Electric Car Charging Fire: Auto or Home Insurance? Selectra Explains

When an electric vehicle catches fire while plugged into a charging station, insurance claims split along precise technical lines, according to consumer guidance published by Selectra. Property damage to nearby structures falls under home insurance, while vehicle damage depends entirely on whether the policy includes a specific fire guarantee, with basic third-party coverage offering no compensation for the burned car itself. The question regarding whether auto or home insurance must pay arises specifically for damages caused to neighbors, which can involve a semi-detached house, a shared parking garage, or vehicles parked nearby, with specific cases reaching totals such as 30,000 euros in damages for Julien, 24,000 euros for the car, and 12,000 euros for the neighbor.

Insurance Boundaries for Electric Vehicles and Home Coverage

The division between auto and home insurance policies depends largely on whose property suffers damage. Selectra reports that home insurance covers residential walls and buildings if a fire breaks out during charging, regardless of what triggered the blaze. For renters, tenant liability rules apply toward the landlord unless a case of force majeure occurs. Meanwhile, standard third-party auto insurance never reimburses a burned residential wall, and car coverage only applies if the owner purchased an optional fire guarantee. For personal property, fire insurance reimburses the policyholder’s own goods, paying for the car if the contract includes it and the home through home insurance, whereas civil liability covers damages caused to others such as a neighbor’s house, with both playing a role simultaneously after a charging fire though rarely with the same insurer. Nothing legally forces a property owner to hold home insurance.

French Courts Treat Battery Fires as Traffic Accidents

Legal frameworks determine whether an auto insurer or a homeowner’s policy must compensate neighboring property owners. Selectra notes that if a fire originates directly within the vehicle’s battery or wiring, French courts historically treat the incident as a traffic accident, even when the vehicle remains parked and plugged into a private garage. If the fire starts from the car, the auto insurance civil liability covers neighbors, whereas otherwise the rule of fault applies.

Different rules apply if the fire originates in a fixed wall charger rather than the vehicle itself. Selectra explains that a 2006 Court of Cassation ruling established that an independent battery charger connected to a motor is not a necessary accessory for vehicle circulation. If a wall-mounted charging unit causes the fire, auto insurers can refuse to compensate neighbors, shifting the financial responsibility to the property owner’s home insurance unless proven fault by the owner or a manufacturer defect can be established.

France Has over One Million Private Electric Cars

As the electric vehicle market expands, approximately 2.2 million rechargeable cars were circulating in France as of January 1, 2026, including more than one million private electric cars according to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, while official statistics do not track electric vehicle fires.