scooter insurance cover?

Beyond the mandatory liability cover, electric scooter insurance can cover three additional types of risk, depending on the plan chosen.

Theft cover compensates for the loss of the vehicle in the event of proven theft, subject to evidence (forced entry, certified lock). Damage cover covers breakage of the scooter itself, whether from a fall, an accident or vandalism. Rider cover, offered on the most comprehensive plans, compensates the rider’s own injuries after an at-fault accident, even when no identified third party is involved.

Some policies add breakdown or battery-failure assistance a few kilometres from home, a point worth checking for daily commuting use.

How much does electric scooter insurance cost?

The price of electric scooter insurance mainly depends on three factors: the value of the vehicle, the cover chosen, and, to a lesser extent, the rider’s profile. A third-party-only plan limited to liability cover generally costs between 2 and 8 euros a month. An intermediate plan with theft and damage cover rises to 6 to 14 euros, and a comprehensive plan with rider cover can reach 20 euros a month for a high-end vehicle.

Offers advertised at 1 or 2 euros, common in marketing campaigns, usually correspond to a trial period of a few months before the policy’s standard rate applies. It is worth checking the length of this promotional period and the rate that follows before comparing two offers on this criterion alone.

For intensive city use comparable to an electric bike or an electric scooter, the choice between the two vehicles also affects the overall budget, since one is not always subject to the same requirement as the other.

What documents are needed to insure an electric scooter?

Taking out a policy generally requires few documents, but missing them can delay or complicate a claim. Insurers most often ask for:

• the purchase invoice for the vehicle, which establishes its value and purchase date;
• the vehicle’s serial or identification number;
• proof of identity for the main rider;
• proof of a certified lock, when theft cover is included.

Keeping these documents from the moment of purchase avoids unpleasant surprises when filing a claim, as the invoice in particular is regularly requested to justify the compensation amount.

What happens if you ride without insurance?

Riding without insurance is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to 3,750 euros, regardless of the speed or power of the EDPM involved. This penalty comes on top of the direct financial consequences of an accident: an uninsured rider found at fault remains personally liable for the full cost of the damage caused to a third party, with no cover from an insurer.

Beyond the fine, the vehicle can also be seized depending on the circumstances of the check. For theft cover while parked, a frequent concern for daily users of electric two-wheelers, our guide to cover for a vehicle parked in the street covers the precautions to take.

How to choose the right electric scooter insurance

Choosing a plan depends above all on the value of the vehicle and how often it is used. For an entry-level scooter used occasionally, third-party liability alone, often already included in home insurance, is enough to meet the legal requirement. For a costly vehicle used daily in the city, an intermediate plan with theft cover makes more sense, since theft remains the most common claim for this type of vehicle.

Three points deserve checking before signing: the compensation cap in case of theft, which can turn out to be lower than the vehicle’s real price on the cheapest plans; the parking conditions covered, since some policies exclude theft on public roads during the day; and the exact length of a promotional offer, to avoid discovering a much higher rate after a few months.

Frequently asked questions