Pillow insurance company is launching a third-party liability insurance for scooters and other electric vehicles on the Czech market from 21.12.2023. With the option of a delayed start of up to 3 months, it will be possible to insure new categories of vehicles from the moment the new law comes into force.
New MTPL law already in the Senate
Czechia is implementing new EU-wide rules on motor liability insurance. One of the impacts is the extension of insurance obligations for new types of vehicles, most often more powerful scooters. Any vehicle driven exclusively by mechanical power will now have to have compulsory MTPL insurance if its maximum design speed is higher than 25 km/h or its maximum design speed is higher than 14 km/h (up to 25 km/h) and its operating weight is higher than 25 kg.
“The rules for compulsory third-party liability insurance are different from the rules for compulsory vehicle registration,” explains Martin Podávka, product expert and co-founder of Pillow. “Whereas with registration or the requirement for a driving certificate, it’s speed and power that decide the issue, with compulsory liability it’s speed and weight.” And at the same time, Martin reminds, “For single-track vehicles, operating weight is defined without a driver (or rider) and design speed means that when a given value is reached, the electric motor (for example, of a scooter) is switched off and does not assist the rider further.”
Two new vehicle categories in Pillow
If all goes according to plan, the law will be passed by the Senate, signed by the president and likely appear in the Collection of Laws in January. In that case, the obligation to insure new types of vehicles will start on March 1, 2024. Electric vehicle owners will be able to calculate the cost of insurance or take out a delayed start policy with Pillow as early as December 21.
“The onboarding process is simplified as much as possible, the price can be found out in a minute and the insurance can be taken out within 5 minutes“, reveals Marcel Beno, process architect and co-founder of Pillow. “Customers will find two new options under Vehicle Type. The category ‘Scooter or Unicycle’ includes scooters, Segways or the popular hoverboards. The second category ‘Electric Vehicle without Registration’ covers for example senior mobility scooters or golf carts. Small garden tractors belong to the existing Tractor category.”
“Assistance services are a standard part of MTPL insurance, and this does not change even for new types of vehicles,” says Martin Podávka. “Pillow assistance also thinks about the situation when the rider is injured, which does not require the arrival of emergency services, but requires treatment in hospital. In such a case, the assistance service will arrange transport to the nearest medical facility for the injured rider and, if necessary, his/her escort.”