All electric scooter users will need mandatory insurance in Spain in New Year
The regulation will come into effect on 2 January and cover for this type of personal mobility vehicle is expected to cost between 20 and 100 euros per year
Electric scooters have reshaped the urban transport landscape in recent years as a practical, inexpensive and sustainable solution that, until now, did not have too many requirements. Still, with liability insurance becoming mandatory for riding this type of vehicle on the streets of Spain in six weeks' time, many users are rethinking their options for getting around the city. "First, they banned me from charging the battery at the office and then from taking it on the bus. If I now have to pay for insurance, I'll consider selling it and buying a motorcycle, which is at least faster," says Manuel Fernández.
The situation for this Seville resident illustrates the transitional phase that this mode of transport is currently experiencing. Spain's new auto insurance law, formally passed in July, introduces a specific category: light personal vehicles (LPV, or PVL in Spanish). This term encompasses electric-powered devices of one or more wheels, a single seat and limited speeds: between 6km/h and 25km/h if they weigh less than 25 kilos and between 6km/h and 14km/h if they exceed this weight. This means practically all scooters on the market, plus segways, electric unicycles and hoverboards.
Until now, taking out insurance has been voluntary - except in cities such as Alicante, Benidorm, Castellón and Cordoba, where it is already compulsory - and insurance companies now offer specific cover for scooters, with policies ranging from 20 to 100 euros per year. These products, which allow multiple scooters to be covered under the same policy, primarily include civil liability coverage for personal injury or material damage that the user may cause to third parties, as well as the required legal defence costs and bail fees in the event of any claims.
However, the new set of regulations has raised the bar and increased coverage. Mandatory scooter insurance is now on a par with third-party car insurance and the regulations stipulate that it must cover at least 6.45 million euros per accident claim for personal injury and 1.3 million euros for property or material damage. These new amounts are forcing insurers to work against the clock to develop new products that meet the mandatory civil liability criteria starting next year. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that the regulations outlining the technical aspects have not yet been approved and so, currently, users cannot even purchase this insurance. Furthermore, industry sources indicate that this will likely lead to a price increase compared to those offered during the previous voluntary period and that prices will fluctuate depending on the number of accident claims that arise.
The role of the Consorcio - Spain's state insurance compensation scheme - will also be key in this new phase, as its new responsibilities include guaranteeing coverage for any situation that may fall outside the existing protective framework.
Another added difficulty is that, a month and a half before these regulations come into force, the exact number of electric scooters in circulation remains unknown. Based on data from 2023, the Spanish federation of PVLs estimated there are around five million of these vehicles currently in use across Spain. Alongside the mandatory insurance, the Spain's DGT road traffic authority is processing regulations that will require scooters to have a circulation certificate, display an identification sticker with their assigned registration number and be registered in the DGT's vehicle registry. The key point is that, in order to insure a PVL, this type of vehicle must be approved and registered, which will make it possible to identify the owner in the event of an uninsured vehicle.
Delivery riders will demand compensation to cover this expense
One of the groups most concerned about the new regulation for mandatory scooter insurance is delivery drivers, many of whom already have voluntary insurance. Although in Spain more than 80% of these workers use motorcycles and scooters currently represent less than 5% of the total, these riders will request that their employers and contractors demand some kind of financial compensation for the new cost of insurance and registration. "Given that the riders provide their own vehicles, the company should at least cover part of the expense," argues Fernando García, a union representative from UGT.
