eCar eVan & eBike Insurance

Internet only insurers have generally stuck to offering car insurance as that is where people are looking for the most savings and where the largest market is. eCar insurers have struck out with several websites and cover cars, vans, homes, couriers, company cars and motorcycles. Each product has it's own website and the number of discounts and special deals are extensive enough to become almost confusing. Firstly they not only offer no claims discount protection but they do not have a limit on the number of claims you can make under a protected policy that would cause you to lose it. Once you hit 5 years no claims bonus it is protected for the lifetime of your policy with e-Car. Of course, any claim will be registered and if you intend to switch insurers at any point don't be so sure that your next insurer will accept the protected no claims bonus number of years you had with e Car if you have made some claims.

You can cover up to 4 cars on one policy too, a first for personal car cover as far as we are aware, plus you can have up to 4 named drivers on a multi-car policy. Such policies would certainly prove substantial savings for people who would normally have to take out individual policies on each. How a no claims bonus works across all four cars is not explained in great detail so it may be advisable to ask before going ahead.

They also offer a PAYG (pay-as-you-go), not to be confused with PAYD (pay-as-you-drive), car insurance service where you pay month to month and can cancel cover at any time. Check the www.ecarinsurance.co.uk website for more details. With this service comes eCars rapid discount accelerator which gives you a year's worth of no claims bonus for every eight months of claim free pay as you go cover. This means that after only forty months you could have earned up to 5 years no-claims with them which then gives you that no claims bonus guarantee. They allow you to transfer any no claims that you've earned under company car or motorcycle cover, but they only recognise transferred no claims discounts from policy holders, not named drivers with other insurers. With each eCar car insurance policy you get free breakdown recovery assistance for roadside repairs, home breakdown, vehicle recovery and onward travel.

Most of the deals available with their motor insurance are available on their other products such as eVan commercial vehicle insurance and eBike motorcycle insurance. For example, with e-Van you again can have up to four drivers on a single policy with four different vehicles. Again there is the pay as you go insurance option and you still get the accelerated no claims bonus i.e. a year added for every eight months use of the policy with no claiming (see www.evaninsurance.co.uk for full details). The guaranteed no claims discount for life promise also applies here but again that will probably only be recognised by e Van themselves just as the accelerated no claims bonus will. All of eGroup's insuring products began with eBike which was the first internet only insurer for motorbikes hosted at www.ebikeinsurance.co.uk. eBikes insurances are set up exactly the same way as the others with the same benefits and discounts, but unlike their car and van insurances you can insure your classic motorbike with e-Bike.

As usual for any company who dives in to the insuring market, branching out happens quickly. It probably raised questions about the initial branding choice as eCar during the board meeting where additional products such as eHome Insurance (www.ehomeinsurance.co.uk) and their various business insuring options, such as www.eofficeinsurance.co.uk, were hammered out. But, rather than switch brands, or create a dozen subsidiaries like RBS enjoy doing, eCar have stuck with their name and site branding.

As with most internet only insurers there is not a lot of information to go on when researching whether they are a good insurer or not as they have only been around for a couple of years. Created by a company called Southern Rock (any relation?) that is based in Gibraltar we don't even have the track record of a big UK financial backer to point to for any sense of the future of this service. †

03/02/2010 I have never had dealings with such a bad company. For the last week i have been trying to get an upto date copy of my policy from Evan, they keep saying print it from the website but that copy is 2 months out of date. They agree my payment has been recived and there is a technical problem, this has been going on since i found out nearly a week ago. They keep say don't worry you are insured, but when i check on ASKMID website it says my van is not insured. So i have not been abled to use my van for work as im not sure if i am covered if i have an accident. Also i need to tax my van too. I have now given up with them cancelled my policy lost my money and gone with a proper company. I would not recomend this company to my worst enemy.

30/01/2010 By far the worst insurance company I have ever encountered. I would never renew with them again. Cheap quote given, but the trouble starts when this company denies receiving proof of your NCD, even when you've emailed it to them. They cancel your policy too without notice and charge £75 as well. Go somewhere more reputable, thats my advice!